Various offices are being moved to new locations on campus

By Hailey Hensley

A slew of construction projects have either begun or are slated to begin during this academic year and over the summer. Additions are being made, buildings are being renovated and some of Rider’s most frequently-visited offices are getting brand new looks in different locations across campus.

In early 2020, the university formally announced that 107.7 The Bronc, Rider’s student-run radio station, would be relocated to the Fine Arts Center in the former location of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences dean’s office, at the end of a second-floor hallway. That area was under construction as of Feb. 25th.

General Manager of 107.7 The Bronc John Mozes emphasized that this move was an exciting prospect for Rider students and specifically students who have a vested interest in working in radio.

“There are many things that are great about it [the move]. I think this will create a fantastic space the get real-world experience with modern equipment,” Mozes said. “All the equipment will be IP-based, we’re going to have a new automation system, it’s going to have touch screens. It’s really going to be a space where students can hone their skills, or learn new ones.”

Sophomore film, television and radio student Danny Allen Jr. expressed anticipation and joy at the upcoming renovation and relocation of the radio station, saying that it could even change the overall perception of the station across campus.

“We [107.7 The Bronc] could arguably be the centerpiece of Rider, for a time at least,” Allen Jr. said.

Taking over the large space on the first floor of the Bart Luedeke Center (BLC) will be a larger office space for the Center for Diversity and Inclusion as well as a new Student Navigation Office, all of which are part of Rider’s new Inclusive Excellence plan unveiled earlier this academic year.

Executive Director for the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) Pamela Pruitt clarified the importance of a larger presence for the CDI and highlighted the ways in which it benefits the campus community as a whole.

“We wanted a space that would make a statement to the campus community on how the university perceives issues of inclusion and the importance of promoting a sense of multicultural understanding,” Pruitt said.

Along with the move of the CDI and the radio station, the College of Continuing Studies (CCS) will also be relocated in order to make room for the larger CDI space and navigation office.

CCS offices will be moved to the second floor of the BLC where the Art Gallery used to be located.

Dean of the College of Continuing Studies Boris Vilic eagerly described the construction project that would give him and his colleagues a brand new office space, even going so far as to take a Rider News reporter up to the construction site.

Vilic described a variety of projects set to occur on the second floor of the BLC, including the Registrar’s Office moving into the building, right next to the Financial Aid and Bursars Office. Vilic described this as a “one-stop-shop” to solve student issues.

“We [CCS] are very excited for this move. It will be good for all Rider students, not just CCS students, to have all of these offices together. We will be able to solve all of the student’s issues at once,” said Vilic.

Vilic stated that construction in the art gallery is slated for completion at the end of March or early April, at which point the CCS office will be moving into their new space.

“I think it is a great time to be a student at Rider University. I think it’s a great time to learn. I think it’s a great time to be part of campus life,” said Mozes. “I think it’s a great time to be engaged in what’s going on at Rider University.”

The wide variety of construction projects across campus may be leaving students wondering what will happen next, but one thing is certain: changes are imminent.