The Office of Admissions and Financial Aid unveiled the new admissions Green Room in late May, a space focused on creating a polished, friendly experience for visitors and promoting an arts environment on campus, according to a university statement.
The new Green Room is located on the second floor of the Katzen Arts Center and replaces the old Welcome Center in Centennial Hall. The idea behind the move centered on improving the overall campus experience for visitors, according to Acting Director of Admissions Greg Grauman.
"Our goal is to provide the more than 20,000 students, parents and other guests that visit the campus annually with a memorable visit experience that tells the story of American University," he said in an e-mail. "The new location is easier for campus visitors to find and provides them with more convenient parking."
Over 7,500 guests could visit the Admissions Green Room this summer, Grauman said. Information sessions will be held in classrooms on the second floor of Katzen, which used to be home to music and art history classes. There are also two interview offices, which allow prospective students to meet with admissions officers during their visit, he said.
The first phases of the switch began in May, which included branding the Welcome Center as the Green Room, which emphasizes the arts environment of the campus, Grauman said. The steering committee in charge of the admissions transition believed that "it was important to do more than simply move the Welcome Center operations," according to the statement.
"Like a green room in a theatre, studio or other public venue, the Admissions Green Room will allow current AU faculty, staff and students to meet with prospective students and their families," the statement said.
The Green Room is slated to remain in Katzen for a few years and is not planned to be a permanent location, Grauman said. The old space in Centennial Hall will be converted back to student lounge space, and Housing and Dining Programs is considering making it a late-night social destination, he said.
The next steps of the project will include changes to the information session and campus tour and the introduction and integration of new technologies to the visitor experience, Grauman said.
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