Before the project, most campus buildings did not have traditional numerical addresses.

The majority of the addresses of academic buildings along and south of Farm Lane already have been converted, and those north of the road currently are being changed, she said. April 20 is the target date for completion, with residence halls being converted after graduation to avoid mailbox confusion. So far, impacts have been minimal, Fischer said.

“The overall message is that it’s been very well-received,” she said, noting that although there have been “a couple” of glitches concerning mail delivery, the process is on track.

Fischer said the signage — featuring a street name, a block address range and the Spartan helmet — was not first considered during the process, but it since has been incorporated and within the $190,000 budget. The project was approved by the Steering Committee last semester.

Officials said the added benefits primarily concern emergency response time. Ingham County is slated to be consolidated into a single dispatch center soon, and if a fire erupts on campus, first responders need to know where to go, said Bill Latta, assistant vice president for university administration.

“The quicker you can respond (to the) more accurate address, the better the service,” he said.
Fischer said the parts of campus that already have been changed have had a seamless transition when working with emergency response crews, adding MSU Police works directly with dispatch to relay emergency information.

Other benefits include streamlined mail delivery and GPS addressing, where one could type a specific address on campus and receive accurate directions, Latta said.

Some are happy to soon receive more precise directions.

“When a friend asks for an address, telling them something like Akers Hall won’t get them there,” said Erin Cooper, a human resource management freshman. “I’ve had a problem with this before, so it’ll be helpful for people.”

Once the project is complete and the new addressing information has been dispersed to emergency services, mailing services and mapping companies, Latta said people should be able to better traverse campus.

“Many people are saying, ‘I’ve been looking for something like this for years,’” he said, adding this project only is possible in cooperation with MSU Landscape Services, police agencies and mailing companies.