For years, the Janet Long Mall Cottage in the center of campus has been home to both the Financial Aid and Student Accounts offices, but this summer, there was a big change made to the Mall Cottage that affects all Eastern students and faculty alike. Now known as The Hub, the Mall Cottage is home not only to Financial Aid and Student Accounts, but also to the Registrar’s office.
Students no longer have to head over to Fowler Hall to register for classes or declare a major and then run across campus to settle a balance in their student account, as depicted in the comical promotional video for The Hub that was sent to everyone’s Eastern emails over the summer. Now the necessary logistical processes of the university are more accessible to everybody, especially faculty.
“It’s much more collaborative and gives us, [the faculty], a chance to learn from one another so we can help answer questions students may have before they happen,” said Andréa Ruth, Interim Director of Financial Aid. “It’s nice to work with everyone from the different offices since a lot of what we do is reliant on each other.”
Discussions about moving the Registrar began about a year ago. “We really wanted to connect with the students and see their faces, because when we, [the Registrar], were in Fowler, the main form of communication we had with students was through email,” said Lori Bristol, Senior Associate of the Registrar. “Having all three offices located centrally on campus makes everything more convenient for students, and we get to connect with them more as well.”
Several discussions later, a proposal to move the Registrar to the Mall Cottage was put together, and it was then approved by leadership. In order to make The Hub a reality, “We worked closely with Plant Operations, Housekeeping, and many other facilities on campus to create space for the Registrar,” said Lisa Weller, Senior Director of Student Accounts. After months of hard work, The Hub officially opened for students and faculty to use on July 18, 2018.
So whether you are adding or dropping classes, paying off balances, or discussing your Financial Aid, never be afraid of saying hello to everyone in The Hub, and if you have any suggestions of how The Hub can be improved, let someone there know. “Input is always helpful,” said Weller.