Thursday, Sep. 10, 2009

SIUE dedicates new student center in Edwardsville

EDWARDSVILLE -- A one-stop shop for services -- and an all-night coffee bar and study lounge -- is the latest addition to the SIUE campus.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville officials dedicated the Student Success Center on Thursday, celebrating the consolidation of various student academic and personal services into one building.

But it isn't just about geography, according to Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift. The plan was to put the various student services in cooperation with each other, working together to help students succeed.

"This is not simply relocating services into one new home," Vandegrift said. "Now they can all work together in a synergistic fashion to benefit students."

The concept was developed by students, students helped design it and it was funded by extra fees, as decided by a student referendum. Vandegrift lauded the "pay it forward attitude" of the students of 2005-06, who voted to add a student fee as high as $67.80 per semester for a building few of them would ever use.

"The success of a university is based upon the success of its students," said SIU President Glenn Poshard, lauding the students for their drive and initiative in the project. Past and present student leaders joined administrators for the unveiling of the student referendum and plaque that will hang in the center.

"It takes a community to educate a student," said university provost Paul Ferguson, calling the consolidation of services and cooperation of departments "a national model" that will be shared with other universities.

Among the services available at the center: disability support, career development, personal counseling, the honors program, international student services, academic advising, tutoring programs, the SOAR program (for jump-starting freshmen), health services and student government. It puts counseling and health services together, whereas previously counseling was actually off-campus, making it difficult for students to access services.

It is also a "green" building, with many energy-saving devices, a green roof, an entire wall made of recycled sunflower seeds and a computer lab wall made of recycled milk jugs.

Students Megan Myers and Holly Paul, visiting the building for the first time, said they approve of the new addition to their campus. "It looks like a cool place to hang out," Myers said. It's also a 24-hour study lounge and coffee bar, which Paul said is badly needed.

The Student Success Center is attached to Morris University Center. It is approximately 68,000 square feet and cost about $16.6 million. It was part of a massive construction program, which included renovations to the University Bookstore, Early Childhood Center, Vadalabene Center, science labs, bike trail and more.