College of Arts and Sciences at OSU opens Faculty Resource Center
Monday, September 29, 2008
The College of Arts and Sciences at Oklahoma State University recently celebrated
the opening of a faculty resource center to serve its 500 professors and lecturers.
At the opening were, from left, Marlene Strathe, provost and senior vice president
for OSU; and college representatives, Christopher Weimer, professor of foreign languages
and head of the faculty council; Ron Van Den Bussche, associate dean of research;
Renee Tefertiller, director of fiscal affairs; Peter M.A. Sherwood, dean; and Suzy
Thompson, associate vice president for development of the OSU Foundation.
The celebration introduced the college’s 500 professors and lecturers to a faculty resource center that combines three offices into one facility. The 2,660-square-foot center brings together the offices of development, fiscal affairs and research support services.
“The center creates one integrated operation that provides essential support to our faculty,” said Peter M.A. Sherwood, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “The center will make operations more efficient, as well as provide a more welcoming and user-friendly facility to our faculty.”
The center is housed on the second floor of the historic Life Sciences East building and employs 15 employees and three student workers. The renovation created a common reception area that helps guide faculty to the appropriate support office.
In addition to professional offices for each staff member, the facility includes two conference rooms featuring full teleconferencing capabilities in the larger room. “The separate staff offices allow faculty to work with staff in a much more professional environment than the cramped and open locations that were previously used,” Sherwood said.
The ceremony program included speeches from Marlene Strathe, provost and senior vice president at OSU, and Suzy Thompson, associate vice president for development of the OSU Foundation. Also speaking were college representatives Sherwood; Christopher Weimer, professor of foreign languages and head of the faculty council; Renee Tefertiller, director of fiscal affairs; and Ron Van Den Bussche, associate dean of research.
The renovation of student and faculty offices in Life Sciences East was conducted in three phases. The first phase renovated classroom space; the second created a student success center that opened in January 2008; and the third was the installation of a faculty resource center completed in July 2008. The building team for all three projects was Centennial Contractors Enterprises.
“The faculty resource center was the third project with Centennial,” Tefertiller said. “Without a doubt, each completed project built upon the past successes of the previous ones.”
To learn more about the College of Arts and Sciences, visit cas.okstate.edu .