What’s New at SLU? Five Things to Know as Classes Resume

08/31/2018

Welcome back to campus Billikens! It’s been a busy summer at Saint Louis University and campus looks a bit different than when you left in May.

While you were away, SLU’s service clock hit 150 years of service, the final beam that forms the skeleton of the new SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital was hoisted into place and a new freshman day of service was planned for our newest Billikens.

Here’s some other campus changes you may have missed:

• Alexa Answers Your SLU Questions - Saint Louis University is the first college or university in the country to bring Amazon Alexa-enabled devices, managed by Alexa for Business, into every student residence hall room and student apartment on campus. Thanks to a custom SLU skill deployed on each device, students will get instant answers to more than 100 questions specific to the University — from “What time does the library close tonight?” to “Where is the registrar’s office?” 
• New food options – In August, SLU and Sodexo signed a new contract for residential dining, retail and catering service. While initial changes will be minimal, Sodexo aims to expand the variety of fare and elevate customer service, as well as offer its award-winning Simple Servings concept, a dining program that is designed to accommodate customers with food allergies, gluten intolerance or other special dietary needs. Located in Grand Dining Hall, the Simple Servings Station offers a variety of safe and healthy options that are free from common allergens including peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, wheat, soy, milk products and eggs. All options are also free from gluten-containing ingredients. At the Marketplace in Busch Student Center, Mein Bowl will replace Panda Express. Mein Bowl offers healthy, fresh Asian cuisine. The menu will feature authentic global cuisine and vibrant menu combinations, as well as hand rolled sushi.
• Safer Street Crossings - To enhance pedestrian safety at Grand and West Pine Boulevards, SLU just completed a streetscape project. The new crossing features a wider median that can more safely accommodate pedestrians waiting for the light to change; additional lighting and improved traffic signals; and bollards placed along the median and sidewalks to prevent cars from encroaching into those areas.
• New Building Construction – SLU started preliminary work to construct a new Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering (ISE) Building on campus ­– a $50 million project that also includes renovation of some existing lab spaces. The 90,000-square-foot, three-story structure will be built on the southern edge of Tegeler Field, just east of Ritter Hall. Construction will begin in November with a completion date tentatively set for summer 2020. The ISE Building house undergraduate and graduate science and engineering students and faculty. It will feature innovative teaching environments and flexible lab spaces.

• Bicentennial Mural - A new mural highlighting historic moments at Saint Louis University is underway on the east exterior wall of McGannon Hall. Members of the SLU community are invited to help bring the project to life on homecoming weekend.