2012 - 2013

Lowman Student Center, Director

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Update to previous cycle's plan for continuous improvement

1.  We have expanded the on line reservation capability.  The departments that utilize the service are very happy with the system
2. Of all the comments we received concerning our facility most of them were very positive.  The one area we can continue to improve on is opening rooms on time.  The biggest challenge was around 5:00pm when the office was closing and the student supervisor took over opening rooms.  We have adjusted schedules so the student supervisor comes on in time to open the rooms.
3.  Based on the comments about our tables and chairs we embarked on a program to replace most of our meeting room equipment.  We have replaced tables in two meeting rooms and have purchased chairs that will replace the ones in three of our large meeting rooms.
4.  We completed the pre-programming phase of the expansion of the student center culminating in a student referendum approving the expansion. 

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Plan for continuous improvement

During FY 2013 the LSC used a Campus Lab survey to assess our customer service and quality of our operation.  The staff reviewed the survey on a regular basis to look for areas where we could improve or build on our success.  In addition to the surveys during the fall semester we conducted focus groups of students and staff to pursue expansion of the student center to meet the basic CAS standards.  The focus groups provided some insight to what they would like to see in the new facility as well as what was wrong with our current facility.  The LSC staff took action on some of those shortfalls to our current facility and we didn’t wait for the new facility to incorporate those changes. 

1.  During the current campus master plan the LSC was tagged as the number one area for improvement.  With that plan and student input we embarked on a program to show the benefits of an expanded student center.  Over 25 student organizations and residence halls were briefed prior to the student referendum.  The students voted to expand the LSC through an increase in their student center fee.  The vote was over 60% in favor of the expansion.  The fee increase took the student center fee to the maximum allowed by our system’s education code but was not sufficient to pay for the expansion.  We will continue to look for ways to fund the much needed expansion.
2. With state funding cut across the campus many departments were looking for opportunities to save money.  We provided that money saving choice by providing an excellent Skype interview capability to committees looking to hire new employees.  This year we increased the use of our Skype equipment in our meeting rooms to accommodate these interviews.  This program has allowed departments to screen potential candidates that they may have funded to travel to campus.
3. During one of the many focus groups on the expansion of the LSC several people mentioned there were “dark” areas in the student center.  One area that was discussed was our main lobby.  While there are several windows the natural lighting is variable due to the weather and orientation of the building.  We consulted with a lighting contractor for our options.  We changed out our existing bulbs for a whiter and higher Kelvin rating bulb.  That created a much brighter but not sterile environment.  We are continuing to work with the contractor to develop a balanced lighting situation using LED technology with light sensors.
4. Several guests had nearly slipped in our linoleum tiled ballroom.  With that safety concern and encouragement from administration we carpeted the ballroom using 2’ carpet squares.  The side benefit was better acoustics for the large space. 
5. With our furniture approaching the 12 year mark we have started a gradual replacement plan.  As the funding allows we will replace our meeting room and common area furniture.  Our first step was to replace the 7’ x 30” tables in two large meeting room with 6’ x 18” tables.  This increase the comfort factor by creating more space between the tables without sacrificing the seating capacity.  We have also started the chair replacement cycle with the purchase of 260 new chairs.  This will upgrade the quality of the spaces and the comfort for the guests.
6. In collaboration with the School of Music the LSC started a program to have student musicians play in our main lobby the last month of the semester.  The music created a warm environment and was well received by the students, faculty and staff.  We will continue this program in the next FY.
7. We continuously strive to try and upgrade our technology.  Our IT division has provided many of the university staff IPads for their secondary computer.  To support this we purchased and have used Apple TV which enables the present to use their IPad and display the presentation through a projector or wall mounted monitor.  Additionally we used a wireless sound board in conjunction with the Apple TV to enable the Orientation Team to do their entire opening session using their IPad.  This received great reviews from the team and the audience.
8. Students in the focus groups wanted us to look at ways to “green” the LSC.  Since it is an older building we were limited in what we could do and the funds to pay for any changes.  We became aware of a rebate program through our electricity provider, Entergy, where they would provide partial funding for us to change out incandescent light bulbs with LED lamps.  We changed bulbs in the ballroom, bookstore and Kat Klub.  In the Kat Klub alone the rebate was almost $600 which covered most of the cost of the new lamps.  The projected annual saving for the Kat Klub alone is approximately 10,782 KwH.  The re-lamping of all the incandescent bulbs to LED has reduced our electric bill by at least $50,000 this fiscal year.
9. We will continue to upgrade our facility and equipment within our budgetary constraints.  The feedback we receive from our student body will guide us in our actions.

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