Students help revitalize spaces at the Ted Rogers School
Modern, functional furniture is now available in common areas of the Ted Rogers School of Management thanks to a student-led initiative.
The TRSM Student Space Revitalization Project, funded by the Ted Rogers Students' Society (TRSS), aims to renew student spaces in the business school to improve the environment. This year, over $55,000 was invested in the project to replace outdated furniture on the 8th and 9th floors of the Ted Rogers School, including the old, worn-out orange sofas. There were also some areas on these floors with no furniture where new pieces were brought in to maximize the space.
This revitalization project was started by TRSS in 2020 during the pandemic. The group had surplus funds due to student group operations moving online, and decided to invest back into the school with several new pieces of furniture being brought into the 7th and 8th floors of the school. When Husnaa Zamarai took over as TRSS President this school year, she saw that there was still more work to be done, so she initiated the second phase of the project.
“Many students are now taking advantage of classes being in-person again and want to spend more time on campus getting the true university experience,” Zamarai says, “Due to the outdated and limited student spaces in the school, however, they've found it difficult to find areas to study or socialize with classmates, especially during peak school hours.”
Over the last six months, Zamarai has worked with the Facilities team at the Ted Rogers School and suppliers to hand-pick items that would meet the needs of our students, while also matching the existing design scheme of the school. She is thrilled that the new furniture arrived and was installed ahead of mid-term season, and that many students are already making use of it.
TRSS works on a student-centric operating model. The group first looks at what students are identifying as pain points, then devises solutions and assigns resources as necessary. “One of my goals this year as president was to bring in more projects and initiatives that would benefit as many students in our TRSS membership as possible, rather than a select few of the top engaged,” Zamarai explains.
“Our TRSS Board of Directors was supportive of the revitalization project because they could see the value that this would hold, not just for the 12,000+ undergrad, full-time students we represent, but also for all users of the building,” she adds.
“This project was unique because it was student-funded for the benefit of students, when usually the university covers revitalization costs like this.”
Zamarai is thankful to the Facilities team at the Ted Rogers School for their help in managing the logistics of getting the furniture replaced. She also welcomes feedback from students (external link) about the new furniture or any other comments/concerns they would like to share.