A Message from Dr. James E. Lyons, Sr.

President, CSU Dominguez Hills

With the beginning of construction on the Loker Student Union expansion/renovation project, the facility we have enjoyed for the past 11 ½ years closed on December 17, 2004 to public access. Even though this is extremely inconvenient and challenging to the campus, I believe that the result will be well worth the sacrifice.

During the construction period of 20 months, disruptions to our normal traffic patterns on campus as well as our routines is unavoidable. Announcements about construction related closures will be sent with as much advance notice as possible to allow time to plan for their impacts.

While campus dining services and our larger meeting room facilities will be difficult to replace or replicate outside of the Student Union, every effort is being made to minimize the impact of their absence. An inventory of meeting room space has been compiled by the Loker Student Union Administrative staff, who remain ready to assist you in locating meeting room space for your meetings and events. Agreements are being setup with off-campus venues for larger events as well. Please contact the Loker Student Union at 310-243-3559 for any questions regarding any events or meetings you are planning during the construction closure.

Campus dining will continue to exist, just in a different form. Mobile trucks will come in to meet the campus' day-to-day dining needs. Locations in Small College (outside of building 12), the Sculpture Garden and south of the Library will be utilized for the spring Semester, with seating established or enhanced in each of those areas. A tent in the Sculpture Garden is equipped with walls and lighting and will remain open into the evenings. Trucks dedicated to serving the CAMS students will be located in the CAMS area each day during their lunch periods, with additional seating in their area. The effectiveness of this approach and these locations will be evaluated at the end of Spring Semester with possible adjustments for fall 2005. In addition to the Grab-n-Go Toros located on the lower level of Welch Hall, a second location will open February 1st in the Social and Behavioral Science Building (SBS E-216).

Catering orders for on-campus meetings and events should continue to be placed through Campus Dining at 310-243-3814. The staff of Campus Dining will coordinate these orders through an off-campus vendor for delivery and setup to meet your needs. As in the past, Campus Dining is the exclusive caterer for the campus. Any exceptions must be approved in advance in writing by the Director of Commercial Services or his designee. Please contact Richard Chester with any questions at 310-243-3814. The Offices of Associated Students, Loker Student Union Administration, Office of Student Life, and Campus Dining will be relocated prior to the start of spring 2005. Please refer to the "relocation information" section of this announcement for details.

I appreciate your support in this very difficult transition, and look forward to unveiling to you the newly expanded and renovated Loker Student Union as we move forward on this very important project. I look forward to celebrating the conclusion of this phase with a Grand Opening Celebration in fall 2006.

James E. Lyons, Sr., President California State University, Dominguez Hills