When the Ford School welcomes students to campus for the fall 2021 semester, we’ll be excited to show off some notable improvements to Weill Hall.
“We’ve made some renovations that we hope create a more inclusive space for our community, and provide an environment that brings people together safely and fosters creativity,” said Marcy Brighton, chief administrative officer at the Ford School. “We are really looking forward to having our students back in the building and reconnecting with everyone in person.”
Here’s what’s new at the Ford School.
Student lounge
The student lounge provides space for students to study, unwind, and eat outside of classes or meetings. Based on feedback and design input from students, improvements include two new microwaves and two large refrigerators, along with a large sink for clean up. A new reconfiguration provides bench seating and stand-up and sit-down tables. The student lockers are still available, providing space to store personal belongings and backpacks.
Along with these renovations, the student lounge also got a facelift. New tile, paint, and decorations were added to warmly welcome students back to the building.
Gender inclusive bathrooms
The men’s and women’s bathrooms on the third floor were converted to single-use, ADA accessible gender-inclusive bathrooms.
Seminar room technology
Seminar Rooms 3240 and 5240 and the Hudak Computer Lab all have new lecture capture capabilities. The technology was created by the U-M College of Engineering and allows professors to effectively demonstrate concepts in real-time, add notes, and record their lectures. This way, students can review class sessions and listen to lectures again and again.
These rooms also have enhanced video conferencing features, allowing for a smooth transition into a hybrid setting.
Informal seating areas
Comfortable furniture has been distributed throughout Weill Hall for students to use and connect in small groups.
In particular, seating was moved to the third, fourth, and fifth floors, allowing students to spread out throughout the building and keep density down in areas like the Great Hall.
Banquette seating was added outside the O’Neill classrooms on the first floor.
Personal care room
A new space now available to nursing mothers is the personal care room, located on the third floor. The personal care room is ADA accessible, and it features a sink, a comfortable chair, wifi, and a rolling table so mothers can continue working and learning in a private area. The space will be available by reservation to all members of the Ford School community.
Special thanks to the students who helped to inform building improvements and to the University of Michigan’s Office of the Provost for generous funding that helped make them possible.
