Ramapo College has recently finished various renovations to the academic buildings, residence halls and outdoor areas and is currently undergoing renovations to the G-wing as well as the addition of the Adler Center for Nursing Excellence.
In the past year, the College has successfully completed several construction initiatives, such as the restoration of the A, D and E wings of the academic complex. In addition, Ramapo finished repairs to the roofs of the academic buildings, some of the residential buildings in the College Park Apartments complex and the courtyard area around the Arch.
According to Richard Roberts, vice president of facilities management and the construction contracting officer, the completion of the construction projects has run smoothly with the exception of “small problems on a day-to-day basis.” These small problems include having the necessary permits or coordinating the staff to finish daily projects.
“That’s why I like coming to work,” said Roberts. “Every day is different.”
Rexton Lynn, assistant dean for teacher education, works on the 2nd floor of E-wing. The offices that house the staff of the teacher certification program were renovated over the summer.
Lynn said that the construction work was not finished “as smoothly as it could have been.” According to Lynn, the paint was not even, and there were other glitches with the process.
However, Lynn is satisfied with the renovation overall and is glad that his department was able to move in on time for the fall semester.
“It feels new, it feels good,” said Lynn.
Ramapo has budgeted slightly less than $69 million for all of the completed and ongoing projects, according to Roberts. The College has spent more than $21 million up to date.
The projects that Ramapo plans on undertaking next are the restoration of the 2nd floor of B-wing and the interior of the Robert A. Scott Student Center.
Roberts said that there are three important factors when Ramapo decides on what projects to prioritize. First, the proposed construction has to be in accordance with the Facilities Master Plan of the College. Then, it has to go through the President’s Cabinet ,and finally, it must get approved by the Board of Trustees.
Two projects are still ongoing on campus: the renovation of the third floor of G-wing, as well as the construction of the Adler Center for Nursing Excellence.
Complaints about noise and restricted accessibility to academic facilities were “few and far between,” according to Roberts. “Academics comes first,” he said, and because of this, most of the work was done over the summer.
According to Roberts, Ramapo is currently focusing on the academic facilities. He said that it is “in the interest of the students who are already here to study in modern and well-equipped classrooms.”
There is also hope that a recently renovated campus will attract more prospective students.
“I think it’s good to have good classrooms and atmosphere. It definitely helps with learning,” said Ramapo student Christina Sammarco. “I do like them. I think they are comfortable.”
However, Sammarco has experienced small problems, such as missing erasers or non-working lights while studying in the new classrooms in A-wing.
“They almost seem like they are not prepared,” Sammarco said.
Steven Aliano, a senior, is taking classes in A-wing, but a delay in the construction caused his class to move back and forth between the classroom and the auditorium in H-wing.
“They had it complete, but not really completed,” said Aliano.
Despite small issues like this, Aliano is generally satisfied with the renovation.
“The basics of it look pretty nice,” he added. “Not much different than what it used to be.”
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avasilev@ramapo.edu
