A highly anticipated day arrives April 21, as the first departments and offices of the Wayne State University School of Medicine begin moving into the newly constructed Richard J. Mazurek, M.D., Medical Education Commons.
Ron Spalding, chief administrative officer of Academic and Student Programs for the School of Medicine, announced that a number of departments will move into their newly completed offices. Those offices, furbished with new furniture and already bearing the names of their occupants outside their doors, will house student services personnel, the first to make the transition.
Access to "The Mazurek," as Spalding said the new structure should be commonly called, will be restricted to the walkway located behind the lecture halls on the second floor of Scott Hall.
"Construction has taken just under two years, and it has gone very smoothly," said Spalding, who praised the construction company and project manager. "There have been no real delays or problems. We're right on track, right where we wanted to be."
A grand opening celebration is scheduled for the first week in June.
While these first departments will begin to move into their new locations, all areas of the new building are not open to the public, students or faculty. Restricted areas will be cordoned off with yellow construction site tape. Work in restricted areas continues, so while curiosity is only natural, Spalding said safety concerns require not crossing the boundaries of those identified areas.
The scheduled move dates, office closings and reopening for business in their new locations are detailed below:
Records and Registration will move April 21. The office is expected to be closed April 17-22, with reopening planned for April 23.
Academic & Student Programs will move April 27. The office will offer limited services April 24-27, and plans to reopen with limited services April 28.
The Co-Curricular Office will move April 27. The office will be closed April 28-29, with a planned reopening April 30.
Financial Aid moves into its new office April 28. The office will be closed April 24-28, and will reopen April 29.
Student Affairs moves April 29, and will be closed April 27-29. The office will reopen April 30.
Medical Education Support Group offices move into the new building May 4, and will be closed beginning at noon May 1 through May 5. The office will reopen May 6.
The Office of Diversity moves May 5 and will be closed May 4-6, reopening May 7.
The Admissions Office is set to move May 6. It will be closed beginning at noon May 4 through May 7, reopening May 8.
The Testing Office will move May 7, and is expected to be closed only for that day.
The Clinical Skills Center is scheduled to move May 21, and will be closed May 21-26, with a targeted reopening of May 27.
In addition, officials at the Shiffman Library have announced several date and hour changes related to the library's move into the new structure.
On April 20, the library begins moving into the building. The library's opening to the public is set for May 26.
New library hours, beginning May 25 through June 7, will be 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and noon to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Reference services will be available by telephone at (313) 577-1094 or by email at askmed@wayne.edu during the move.
As other areas of the building are completed and readied for occupancy, Spalding said, additional announcements of scheduled moves will be made.