The board of trustees, administrators and staff officially broke ground on the new Student Success Center on June 17.
Building G, the college’s gymnasium and fitness center for decades, will become home to the Student Success Center.
The board of trustees, administrators and staff officially broke ground on the new facility on June 17.
The center will be the new home to several departments and student services. New Student Orientation will have two dedicated classrooms on the first floor, which also will have a computer lab and student lounge (the old gym and locker rooms will remain for now). The second floor will house the Honors Program, Student Success Department, Testing Services, Tutoring Center, Veterans Resource Center, and separate offices for a counselor and adviser.
“We could not be more excited to be relocating to the new Student Success Center,” said JoAnn Jenkins, dean of Student Success. “One of the most exciting things about the move is it will provide us the opportunity to serve our new and returning students more efficiently and effectively. The center is being designed with students in mind to dramatically enhance the campus and our programs. The design process has been a wonderful, collaborative effort. Through the Student Success Center, the college leadership is responding to the needs of our students by providing this tangible commitment to ensure all students successfully achieve their academic goals.”
Seating alcoves, some created for personal study space and others for small groups, and comfortable chairs will dot the corridors. The bridge linking Buildings G and A also will get a makeover with new furniture and a bank of open computers, and a transgender bathroom is being installed on the second floor.
When designing the building, architects incorporated a few themes that flow throughout. Open ceilings with various textures, multiple finishes and corridor walls that undulate help the building to “breathe.” Transparency with glass and architectural openings allow visibility to different building functions.
Finishes and architectural elements stretch beyond the walls to create a feeling of connectivity between spaces. Planters placed in open areas bring nature inside.
The Center is expected to be completed for the start of the 2016-17 school year.
