Bellevue College students who may have questions, or need resources for success will soon have a place on campus where they can find answers. The Student Success Center is currently under construction and is anticipated to open Winter Quarter 2020.
The total project cost is $35 million. According to the webpage for the Student Success Center, the building is “designed to assist and facilitate students on their path to success. The dynamic design enriches and simplifies student experience, while leveraging staff collaboration and integration for student benefit and success.”
The new Student Success Center will consist of “a lot of what’s in [the Student Affair’s building] and then a few different things outside of the building,” said Gilbert Villalpando, interim director of the Welcome Center. Programs being moved to the Student Success Center include: the Veteran’s Center, Student Central, Financial Aid, Residency, Running Start and Placement and Testing services.
Villalpando also said that there are discussions underway about the future of the current student affairs building after the completion of the Student Success Center. “This building they don’t have concrete plans for,” said Villalpando. “There’s been talk that this might be a flux space, because they’re trying to update a lot of the buildings.”
As for classes being held in the new building, there is a possibility of lectures being held on the third floor. Villalpando stated that there would be a general open space which would allow for catering, conferences, “or anything like that for students.”
Info sessions, orientations and similar events will also have a place in the building. Whereas currently they are being held in classrooms. According to Villalpando, three rooms in the building would be made specifically for this purpose, so classroom space would no longer have to be taken away for these events.
The construction for this new building is already affecting traffic flow for some Bellevue College students. Executive Director for campus operations, William Tribble, informed that there will be an upcoming road closure impacting Landerholm Circle SE. “The closure will not affect the use of the main entrance to the campus, or obstruct any of our parking lots. The closure is anticipated to commence on Wednesday 2/06/2019 until 2/15/2019.”
Current production is “coming along as planned,” said Villalpando, with no delays so far.