As students flocked back to the Lasell campus to begin the spring semester, some campus offices relocated to more central locations around campus to be more accessible for students.
The Financial Aid and Registrar’s offices, formerly housed in O’Connor Hall on Cheswick Road, have relocated to Bancroft House, on the corner of Studio and Woodland Roads.
Associate Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Adrienne Franciosi, who spearheaded the move, said the decision was driven by a desire to better serve students
“Any organization you know, we’re constantly in a state of change,” Franciosi said. ”We have our clients, our students, who we want to serve and make a service environment, you know, better provide more resources, easier access.”
Through her role in Strategic Initiatives, Franciosi evaluates ways the university can reduce costs, generate alternative revenue, and reinvest savings directly into the student experience. The relocation, she explained, is part of a broader effort to ensure campus spaces are being used efficiently while prioritizing convenience for students.
Bancroft House will also now host members of the Athletics Department. Previously spread between Cushing House and the Athletic Center, Athletics staff are now in the middle of Grellier and the Athletic Center.
“Some of the athletics offices had been in Cushing House and also over in the Athletic Center,” Franciosi said. “Moving those folks into Bancroft now puts them in an ideal location right between Grellier and the Athletic Center.”
Meanwhile, Cushing House is slated for updates as the university reassesses how campus facilities are utilized. Franciosi noted that maintaining and reimagining campus buildings is an ongoing process.
“The buildings all need different degrees of work done to them, keeping them up, and then it’s how do you take a campus and drive traffic in ways that make sense so that your buildings are being fully utilized,” Franciosi said.
As part of the reshuffling, the departments of Strategic Initiatives, Conference and Event Services, and Workforce Development have moved into O’Connor Hall.
Franciosi and her team, while envisioning the move, also took into consideration what the hub of campus is, and came to the consensus that it was the Brennan Library.
Based on building that hub, Franciosi envisioned a ‘one-stop shop’ for students within the Brennan Library, with easy access to many different areas of support for students, including the Academic Advising Center and the Academic Achievement Center.
Additional accessibility will be built into the library, with staff members from Financial Aid and Student Accounts holding regular hours inside the Brennan Library to assist students.
By consolidating services and rethinking how campus spaces function, Franciosi hopes the changes will not only improve efficiency but will also enhance the day-to-day experience for students navigating academic and financial processes.
–March 2, 2026–
