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MCLA Holds Open House for New Alumni OfficesBy Tammy Daniels
iBerkshires Staff
09:20AM / Saturday, April 25, 2009
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Alumni and community members were able to tour the new alumni offices Friday constructed by Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts last fall in the former Notre Dame Rectory.
Now called the Office for Institutional Advancement, the building on East Main Street houses the college's alumni and advancement offices; most of the staff moved in last December. With the Alumni Association Board preparing to meet on Saturday and the staff settled in, Friday evening seemed right time for an open house.
The three-story residence was purchased last year as part of the deal that moved the Notre Dame property into the city's hands. MCLA purchased the century-old rectory for $220,000 in June. It needed primarily aesthetic work and updating to handle the computer systems and electronics.
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Top, Janice Messer, right, shares a laugh; left, Jane Allen and Marianne Drake; right, Laurie-Jean Hickey; below, Drake's second-floor office.
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Painted in a soft green hue, the first floor offers plenty of space for meetings and use by alumni and community groups. The front parlor sports an original fireplace and one wall filled with a series of bird paintings donated by the artist, Greg Scheckler, a member of the MCLA faculty.
The second floor cotains offices and a private conference room; the bottom floor, storage and a room that can be dedicated to student "call-athons" to alumni.
The spacious setting with abundant parking is a far cry from the cramped quarters alumni and advancement shared with other departments in Shapiro House on the main campus.
It's proximity to Main Street works to extend the campus to the downtown, said Marianne Drake, chief advancement officer and president of the MCLA Foundation, without sacrificing any efficiencies.
"Most of what we do is by phone or over the computer. Plus, we're more focused on external communications," said Drake, noting the campus was still just down the road. "We can walk downtown to have lunch or meet with people."
Janice Messer, executive director of alumni relations and development, is hoping the inviting rooms will encourage alumni to not only stop and visit but to put the space to good use. A computer for their use will be installed and a built-in bookcase holds all college yearbooks.
"This really fits our needs perfectly," she said.
Messer led tours through the building, taking visitors through the basement rooms, the full kitchen, meeting rooms, closets and down the dramatic, original staircase. Some spots are still a little bare, waiting for accessories such as lamps, or for staff to move in. The general review of the alumni who tramped through the old rectory was positive.
"I like it. It's very welcoming," said Laura-Jean Hickey of Acton, a 1999 graduate and member of the alumni board. "It works for the building to be off-campus, it's a nice entry point and they really needed the space.
"If I had to hold a business meeting, I'd have it here."
Next week, the college will hold an officially opening of its other building project: the new entrance and meeting areas added onto the Berkshire Towers dormitories.
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