Satisfied with the Very Best
We spent the fall settling into our new campus. On the whole, the settling was smoother than anticipated.
Welcome to the Spring 2013 semester! I trust you got good rest over the past few weeks and are ready for a new semester. We spent the fall settling into our new campus. On the whole, the settling was smoother than anticipated. At the same time, we experienced some hiccups. Before the break, your study body president—Sam Tran—and the House Presidents relayed a number of student concerns to me. I relayed those to the College Executive Team. The Executive Team responded in earnest.
Here’s an update:
1. Student Lounge: Many of you expressed concern that we do not have a comfortable student lounge on campus. As a temporary solution, we are converting Room 523 into a student lounge. When it’s completed, it will have several couches, comfortable chairs, and—yes—a ping pong table. Simultaneously, we’re looking at options for creating a larger, permanent student lounge.
2. Student Housing: The move to Lower Manhattan means that campus housing is scattered around the city; consequently, community on campus is hampered. We hope to move the bulk of student housing to the Financial District this summer. We are working with a leading brokerage firm to secure apartments in nearby buildings. We’ll keep you posted as things develop.
3. Library: You raised a number of concerns about the library. We’ve begun to address these.
– Power: By the end of next week, we will have power and lamps in the cubicles along the west wall of the library. We plan to install additional power outlets in the library by this summer.
– Size and noise: To create more quiet study space, we are incorporating the “Quiet Lounge” into the library. You’ll see a large study table in that area now.
4. Campus Hours: A number of you asked to have the campus open earlier. We now open at 8:00 a.m. Monday through Friday. The campus will close at 11:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
5. Entrance: Several of you noted that the broken tiles at the entrance of 52 Broadway do not live up to our standards. You’re right. Last week, contractors were on site to size up the job; as soon as we have a week of decently warm, dry weather, they will get the repair done.
6. Microwave: A number of you asked for a microwave for Café Six to heat lunches, etc. We purchased and installed one for your use.
Other upgrades are in the works. It will take time to get everything up to snuff, but I’m encouraged by the progress we’ve made over the past month.
Winston Churchill once said, “I am easily satisfied with the very best.” The very best is our standard. The King’s Executive Team will not rest until we make King’s a world class institution. I share that commitment, as do the faculty and staff. We sometimes fall short of that, but we’re committed to making mid-course corrections as needed. Thanks for partnering with us to make King’s a better place for all.