With the start of 2020, construction for the Student Center entrance has been completed and the new Student Center entrance has welcomed students and staff into the Spring Semester. According to students and staff, many were hopeless of this construction ever being done.
Randy Weber, Vice President of Student Success Center and CSAO, highly involved with this process, believed how students perceived the campus needed a change.
“Historically, campus visits were hosted in another building, and most students had to visit the second-floor processing area to receive initial support,” Weber said.
Construction for the Student Entrance began in the fall of 2018. The vision was to create a front door that revolutionizes student engagement, and general information about the college for incoming students. Overall, creating a center point when localizing Johnson County Community College.
Student Involvement is important to staff. They want to ensure every student feels integrated once they go through the Student Center.
Cambre Morrow, student and Student Engagement ambassador, works at the Student Engagement desk. She helps incoming students with questions and guides them to their classes and desired location. She provides us her opinion on the new Student Entrance.
“I feel like the new Student Center entrance has become a great opportunity for students to get know [the campus],” Morrow said. “Our staff ensures every student walking in is provided with the information they need. I feel like once outside renovations are done, more students will notice our entrance.”
Morrow also believes the new Student Center Entrance has helped increase student involvement.
Jake Brown, student, recently enrolled for the Spring Semester and was astonished by the campus’ welcoming and helpful atmosphere.
“From entering to exiting JCCC, I was greeted with a warm smile,” Brown said. “I got the help I needed especially as an incoming freshman in college. It was a refreshing experience.”
Weber and the staff are thrilled about the amount of accessibility there is on campus and student engagement.
“We are elated with how much more accessible the new Student Center entrance has become for students,” Weber said. “There are accessible parking spaces for students with needs, as well as reserved spaces for prospects visiting our campus.”
As of right now, the college does not have any additional projects scheduled for the first floor of the Student Center. However, they plan on making more renovations to the college throughout this new decade and providing better resources to students. For now, they want to keep increasing accessibility of the new entrance for students and future attendees.
“The next major facilities project in the Student Success and Engagement branch will be to move Student Life functions located on the third floor of the Commons building to the first floor of GEB,” Weber said. “This will provide better visibility and access to the wonderful programs offered through the Center for Student Involvement.”
Story by Johan Marin