In response to one of the most frequently asked questions, the answer is "Yes." New campus construction passed the 80 percent mark in October and while there remains a lot to do, with more than 7,000 workers on site every day, progress continues at a steady rate. It may be a bit "dusty," but we will get there.
Planning for the transition to the new campus continues and in this edition of AUC On The Move there are a number of updates to some of the key questions that are on all our minds. The designation of move captains for each area over the next few weeks will enable us to hold group meetings, beginning in January, to review the details, logistics and draft timetable for the physical move, which will begin June 1, 2008. Other areas, such as transportation and parking - programs that are completely new to AUC - are nearing completion and, over the next month or two, additional details will be shared with the AUC community on those and many other questions.
We plan to use this newsletter to help us share those plans and respond to the numerous questions that we receive as we get ready for this exciting turning point in the history of AUC. Do not hesitate to submit your questions : while we cannot respond to all immediately, that does not mean they are not being heard; they are being reviewed and provide important input into the myriad of decisions that need to be made; they will be responded to and your opinions do matter.
While we are embarking on an almost unheard of transition for any university, there is no doubt that we are all worried about what that will mean to us as individuals. We are used to doing our work in a certain location and in a certain way. How will this move change how we do our work and how we provide our services? How will the change in location affect those well-established routines in my personal life?
Together, we will be able to answer most of those questions. For others, despite all the planning and expectations, we will really not know until we get there, until we actually experience life on the new campus. The next few months are critical. As much information will be provided as soon as it is available and continuous input from all members of the AUC community will be crucial to making sure we are as prepared as we can be for this transition.
Paul Donoghue, VP for Planning and Administration
