NMU Students, Faculty and Staff,
With the semester quickly winding to a close, there were a few things I thought were important for faculty and staff to be updated on before the NMU community begins to scatter for the summer.

New Residence Hall Complex Proposal
A previous Campus Connect update outlined the details of the new residence hall complex proposal that is being brought to the NMU Board of Trustees this week. Included in that proposal will be this architectural rendering, which Northern recently received. The image gives a good idea of the proposed four-story, six-building complex that will replace the approximately 1,200 beds of the four Quad I residence halls.

If the board approves the resolution to move forward and finalize a contract with our private partner, construction activity will begin this spring with the decommissioning process for Payne Hall and the relocation of utilities for the construction site. The utilities relocation and general site preparation will commence in July, 2016. This will be immediately followed by the construction of the two most southern-located halls, the ones that will be operational for fall 2017. The demolition of Payne needs to be completed and the site backfilled by the end of September so that site preparation can begin and footings laid for the two centrally located buildings. Those two buildings would open in January.

Summer Renovation Projects
Facilities projects scheduled for this summer include the second phase of the Forest Roberts Theatre renovation. The first phase, which included mostly lighting and mechanical upgrades, was completed in March. The second phase will modernize the FRT lobby. It is expected to be completed in September.

We will also be working on the former Math and Computer Science Department location in New Science to prepare it for its new residents from the Psychology Department. That move-in is tentatively scheduled for June. When Psychology leaves its current Gries Hall location, work will begin there to renovate the space for the social science departments moving in late July/early August: economics, history, political science and philosophy.

Other facilities work for the summer includes the demolition of the vacated 821 Center and 821 Summit Street Apartments and the construction of a men's soccer locker room in the Superior Dome. The soccer room renovation will include modifying an existing conference space adjacent to the women's soccer locker room and will include lockers, shower facilities and a team room. Construction will begin this spring and be ready for an August occupancy.

Bookstore Update
About two weeks ago, Barnes and Noble College was on campus to finalize details of the transition to take over operation of the bookstore from Northern, which officially happens June 13. A few updates to report at this time include:

The bookstore will be closed the week of June 13 to allow for the operational transition. It will reopen on Monday, June 20 as Barnes and Noble College at NMU. In June, Barnes and Noble College plans to remerchandise the store to give it a fresh look for this upcoming year. There is a tentative plan for a more extensive remodel next summer. Barnes and Noble College has hired Paul Wright as the store manager, effective June 13. Paul is currently the assistant manager of the NMU Bookstore. Other current employees have received offers for new Barnes and Noble positions. Other positions that are available are posted at bncollege.com. Barnes and Noble College is working on a new bookstore website that will be up and running by June 13 or sooner.

As we head into the summer, please watch for emailed notices about renovation/construction-related changes impacting the campus. These often include safety information and will be sent as early as we get the information from the construction crews.

Lastly, a reminder that university business hours change beginning Monday, May 2. Offices must be open from 7:30 a.m. through 4 p.m. Employees are allotted a 30-minute lunch period. If you have any questions or concerns about the change in university business hours, please contact Human Resources.

Sincerely,
Gavin Leach, Vice President, Finance and Administration