Across Hartwick This Fall: Updates You’ll See and Use

Over the summer, a collaborative team from Hartwick, Aramark Facilities and Aramark Dining focused on the details that shape daily dining life: a layout that prioritizes healthier choices and a selection of additional menu options.

A new entrance on the Farrington Balcony now draws people directly into the serving area and guides traffic to the healthiest choices first. As you enter, you pass by fresh fruit, and the salad bar is the first stop in the lineup of serving stations. Signage in the serving area has been repositioned and, in some cases, updated to help diners quickly find their favorite stations. Subtle color accents help mark zones such as beverage stations, while a soft gray palette in the primary seating area adds warmth and continuity.

In the primary serving area, a flooring upgrade ties the room together visually, giving a cleaner line from entry to seating. Additionally, the flooring material will be better able to withstand The Commons’ high-traffic use and easier to clean and maintain. A newly built wall in front of the dish-drop discreetly screens the dish return and food waste collection station.

With the layout and finishes designed to guide diners through the space, the food experience, with a stronger emphasis on wellness, has been carefully tailored to match. A new smoothie self-service station offers quick, customizable blends made to order. As the first station in the lineup, the salad bar now features a broader set of nutrient-dense ingredients, including grains, legumes and eggs, making it simpler to build a balanced plate. At the deli, a second panini grill increases capacity during busy periods.

The work in Commons will continue through the semester and is planned for completion by the end of October Break. Upcoming steps include installing new windows to bring in more natural light, renovating serving tables, removing the former entrance door and replacing it with a new window, and converting the salad bar into a drop-in table to improve access.

Elsewhere in Dewar Union, a new roof installed this summer protects the building systems that support dining and other student services. Additionally, the fifth floor of Dewar will be converted into storage space. The Student Government Association and club offices are currently being relocated to the third floor of Dewar and the second floor of Clark for improved accessibility.

In other news, summer projects moved ahead across campus to support student life, learning and recreation. In athletics, the floors in Binder Gymnasium and the Little Gym were refinished, and Binder now features upgraded lighting for clearer visibility during practices and games.

In the residence halls, Leitzell saw work that is difficult to schedule during the year, including sheetrock repairs, an updated kitchenette layout and a thorough deep clean to prepare the building for this fall’s move-in.

Academic spaces also received focused attention. In July, fume hoods in the Johnstone Science Center were taken down for maintenance and service, and water valve and pipe repairs were completed. A planned flushing of the HVAC system pipes did not proceed and will be rescheduled for a future maintenance window, allowing lab activity to continue uninterrupted.

The campus community and visitors will also notice outdoor updates that encourage study, conversation and time in the fresh air. Benches around campus have been painted in school colors. More Adirondack chairs have been added to the lineup of seating options along Founders’ Way and on Frisbee Field, allowing visitors to take advantage of the campus views. New high-top tables are now available on the Yager and Stack patios, and additional tables have been added along the Clark patio and Founders Way to create more places to meet with friends. Concrete repairs near Saxton Hall and the Yager Hall stairs are scheduled to take place in the next couple of months, with access maintained whenever possible.

“These projects are about comfort, clarity, accessibility, and creating spaces that support how our community lives and learns,” said Scott Harrington, facilities manager. “The result is a more welcoming campus that reflects the College’s emphasis on balance in everyday life. Thank you to our students, faculty and staff for your support and continued patience as we finish a few items this fall.”

Watch for additional projects and activities in the coming months. Updates will be shared as plans move forward.