Designed with every member of the University community in mind, the lounge in the Saratoga Building creates space for work, conversation, and quiet moments.
For many employees, the workday doesn’t always come with a place to pause. Whether it’s making a private call to a child’s school, attending a telehealth appointment, or simply taking a quiet break, finding a welcoming space on campus isn’t always easy.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) newly opened WISER Lounge in the Saratoga Building was created to change that.
Located on the ground floor of 220 W. Saratoga St., the lounge offers comfortable seating, private phone booths, computer access, and collaborative gathering space designed for one purpose above all else: making everyone feel welcome.
“I’ve been in spaces that were faculty lounges. I’ve been in spaces that were student lounges. I’ve been in spaces where people didn’t feel welcome,” Nicole Palmore, MSW, executive director of the Office of Employee and Organizational Success for Administration and Finance (A&F), said during the lounge’s opening celebration. “What has been missing is a space where every person is welcome.”
The lounge’s name reflects Administration and Finance’s WISER Together initiative, which encourages employees to embrace the department’s guiding principles of Well-Being and Sustainability, Innovation and Discovery, Service Excellence and Accountability, Equity and Justice, and Respect and Integrity.
For Palmore, the project was inspired by conversations with employees across the University, particularly those whose work often takes them away from traditional office settings.
“Let’s say you’re in your work uniform, you’re welcome in the WISER Lounge,” she said. “Let’s say you’re faculty, you’re welcome. Let’s say you’re a student, you’re welcome. You need to make a private phone call. You have a space to do so. Maybe you need to hop on a computer. There’s a computer here.
“This space is for you.”
A Vision and a Delay
The idea first took shape nearly three years ago after Palmore shared her vision with Dawn M. Rhodes, DBA, chief business and finance officer and senior vice president.
“She understood the vision: a space where you can come, you can collaborate, you can connect, and every single person feels welcome,” Palmore said.
Although the concept was well developed, the project faced delays because of staff turnover and competing priorities. Progress resumed this year when Ginger Burcham, MS, joined UMB as new facilities lead planner.
“The room had already been envisioned, the furniture had been bought, and the idea had been developed, but things stopped,” Palmore said. “Then Ginger came in at a time when I didn’t know what I would do. She stepped in and stepped up, basically project-managing it from where it stalled to this point.”
For Burcham, helping bring the project to completion meant more than coordinating furniture deliveries and construction schedules. It also was an opportunity to create a space that employees would genuinely enjoy using.
“When I started, I was told our team had this project that was already in progress,” Burcham said. “I needed to finish it.”
She knows that no space is ever perfect on opening day.
“You never really know how people are going to use it,” Burcham said. “Sometimes they use it differently than you think they will. That’s perfectly normal. The design process is iterative. You design something, you change it, and you ebb and flow with what people need from the space.”
Burcham is especially excited about the lounge’s private phone booths, which provide employees with a quiet place to attend virtual appointments, make personal phone calls, or participate in online meetings. One booth can be reserved in advance, while another remains available for drop-in use to accommodate unexpected needs.
Beyond its furnishings, the lounge celebrates the creativity of A&F employees. Artwork displayed throughout the space was created by department team members, transforming the lounge into both a gathering place and an informal gallery showcasing employee talent.
Team Effort
Palmore credited numerous colleagues whose work helped bring the vision to life, including Hope McGovern for design contributions, Manny Johnson for coordinating the installation of employee artwork, Ethan Donnelly for developing the booth reservation system, Denise Meyer and Facilities Management for maintaining the space, and UMB Police and Public Safety for extending building access so the lounge can remain open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
During the launch celebration, Rhodes encouraged employees to view the lounge as more than an A&F resource.
“Please tell people across campus,” she said. “Faculty, staff, this is everybody’s space, and encourage them to use it. We want to see this space buzzing.”
She hopes the lounge will become a place where colleagues from different schools, departments, and roles can connect in ways they otherwise might not.
“This is an opportunity for people to come together across campus who might not know each other and establish relationships,” Rhodes said.
As employees gathered throughout the afternoon, chatting over refreshments, trying out the seating areas, and exploring the artwork on display, the room was already beginning to fulfill the purpose Palmore had imagined years earlier: creating a welcoming place where everyone, regardless of title or role, feels they belong.
Or as Palmore said, this space is for you, no matter who you are.
A privacy booth can be reserved in advance through the WISER Lounge Privacy Booth Dashboard, or the drop-in booth can be used when it’s available.