To: Science and Engineering Community, Div 3
From:
John Robinson, Manager Capital Projects, on behalf of the Ford Hall Operations
Committee.
Subject: Ford Hall and Renovation Transition Guidelines
Date:
March 18, 2016
Use of Ford Hall Until January 2010
To clarify the current conditions, Ford Hall remains an active construction project that will
extend through the fall semester. As such, Ford Hall remains under the management of Facilities
Management. Facilities Management will be working on commissioning the building systems,
completing the punch list, moving and fitting out the labs, installing equipment and AV units,
and troubleshooting in general. The move of various facilities and labs will continue throughout
the fall semester. We anticipate turning the building over to the Science Center administration in
January 2010, when Ford Hall will formally become one of the Science Center buildings.
Until January 2010, there will be only the most basic support services in the building and limited
custodial services. Also, there will be construction workers, inspectors and movers though out
the building during the fall. As we work to make the building operational, there will be
disruptions and disturbances. For this reason, we are restricting building use to Ford Hall faculty
members using their offices and research labs, and the students conducting research with the
faculty member in those research labs. Ford Hall faculty members and students associated with
their research can also use support spaces associated with their intellectual centers. Faculty
members can use their offices and associated support spaces for office hours and advising.
What cannot be supported this fall are catalogue numbered courses and classes, social events,
presentation of majors and minors, class projects and similar activities not directly in support of
Ford Hall faculty members’ use of their offices and research labs. We ask that activities that fall
into this category continue to be scheduled in the spaces that have been traditionally used for
those purposes (e.g. McConnell Foyer).
Service Requests
Since Ford hall is still an active construction site under the management of Facilities
management, all service requests or operational questions should be sent directly to me, John
Robinson (jrobinson@smith.edu), copy to Tom Litwin (tlitwin@smith.edu). Service request for
all other Science Center building should be submitted through the standard work request process.
Ford Hall Operating Hours
Beginning in mid-January 2010 Ford Hall will operate under the same building hours schedule as
the rest of the Science Center. Until then, Ford Hall is a limited use building and with the doors
being unlocked from 7am to 5.30pm on weekdays only. Outside these hours, only Science
Center faculty, staff, or research students who have received access privileges on their OneCard
will be able to enter exterior doors. If you need key or card access to Ford Hall, please see your
Departmental Assistant.
Ford Hall Room Scheduling
Beginning in January 2010, there will be a limited number of common Science Center and
registrar spaces that will require reservations for use through the College Calendar (R25).
Science Center meeting rooms 146, 246 and 346 and The Atrium (Room 100), will be in the
Smith Calendar, and require College Calendar scheduling for reserved usage. Pearsall Seasons
Room (Room 340) and the Carroll Terrace (Room 341A) will serve as the Ford Hall lounge
during class hours, but will require College Calendar scheduling outside class hours (after 4:30
PM). Although these spaces are available to the broader campus, the Science Center
administration has refusal status for any activity proposed for these spaces via the College
Calendar. Beginning in January 2010, please consult your administrative assistant for College
Calendar scheduling of these spaces.
All other academic support spaces fall under the purview of the appropriate academic area (e.g.
Picker Engineering Program, Center for Molecular Biology, etc) and are scheduled at the
discretion of those academic areas.
Vacated Space in Burton, Sabin-Reed and McConnell
To reiterate the policy stated by President Christ at the Science Center renovation town hall
August 31, this is a reminder that all spaces vacated in the Science Center will be closed and
locked off until a final renovation and space-use plan is completed.
Any reuse or renovation ideas or needs to be considered by the Renovation Operations
Committee can be submitted to Christian Lagier. Items submitted so far have been posted on the
Director's Office web site (www.science.smith.edu/director); click on the link for the Renovation
Operations Committee. Any suggestion for use will be considered in the context of the finalized
Bond Brothers renovation plan.
Finally, we greatly appreciate your patience and goodwill as we have transitioned, and continue
to transition, though our complex project. If you have any comments or suggestions, please do
not hesitate to contact me at jrobinson@smith.edu, with a copy to Tom Litwin
(tlitwin@smith.edu).