From the Desk of Willie Brown V7N1
Welcome back to The Compass! For those new to HDAE, this staff newsletter includes articles about departmental happenings, shares the comings and goings of our colleagues, and highlights fun information like recent photos and upcoming events. After taking a break in the summer, we look forward to sharing updates each quarter about the incredible work happening across HDAE, led by you, our dedicated staff.
With this in mind, I am happy to announce the release of the 2023-2024 Annual Report. I am always impressed by the tremendous work we accomplish year-over-year, and last year was no exception. Please take some time to look through the report and share my pride in our collective impact across campus.
Housing, Dining & Auxiliary Enterprises staff truly usher in the start of the academic year as it is our teams who prepare the campus for the students’ return. I want to express my deep gratitude for the incredible efforts made during this year’s Move-In Weekend. Welcoming more than 9,000 students and their families over the course of four days is no small feat. Not only is this logistical event truly impressive, we continually receive genuine praise from parents and students about how well-organized and seamless our process is.
Over the summer, Conference & Hospitality Services team kept the energy high on campus with a robust conference season, that included the largest Orange County Leadership ever, the Campus Store redesigned and remodeled its layout creating an open, inviting space for customers, and HDAE leadership gathered to identify key strategies that will guide our work over the coming years. The Student Housing Development projects are continuing to progress with San Benito at the design development (DD) phase and on the East Campus project we are getting started on schematic design (SD). Both projects are on the agenda for the Regents meeting in November. These new buildings will change the landscape of campus and redefine how we operate.
As you read about the work we’ve accomplished over the summer and in the annual report, I hope you feel inspired and proud of how your individual efforts contribute to collective impact and overall excellence. Join us for the HDAE Town Hall on Tuesday, October 22 at 9:30 a.m. at Corwin Pavilion, and thank you for all you do to keep our organization and the campus running.