Expanded Student Services Center Opens Smoothly
by Matthew L. McGann

The newly expanded Student Services Center in Building 11 has had a promising start, according to its Service Desk Team, handling more than 1500 visitors in its first week of operation, according tom SSC Team Leader Hillary Debaun.

"Things are going splendidly," said Debaun. She attributed the smoothness and ease of last week to experience gained from the pilot center in 3-123.

"It's been pretty busy this week," said Service Desk Administrative Assistant Erin McCoy. Many of the visits were by freshmen and visitors, drawn to the central location of the Center to ask for directions and general information about MIT. There also were a significant number of students preregistering and making tuition payments.

The new Quickstation cluster adjacent to the Center has also been busy. The four Quickstations, added to compensate for the relocation of the "Fishbowl" cluster, have been received well by students.

The cluster is in the area formerly occupied by the Adaptive Technology for Information and Computing (ATIC) computer lab. The ATIC lab moved into 3-123, the room SSC occupied before. "Things seem fine and more active. Plus, the new room is more than double the size [of the old lab]," said Kathleen Cahill, Team Leader for ATIC. The relocation should alleviate the space problems that have plagued the ATIC lab in the past.

In the coming months, the Student Services Center will continue to expand into the second, third and fourth floors of Building 11. Most of the Bursar's Office, the Financial Aid Office and Registrar's Office will take those spaces after Information Systems moves to Building N42 over January's Independent Activities Period. The Center is scheduled for completion by mid-spring.