Spring Break
Shapiro family donates $14.3M to rebuild the admissions building
by Anya Bergman
News | 10/9/07
Posted online at 9:29 PM EST on 10/8/07
/ Last updated at 7:58 PM EST on 10/8/07
University philanthropist Carl Shapiro has agreed to donate $14.3 million for the construction of a new admissions center to replace the current building, Brandeis administrators said.
The current office will be torn down this spring, and construction will begin at the same location in July with the aim of opening the new center in summer 2009, administrators said.
The building, originally called Morton May, was built in the 1950s and used for academic purposes, Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer said. It was renovated in 1994 with a donation from the Shapiro family and was turned into the Shapiro Admissions Center.
The Center is no longer a large enough space to accommodate the University's 9,000 annual visitors, said Jean Eddy senior vice president for students and enrollment. That figure has risen by 2,000 in the last year, she said.
"What we're envisioning is a welcome center-a state of the art presentation room that will seat up to 100 people because we have now more visitors to campus, and we want to be able to present Brandeis in a way that we haven't been able to in the past," Eddy said.
The University commissioned Charles Rose Architects in Somerville Mass. to design the new building, said Peter French, executive vice president and chief operating officer. Rose also designed the $25 million Carl J. Shapiro Campus Center, which opened in 2002.
The new office will house a larger, more centrally located presentation room, Eddy said. The current room lies in the building's basement, seats 50 people and contains interview rooms, an office for Financial Aid and seating areas where students can chat with prospective students and their families.
Admissions has often had to find other venues when larger groups visit the school because of the presentation room's small size, Eddy said.
Dean of Admissions Gil Villanueva said in a phone interview that first impressions are very important for universities trying to attract new students.
The current office will be torn down this spring, and construction will begin at the same location in July with the aim of opening the new center in summer 2009, administrators said.
The building, originally called Morton May, was built in the 1950s and used for academic purposes, Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer said. It was renovated in 1994 with a donation from the Shapiro family and was turned into the Shapiro Admissions Center.
The Center is no longer a large enough space to accommodate the University's 9,000 annual visitors, said Jean Eddy senior vice president for students and enrollment. That figure has risen by 2,000 in the last year, she said.
"What we're envisioning is a welcome center-a state of the art presentation room that will seat up to 100 people because we have now more visitors to campus, and we want to be able to present Brandeis in a way that we haven't been able to in the past," Eddy said.
The University commissioned Charles Rose Architects in Somerville Mass. to design the new building, said Peter French, executive vice president and chief operating officer. Rose also designed the $25 million Carl J. Shapiro Campus Center, which opened in 2002.
The new office will house a larger, more centrally located presentation room, Eddy said. The current room lies in the building's basement, seats 50 people and contains interview rooms, an office for Financial Aid and seating areas where students can chat with prospective students and their families.
Admissions has often had to find other venues when larger groups visit the school because of the presentation room's small size, Eddy said.
Dean of Admissions Gil Villanueva said in a phone interview that first impressions are very important for universities trying to attract new students.
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