By Shelly Williams/managing editor
Despite parking and getting lost, many students had positive reactions to their first days on Trinity River Campus.
The campus’ first week ended Aug. 28 with a focus group for students and faculty to share opinions of how the week went and what students would and would not change about the campus.
Student development services gathered positive and negative feedback from students as a microphone was passed around during the meeting.
“Most of the feedback was all positive. The only negative that we had were some issues related to parking, the temperature of the classrooms and the speed of the elevators,” student development services director Michael Baumgardner said. “The speed of the elevators — that’s something that you definitely notice what with all the students going up the floors and to East Fork (Building) — and students wanting more clocks.”
The welcome week events that helped open the TR Campus, like the ice cream social and blood drive, were well attended, Baumgardner said.
“We actually had to double our order for hot dogs the two days that we had it, which was great,” he said.
“The Madden tournament was the only thing that we had like only six people show up for. But outside of that, we are very pleased with the start of the semester in terms of giving students the opportunity to get socially integrated to the campus and get adjusted.”
Though TR Campus consists of only two buildings at the moment, the difference between where students enter and how they navigate around the campus can be a challenge, Baumgardner said.
TR student Aaron Lytle could relate to becoming lost in the new school but said faculty’s guiding students around campus made the challenge easier.
“On the first day, I ran into both the president and the vice president of staff,” he said. “They were very nice, and I did not even realize that they held such a status until I went to the tour and they introduced themselves. The entire staff is genuinely interested in our success.”
TR student Abby Jackson used the maps to help guide her way around the campus and ran into RadioShack employees who share the building and parking with the TR Campus.
“Actually, this first week has been better than I expected. Once you figure out how to go from Point A to Point B, it got easier,” she said. “The first Saturday, we parked on the very first floor and came in, not on Cherry Street, but the other one. We went to the door and it wouldn’t open.
“Finally, some guy came up and opened it for us, and we asked him ‘Why can’t we get in?’ and he goes, ‘This is RadioShack’s building, but come in. Here’s the elevator and go up to the next floor.’”
Though the campus is still assessing the traffic patterns and the students’ needs and wants,
Baumgardner said students have voiced a strong interest in groups and organizations.
“We are very pleased, and we are looking to think through and think of ways to better meet the needs of our students in the future,” he said. “We’re just excited to have our staff on board and to really get moving now with planning out meaningful activities, events and opportunities for students in the future.”
