We receive a warm welcome. There are chairs for nearly everyone and a presentation screen. Coffee and tea are provided. But there is very little else at Daltonlaan 500. The building, like that at Daltonlaan 400, is empty and awaiting refurbishment as the temporary home of the Faculty of Economics and Management (FEM). Director of Operations Kees Bossers and Operations Manager Dennis Heres tell staff and students what to expect. They take everyone on a guided tour of the building: “these walls are all coming down!”
Approximately one hundred FEM faculty members are welcomed by Kees Bossers. He is pleased to see such a large turnout, since “the operation we shall undertake together over the coming months involves more than packing boxes and moving in.” Information is important, and it is provided by Dennis Heres.
Tidying up and clearing out
The contractor who will refurbish the building was selected in April and will begin work in May. “It’s going very quickly,” Dennis remarks, “so it’s time to start clearing out the old faculty building.” One of the staff asks what documents must be kept. “Education Logistics is currently producing a list,” Dennis replies, adding that past exam papers should certainly be kept until further notice. The final day of sorting documents and other resources into ‘keep’ and ‘dispose’ containers will be in June. Anything that is not to be moved to Daltonlaan and is reusable will be offered for sale at a ‘Fancy Fair’, with all proceeds going to a good cause. Padualaan will close its doors for the last time on 18 July. “Everything placed in the yellow ‘keep’ containers will be waiting for you here at Daltonlaan in mid-August,” Dennis promises.
Working and learning in the new environment
Twenty staff members have already cleared out their desks. Eight rooms have been equipped to simulate the new working concept, in which each institute has its own Institute area which serves as a meeting place and offers various shared usage workspaces, meeting rooms, team tables, ‘hot desks’ and quiet areas for activities which require greater concentration. Here, staff will practise using the working methods of the future so that all colleagues can benefit from their insights and experiences.
Livvit is to run training sessions to help staff familiarize themselves with the new methods. What is the best position for your laptop or chair? What is a good balance between working at home and working at the faculty? How do you ensure adequate contact with colleagues and students? The IT Academy offers a number of online courses to familiarize users with programs such as Outlook and Lync. Teams will be expected to make agreements about how they are to use the new facilities, and to arrive at a set of ‘house rules’. What is acceptable conduct and what is not?
Roster
A new location calls for a new course roster, and a provisional version is currently in production. “All teaching staff will be asked to examine it carefully and report any errors, clashes, omissions or other problems before the summer recess,” explains Dennis. “By early July, we will then have a robust roster which needs no more than minor adjustments. We must avoid the need to make any major changes given the likely domino effect.”
Mobility
“What must be done to ensure that everyone is here on time?” Dennis continues. “Qbuzz, the local transport operator, has agreed to increase both the frequency and capacity of bus services to Daltonlaan. There are two hundred parking places for those who drive to work, which we shall share with the FMR at Daltonlaan 200 and 300. There is also some parking space on Sorbonnelaan. Anyone who uses the ‘Park and Ride’ facility at De Uithof can complete their journey using bus 28 or the shared bicycle scheme. We have cycle parking places for eight hundred students and one hundred staff members.”
The building
The group is then given a guided tour of the building. Those with a particularly active imagination can visualize the team tables, meeting spaces and other modern facilities which will be here in just a few months from now. There will be many different types of workspace for different types of activity. “We shall have to get used to finding the location which is best suited to our purposes,” states Dennis.
“Daltonlaan 400 and 500 will open on 17 August, whereupon everyone can get down to work in this new setting!”
Dennis has one final piece of advice: “Talk to your colleagues about the move. Share your knowledge.” If you have any questions, go to this website www.huontwikkelt.nl/FEMen or contact huisvestinginfo@hu.nl.
Photos showing the progress of the refurbishment are regularly posted on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HUontwikkelt.
Dennis Heres tells us more
The location of the future Clustercafé