Auxiliary Services to take on Beaufort

Beginning this week, the Division of Auxiliary Services will begin its oversight of facilities at the Beaufort Marine Laboratory in an effort to make student living more comfortable. The division aims to be fully operational there by March.

Beaufort has traditionally managed most of its own facilities.

"We have had good luck with Duke helping out and wanted to bridge with their expertise," said Michael Orbach, director of the Marine Laboratory.

Auxiliary Services hopes to improve dining, housing, bookstore, DukeCard, vending and laundry services, in addition to conference activities. A new manager will be assigned to the lab to take on those responsibilities.

"We can provide expertise and more specialization to enhance facilities on Pivers Island," said Joe Pietrantoni, associate vice president for auxiliary services.

At the top of the agenda will be the conversion of a lab into a residential dormitory, which will replace a trailer that has housed students since Hurricane Floyd hit in 1999. This addition will increase bed spaces to 72 with double rooms that can be expanded to triples for summer activities, such as the Talent Identification Program. The insurance money received to cover hurricane damage will serve as funding for these renovations.

In addition to building the dorm, Pietrantoni said the University will be implementing several other initiatives:

• a 1,000 square-foot addition to the dining hall that will house a bookstore featuring the same Duke Stores merchandise as the Durham store

• the addition of laundry facilities and conversion of current ones to the DukeCard system

• the upgrade of commons areas

• renovations to the dining hall with new equipment and rearranged seating

• new menus with the possibility of a Merchants-on-Points program

• the upgrade of vending machines, which will allow for more product diversification

• a weekly shuttle transporting resources from Durham to Beaufort