SUNY Brockport’s Department of Computing Sciences and Department of Mathematics unveiled the ComTec Solutions Student Lounge in the Albert W. Brown Building on Friday, Sept. 20. This renovated space provides a spot on campus for students to work, collaborate and relax.  

Since last fall, both departments met with representatives from the Rochester-based managed service provider and planned how to best design the lounge to support students.   

Department of Computing Science Chair Mehruz Kamal, Ph.D., believes this new space is a great resource for students and will benefit them both inside and outside of the classroom.  

“It’s important to engage students, help them retain [what they learn] and just provide them a community building space and a sense of belonging,” Kamal said.  

The space has a variety of seating, ranging from large group tables to individual lounge chairs. This variety not only allows students to collaborate, but to de-stress.  

“If you’re just coming to classes and taking courses, it can get very overwhelming. A space where you can exchange ideas in a more relaxed environment is helpful for that well-balanced lifestyle,” Kamal said.  

ComTec Solutions internal IT specialist Mackenzie Hiddie has a unique relationship with this new space, as she graduated from SUNY Brockport with a major in Computer Information Systems this past spring. The former president of Brockport’s Computing Sciences Club started at ComTec as an intern. The lounge played a significant role in Hiddie’s college experience. 

“I remember using this space like every day to do all my studying, because I was a commuter student,” Hiddie said. “I took lots of naps in here. I studied, I did group work and all that stuff.”  

The new renovations are intended to motivate students. ComTec’s core values are posted on the side wall of the lounge in a bulleted list: passionate about the customer, dedicated to our employees, do the right thing and fire in the belly.  

“Fire in the belly is always the biggest one at ComTec. We say it all the time,” Hiddie said. “I’m told that I have fire in the belly all the time because I’m ready to just jump into things.”  

The ComTec Solutions Student Lounge is not the only new space on campus. This semester the School of Business and Management unveiled three new spaces: The Perch, sponsored by The Enclave, the Fenton Family Collaboration Lounge and the Robert’s Accounting Career Suite. Provost Martin Abraham continues to advocate for more student centered spaces on campus.  

“We could use, like, a dozen of these. [To] build those opportunities for student engagement, these are critical,” Abraham said.  

The ComTec Solutions Student Lounge is open and available to all students in Computing Sciences and Mathematics who need a space to get work done, share ideas, relax and get motivated.