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IT Service Status
IT Service Status

Preparing for November: Renovations and Hot-Desking Plans Continue

While work nears completion across the 1800 Sherman second-floor quadrants, we have seen a lot of progress, and we are excited to share the latest developments in our space planning initiative. As we prepare to enter November, construction work will eventually shift to the first floor, and preparations for our hot-desking environment are picking up.

Here are some highlights since our last update in September’s Take 5:

  • Second Floor Work: Renovation work on the floor is near completion and includes fresh paint throughout the floor, new carpeting, enhanced and standardized audio-visual equipment in meeting spaces, two new points of entry near the elevators, more space in the pantry area, and swipe access added to the elevator bank area and stairwells for added security on the floor. Additionally, the internal doors for the suites have been removed, allowing for a free flow of traffic throughout the space after you swipe your Wildcard to enter near the elevators.
  • Staff Relocation: Some members of the IT Communications, Office of Portfolio Management, and Technology Support Services teams can be found—temporarily—in suite 2200, near conference room 2252, on the second floor. The remaining staff will relocate soon.
  • Technology Testers: A dedicated group of 1800 Sherman staff is collaborating with the space planning group to test and evaluate various technology needs (e.g., headsets, monitor risers, etc.). The group will also assist in reviewing some “working together” guidelines to shape our hot-desking environment. Their work will be instrumental in preparing all of us for the next wave of hybrid work in Northwestern IT.
  • Weekly Drop-In Calls: We continue to hold weekly drop-in calls with directors and managers to walk them through updates, outline the next steps, and address any questions. Always feel free to ask your department head for the latest updates.
  • Lockers: Crews are scheduled to install lockers on Tuesday, October 29. They expect to complete the work by 8:30 a.m. The planning group also announced on a recent weekly drop-in call that lockers will be assigned to 1800 Sherman staff on a randomized basis.

Key Dates to Remember

  • Through November 1: Renovation activities are scheduled to be completed in suite 2206 and the remaining section of 2200. First-floor staff must vacate by the end of the day on November 1. However, these dates remain flexible due to pending permits with the City of Evanston. We do appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we navigate this evolving process.
  • November: Renovation activities are tentatively scheduled for the first floor.
  • Early December: All sections of floors one and two are scheduled to open and be fully operational. This will mark the beginning of our hot-desking initiative.

Next Steps

As we prepare to shift to hot-desking in early December, it’s important for Northwestern IT staff to understand the basics of the approach, which calls for workspaces and offices to be used by different people at different times on an ad hoc basis. Space is not reserved for specific departments and teams, except for the Endpoint Device Management on the first floor.

There are a number of other next steps as we prepare for our new environment. Here are some immediate next steps:

  • Vacating Floors: Discussions around plans for vacating the sixth and seventh floors of 1800 Sherman are underway. A new round of clean-up efforts will be necessary to ensure we are ready to vacate these floors when floors one and two are completed.
  • Universal Access: We are working to achieve “universal” access to our floors in 1800 Sherman and 2020 Ridge for all Northwestern IT staff.
  • Determining Schedules: Area leaders will work with their teams to discuss proposed days in the office and share that information with senior IT leaders to ensure a balanced schedule when hot-desking begins.
  • Finalize Working Together Guidelines: Following review by senior IT leaders and the staff working group, we will socialize the guidelines with the full IT staff.
  • Emphasizing In-Person Interaction: As area leaders and teams prepare their proposed days in the office, it is crucial to also focus on and plan for increasing meaningful in-person interactions to ensure continued satisfaction with our hybrid work environment.

We will be back next month with another update. Until then, anyone with questions about the construction efforts or the space planning initiative—feedback is always welcome, too—is encouraged to talk with their manager or email the NUITWorkplaceFeedback@northwestern.edu inbox.