Office of Admissions, McBurney Center will move to new home in 2011

The Office of Admissions and the McBurney Disability Resource Center will soon move to a new home in the heart of campus.

Early next year, current and prospective students will find the two offices in new space at 702 W. Johnson St. The Office of Admissions will be moving from its current space in the Red Gym, while McBurney is relocating from the Middleton Building on Linden Drive.

The new spaces, located closer to other student services offices such as enrollment management and University Health Services, are expected to draw in current and prospective students and make a lasting impression.

When visitors enter the admissions space, for example, they’ll see a giant “W” crest, which will be backlit so that it’s visible from outside at night.

“It’s going to be a space that is more in keeping with who we are and what people expect when they come to Wisconsin,” says Adele Brumfield, director of admissions. “While the Red Gym has been a great home for us, this new location with some fun bells and whistles will really help us make an impact and an impression on students.”

Meanwhile, having a disability services office and an admissions office share space offers something unique for prospective students with disabilities and their families, says Cathy Trueba, director of the McBurney Center.

“We are expecting to have significantly more students and their families include a visit to our center as part of their campus tour rather than contacting us after their visit by phone or mail,” she says. “That the disability services office is right here at the front door of the university communicates a very strong message of inclusiveness and welcome.”

Construction on the space is expected to be done by Dec. 1, and furniture and equipment installation will happen in early December, according to Facilities Planning and Management.

Programs would then be moved in early 2011, ahead of the start of the spring semester.

Brumfield, who started at UW–Madison in July, says there’s some concern about moving the admissions offices away from the scenic shores of Lake Mendota, but says the admissions staff will work to find ways to send prospective students and their families to the Memorial Union and the north end of campus.

The new admissions space will feature a media room that can seat about 50 guests, as well as a number of smaller meeting places for more private consultations with admissions officers, Brumfield says.

“There are some people who feel this place is so big and may be put off by that, but with some of the smaller meeting rooms, we’ll be able to give some more personal attention and make all prospective students know that we want them here and that there are people all around campus who can help them find their path here at the University of Wisconsin,” she says.

For the McBurney Center, which was founded in 1977 with an office in Bascom Hall, the move to the new space will be its fourth home. For 20 years, the center was housed in a more central location at 905 University Ave., but was relocated when Grainger Hall was expanded.

Although the McBurney Center’s current home in the Middleton Building was always expected to be temporary, those seeking services there faced challenges getting to the center, Trueba says.

The new offices in the Johnson Street building, which will be easier to get to by car or public transportation, are being designed according to the center’s needs and with input from students who will use it.

Architects working on the space have used universal design principles to make it accessible for all audiences, Trueba says. In addition, because of student demand, the center will offer after-hours community spaces and access to an expanded adaptive technology lab for students.

“Not every student is looking for that, but we have some students who feel like they’re either out on campus passing because they don’t have an obvious physical disability or they get tired of explaining their stories to people,” Trueba says. “To have some space where they wouldn’t have to do that and can just hang out with students who have similar life experiences is an important new element for our program and the student community.”