After five months of curiosity from students and anticipation from administrators, construction of the Undergraduate Admissions Student Recruitment Center in the lobby of Capen Hall was finished Tuesday.
The new center will serve as the cornerstone for the department's Visit UB program, which gave 800 campus tours to over 2,700 prospective freshmen and transfer students last year.
"It's our place where we will be entertaining prospective students and their parents," said Sean Sullivan, UB vice provost for enrollment and planning. "We really want to make a good first impression to visitors, and we've also improved the overall appearance of the lobby."
The old visitor's information kiosk, which officials said took up hallway walking space, was removed. A step-down sitting area was also filled in for the center's construction.
A new blue-and-white UB insignia was built into the re-tiled floor as well.
The facility is set to open its doors to future UB students on Wednesday, but it is hard to find current UB students who know what is going to be behind the new glassy wall in Capen lobby.
"I have no idea," said David Kaczmarkiewicz, a junior mechanical engineering major. "I guess it's some sort of conference room. It looks pretty cool. Looks new age."
"I don't know what it is, actually. I thought it was just an office," said Amanda Zayas, a freshman electrical engineering major. "Don't know what it's for, though."
When told that the Capen construction was for a new admissions center, students agreed that the change was for the better.
"I like the lights - looks nicer. It's a lot more attractive to prospective students than just a door and an office,' said Rima Turakhia, a sophomore mechanical engineering major.
In past years, the undergraduate admissions office held the Visit UB program in 107 Talbert, which holds 150 people.
"We wanted a much more intimate experience," said Sullivan. "In reality, UB is a big place but it shrinks down into smaller communities. Now, instead of having 150 in a room, we'll have 50 in a room and we'll be able to zero in on people's questions. It's going to be great for us in terms of projecting our image."
The new setup in Capen also allows Undergraduate Admissions to exhibit the university's technological prowess.
"It's really going to provide an exciting introduction to parents and students to the high-tech network we have here at UB, and we'll be able to showcase the high-tech classroom experience," said Patricia Armstrong, director of admissions.
The construction of the new center also required the installation of a new heating and cooling system.
Many of the presentation room's features - such as the lighting, projector and screen - can be controlled from the room's adjustable podium.
Since the center's completion last week, Visit UB staff members have been training to use it.
"We have to learn how to use the facility before we can bring people in there," said Sullivan.
Last year, 78 percent of the students who participated in the Visit UB program applied to UB.
"We believe that we have a special community here and the problem we often have is how to represent that community to visitors who aren't part of it," said Sullivan. "I think (the center) is a huge step up for our recruitment effort. It's a chance for us to really show the sophisticated capabilities we have at UB. We are very excited about it."
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
