Booker House, which currently houses the offices of University Relations, will trade residents in March. University Relations will move to Fontaine Research Park, while the Office of the Vice President and Provost will move into the vacated building.
University Provost Gene Block and his staff now occupy space in both Madison Hall and Fontaine Research Park.
The provost is responsible for oversight of the University's 10 schools, and the different office locations have caused inconveniences in coordinating projects.
The central location is important, insofar as much of our academic business is conducted among the schools, most of whom are centrally located, Block said.
University Relations will move to Fontaine Research Park in March. Although the research park is a less favorable office in terms of commute, the park does offer several advantages, according to University Spokeswoman Louise Dudley.
Parking is free and there will be more elbow room, Dudley said.
In addition, the nature of University relations responsibilities entail frequent contact with the communications department within the University administration, which is housed in Fontaine Research Park.
English lecturer William H. Fishback, Jr. is the only faculty member with an office in Booker House - his former duties as special adviser to University President John T. Casteen III made a Booker House office more practical than one in Bryan Hall.
Although Fishback has yet to confirm his office's future location, University Relations reserved space for him in their move to Fontaine Research Park.
Fishback said he will follow the lead of other faculty members with similarly inaccessible office locations, holding office hours in places such as Starbucks or Espresso Royale on the Corner.
"I expect it will not be that hard to make accommodations for office hours and such," Fishback said.
Although officials approved plans to clean Booker House before the transfer of staffs, no remodeling is expected.
According to executive vice president and chief financial officer Leonard Sandridge, the provost's office will move in as is.
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