By Heather Hiscox
Arizona Daily Wildcat
UA students planning to use the Bursar's Office might need to walk a little farther than they intend to.
For the next two weeks, the Bursar's Office has relocated to the Center for Computer and Information Technology Room 236 while Administration Building Room 208 is being renovated.
University of Arizona employees say they can endure the inconvenience of the move because the construction is something that needs to get done.
The planning for the three-week reconfiguration first began in January when Jean Johnson, assistant controller and bursar, asked employees in the Bursar's Office what they needed, wanted and could do without. The staff broke up into several work distribution groups, to divide duties such as acquiring the manpower from UA facilities for the project.
The project is slated for completion in the first week in October and will add several new and necessary features to the Bursar's Office to service students and faculty more effectively and expediently.
The new features include an increase from three to five customer service/information windows, including a window for better handicap accessibility, a 1-800 number that will offer students a one-minute recording of deadlines, due dates, and current fees, an increase in the number of phone lines, the installation of a courtesy phone at the front counter, the addition of a TDD (telephone device for the deaf) and access to account information through UAInfo.
Marri Herzenach, operations coordinator, said, "You (the students) are our customer. There has been no interruption of service."
Herzenach said that the inconvenience has been "overshadowed by the end result."
"We will be able to perform a better service for faculty, staff and students and achieve a better work flow," she said.
Mark Fetgatter, senior teller, who has been supervising the actual, physical reconfiguration of the office, said that the crew is actually two days ahead of schedule so far, and he said that he hopes that the work will be completed before the October due date.
He said he has come to realize how badly the changes were needed. When the carpet was replaced the men were shocked to see that it was made of horse and pig hair and was over 16 years old.
"The way we were set up before was for the old days," Fetgatter said. "Our customer service is much more organized than before. We needed an office to match our services."
The Bursar's Office goal is to not only work more effectively, but to lessen student lines in the administration office.
"No one should wait hardly at all," Fetgatter said. Fetgatter said that with the new design, the information area will act as a liaison for the department, correctly directing students to the person or office they need to see, saving time and ending confusion.
"We've never had an info area, (but) now there will be customer service for all three areas," Fetgatter said.
The reconfiguration has been handled in a way that kept in mind the needs of the customer, he said.
Fetgatter added that he felt it was very fair of Johnson to ask the staff "what we felt should be done. That way we all took part in it. It was a good learning experience."
"We want a visit to the Bursar's office to be their (the students) first and last stop," said Fetgatter.
For other Bursar's Office information students can call 1-800-774-5095 and for account balance information they can call 884-7787. If hearing-impaired students need to use a TDD, call 621-9225.