A Spring Campus Update
Update from Provost James H. Garrett, Jr., Thomas Lord Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
The spring semester is in full swing and I am energized by all of the students and activities on our campus. I always look forward to our spring campus traditions such as Spring Carnival, Meeting of the Minds (our undergraduate research symposium), and of course, Commencement.
This academic year has been especially exciting for our campus as we have launched new programs, opened new spaces, and made space for engagement and student well-being.
The new Student Academic Success Center in Posner Hall is a one-stop-shop for students who are seeking support or direction for academic skills, tutoring, language and writing. This center also houses our Disability Resources programs as well as partners with Graduate Education programs.
In the fall, we opened ANSYS Hall, which is the home of the College of Engineering’s cutting-edge undergraduate makerspaces and several new undergraduate educational labs and collaboration spaces. Additionally, the Hall of Arts, home to several programs in our College of Fine Arts (CFA), was fully renovated. The new space provides 18 individual studios, a study space, administrative offices and flexible-use space for CFA students. Investing in infrastructure is important to our students' learning experience and we continuously strive to make improvements.
Tartan Community Day is a new campus tradition. We canceled class for a day in the fall to take a break from coursework and come together to connect, reflect, restore and have fun. More than 4,000 community members participated in the day, which included a visit from alumna Renée Elise Goldsberry, a community lunch, outdoor challenges and activities, as well as an open forum to engage around health and well-being at CMU. Making time to engage is very important to our campus and to me, which is why I initiated open office hours during my first year as provost. I love having students, faculty and staff stop to share their experiences, ideas and aspirations for Carnegie Mellon.
As provost, I’ve pledged to continue to improve student success and to provide the best CMU experience possible for all of our community members. I will continue to update the community on our efforts and priorities.