Over spring break, facilities on campus underwent several notable upgrades, the most prominent of which were the introduction of OneCard-restricted access to Hubbard Hall and new signage in and on the exterior of the connecting Sargent Gymnasium and David Saul Smith Union.

Associate Vice President for Facilities and Capital Projects Jeff Tuttle explained that it is not unusual for such changes to be made during College breaks.

The OneCard Office coordinated the implementation of OneCard-restricted access to Hubbard Hall in conjunction with Bowdoin Facilities Management. These access upgrades had been planned for some time, and a number of factors led to the decision to finally make them.

“Security was one reason [for the change] … Now the building can be locked down during a lockout drill or lockdown drill. Covid[-19] also pushed it to the forefront. Most of the [campus] buildings are still locked down, so the general public doesn’t have access,” Tuttle said. “It was already on the horizon anyway, but that’s why we finished it up this spring.”

The new signs on Sargent Gymnasium and Smith Union were part of a larger refresh of the buildings that included the refurbishment of the Union’s main corridor and game room in recent years. The Office of Communications and Public Affairs organized these upgrades with the support of Bowdoin Facilities Management.

Tuttle reported that helping visitors navigate the connecting buildings was the main reason for the new signage. He added that his department works closely with Communications to ensure continuity with signage across campus.

New signage on the buildings includes large plaques bearing the name of each building on their exteriors, as well as smaller signs inside and outside the buildings indicating the different locations within each building, such as the bookstore, café and Jack Magee’s Pub within Smith Union.