Students who enjoy the relaxed sit-down customer service arrangement in the Career Center will soon receive the same experience in the Financial Aid Office’s reception area.

The remodeling of the Financial Aid Office began on Feb. 9 as part of a university-wide goal to make campus services more inviting. Linda Clemons, director of the office of financial aid, said the office’s reception area has been designed to function like that of the Career Center.

Robin Lovering, manager of project design and development for Facilities Management, said that before construction began, the Financial Aid Office’s reception facilities consisted of two service windows that looked sterile and unwelcoming.

“Hopefully everyone can be accommodated in this room,” Lovering said.Clemons said that before, students had to check in at one of the windows across from the Student Financial Services Center; then wait in the hallway to be called into the office by a counselor.

Clemons said she wants an area where students can sit down without being in the hallway. She said she thinks making the reception rea a room instead of just another one of the many windows in Lassen Hall will make finding the Financial Aid Office less confusing for students.

“We’d also like to get more comfortable seating for the reception room,” Clemons said.

She said the office would use the current furniture for now, but hopes to purchase a new set when they can afford it.

Lovering said the Office of Admissions and Records wants to do a similar remodel, but can’t right now because of a tight budget.

The Financial Aid Office is operating in its normal space on the first floor of Lassen Hall, while the workers remodel the reception area. The receptionists are using the two service windows next to the admissions and records windows until construction is complete.

Lovering said Landmark Construction is performing the remodeling, as well as several other projects on campus. He said they were given a yearlong contract with the university worth roughly $1 million in construction.

Lovering said the Financial Aid Oiffce remodel is costing the university approximately $73,000. He said his original estimate for the project was $45,000 because he had done a larger, but similar remodel in the past for $65,000.

“We’re not real good at estimates I guess,” Lovering said.

He added that the reason it’s difficult to estimate the cost of remodels in Lassen Hall is that the building at one time was the Sacramento State Library. Around 20 years ago its function was converted to student services. He said the building has had several internal alterations since then and provides many construction obstacles that are difficult to foresee.

Lovering said Landmark Construction’s contract requires them to finish the project by April 9, but said he thinks they’ll be done on April 5. He said if they go past April 9, a process called “liquidated damages” begins where the construction company pays the university $350 for each day it goes past its deadline.

Lovering said that small jobs like this one normally finish on time and that liquidated damages usually come into play on larger projects. However, he said the reality of those projects is that the company negotiates with the university by agreeing to not charge for extra services in exchange for a reduction or elimination of liquidated damages. He added that the construction company typically comes out better on the deal.

“The government always loses,” Lovering said.

Nursing junior Erika Gomez said she has used the Financial Aid Office in the past and welcomes the opportunity to wait in an enclosed area.

“It’s nice that I don’t have to be seen by other people,” Gomez said.

Gomez said she appreciates the Financial Aid Office’s efforts, but thinks the $73,000 could have been better utilized to directly help students.

“Maybe they could distribute that money to financial aid students to buy textbooks,” Gomez said.

Clemons said the funding for the remodel came from the Student Affairs budget and was earmarked for campus improvement only.