Dedication planned for Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J. Center at Fairfield University

Dedication planned for Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J. Center at Fairfield University

Fairfield University will hold a dedication ceremony for its Aloysius P. Kelley. S.J. Center, a new state-of-the-art administration building and welcoming center, on Thursday, Oct. 5, at 4:30 p.m. Fairfield University President Jeffrey von Arx, S.J., former University President Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J., and Fairfield First Selectman Kenneth Flatto will also speak at the indoor event, which is open to the media and the public.

The Rev. Michael J. Doody, S.J., Fairfield University's new director of campus ministry, will offer a blessing and Paul Huston, chair of the board of trustees, will make brief remarks. Following the ceremony, there will be a light reception and guests may tour the building.

Named for Kelley, who was University president from 1979 to 2004, the 23,707-square-foot building is a welcoming center for prospective students and their families and others visiting the campus and a "one-stop shopping" administrative center for current students. In addition to Graduate and Continuing Studies Admission, the site now houses the Career Planning Center, New Student Programs, Student Support Services, Undergraduate Admission, Financial Aid, Marketing for Academic Programs, the Registrar, the StagCard Office and Enrollment Management.

Judy Dobai, associate vice president for enrollment management, who chaired the building committee, worked closely with Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Workstage, the project's design-build firm, to make sure the building centralized services and created a dramatic sense of arrival for visitors.

"In today's complex higher education environment, students and their families have high expectations about the facilities, resources and services that will be available to them and that first impression when they step on campus is critical to the decision-making process," said Fr. von Arx.

In addition, the team used state-of-the-art technology, most notably the raised floor system that allows all electricity, data, heating, and cooling to be delivered to modular offices above, providing a high degree of flexibility and better air quality.

The Kelley Center houses a 90-seat auditorium for multimedia presentations that will also serve as a stepping off point for campus tours. Seven interview rooms and a larger reception room complete the welcome center portion of the building. The conference rooms are reserved on an automated system with schedules posted on screens outside the doors, making for smoother meeting planning.

Posted On: 09-25-2006 10:09 AM

Volume: 39 Number: 13