Sou'wester

Issue date: 1/28/09 Section: News

In June 2006 President Troutt launched an effort to provide Rhodes students with faster and more convenient access to student services. Three years and $7.5 million later, the renovated Burrow Hall is the new home to all the student services offices, which are now organized in "hubs."
The hubs are designed to address different student needs in a centralized manner. For example, the Career Services and Buckman Center for International Education offices, which both deal with students' experiences outside of the campus, are located together in the Lower Level of Burrow Hall.
"We created and designed the entire structure around what would make sense for students," said Martha Kelley, an Independent Student Services Consultant who worked with the team responsible for re-designing student services. "Instead of bouncing around from one department to another, we developed service hubs around broader functions. For instance, the entire ground floor is designed around getting a student in to Rhodes and getting their education financed."
The Student Services Re-Engineering Team drew from a number of different examples as they re-designed the structure of the student services. While some of these were other academic institutions, the team also talked to FedEx and Harrah's Casino about their customer service and customer relationship management structures.
"We looked at specific things at specific companies tried to figure out how that would transfer and apply to us," said the Dean of Students Carol Casey, who was on the Student Services Re-Engineering Team. "Harrah's knows so much about their customers, and so we tried to learn from that, because the better we know you as a student the more likely we will be able to know your needs without you having to ask."
According to Kelley, the new student services organization is relatively unique in the world of higher education.
"Some [other institutions] have a similar concept to Rhodes Express but we took it further," said Kelley. "I don't think anyone is doing anything nearly to this extent as far as creating hubs of services around student needs."
The physical renovation of Burrow Hall, which served as the Rhodes Library until 2005, consisted of two phases. The first was to make the building habitable by cleaning it, removing asbestos, and making other basic improvements. The second phase involved cosmetic renovations and the installation of a full-size elevator.
Funding from foundations, individual gifts and institutional funds covered the $7.5 million price tag for the renovation, which cost a third of what an entirely new facility would have cost. This is also the second renovation of Burrow, which was originally built in 1953 and renovated for the first time in 1988.
Starting this weekend, Burrow Hall will also have 24-7 fob access to allow students to use the study space.

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