Starting September 6, members of the McGill community will be able to access the James Building (aka “James”) more easily. “We heard a clear message from faculty, students and administrative staff across McGill that the security arrangements put in place after last year’s occupations didn’t make people feel welcome,” says Michael Di Grappa, Vice-Principal (Administration and Finance). “The safety and security of all members of our community remains our primary objective. In the current context, however, we believe that the changes we are making in James do not affect that security while allowing us to respond to the feedback we received. So we’ve re-evaluated in order to respond to the needs of everyone at McGill.”
The front door of James will now be open from 7:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays (no card access required), and visitors will be greeted at the Information Desk in the front lobby and asked to sign in. Staff working in James and regular visitors won’t have to sign in. People on Di Grappa’s team will work with units that have a large number of visitors, such as the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, to make the process as smooth as possible. Di Grappa adds that the situation will continue to be assessed to ensure that both security and access to services and offices in James remain balanced. The side and rear doors of the James Building will remain on card-access only.