With a new year comes new changes, including a massive change for the EMU admissions department. Formerly hosted in the Campus Center, admissions is now down on the first floor of University Commons, a more centralized location on campus. This new location is more easily accessible for people on campus, and it is also a better location for prospective EMU students who want to come visit. Google maps will take you to University Commons when you put in directions to EMU, meaning that anyone who came to visit might have been confused to find the main EMU building completely devoid of information about admissions. The old space felt out of the way and inconvenient, and the new space is anything but that.
Walking into University Commons, you are greeted by a large sign on your right that reads, “Admissions Office.” It is incredibly clear where admissions is, and that you are in the right place. The walls are painted in blue and white, our school colors, and it looks a lot fresher than the office walls back in the Campus Center. It is very open for people to wander in and contains ample seating in the lobby to wait for someone to help you with whatever you may need. The lobby area also has a large flat screen TV and a speaker beneath it for optimal sound quality. Beneath the TV there is a long electric fireplace that really throws the whole area together and gives it a cozy, welcoming feel.
When you go into the back offices, you will find that the office spaces are very roomy, allowing for a lot of mobility for the admissions staff and prospective students. Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment Luke Litwiller shared, “I believe our team’s move was highly positive for a number of reasons. First, the location is in an area where campus visitors have historically tended to end up when searching for the admissions office. University Commons is a much easier place to find and park, and leads to a more warm welcome of visitors as they arrive. Second, the new space is being lived in with an intention for greater authenticity and a collaborative team dynamic, and the more open design with windows and co-working area helps us live into that change. Third, as we continue to reimagine our recruitment strategies, a new physical location is disruptive and therefore has helped our team’s creativity to emerge and also be implemented. Lastly, admissions being positioned closer to Student Life, Athletics, and Auxiliary Services is naturally leading toward greater collaboration and alignment between our teams which I think will lead to a better student (and prospective student) experience.”
The integration of the admissions office into University Commons is sure to bring about a new sense of community and excitement to the building and to campus as a whole. With more prospective students milling about the main part of campus, hopefully this will bring excitement and freshness to our beloved campus.
