Spring Break
Student Services Center to have open house, tours of facilities
Alvin M. Morgan, Daily Staff Writer
- Page 1 of 1
Mel Brown, learning skills specialist and a 1993 San Jose State University graduate with a degree in social science, said the open house was organized by a committee consisting of representatives from each of the units within the academic services department.
"We are giving a presentation of academic services and all that we do," Brown said.
"We want to give a better understanding of all of the services available to students."
According to Nehanda Imara, associate director for advising who has been in her current position for one year, the open house is the first one held in the academic services department, and festivities are intended for enrolled students only.
"This is an opportunity to reach out to the community and say, 'Hello, this is who we are and what we have,' " Imara said.
"We think we have done a good job marketing the event, so we think we should have a good turnout," Imara added.
Imara, who has been at SJSU for 10 years, said that although academic services has been on campus for a long time, there are still many people within the SJSU community who are not aware of the many services offered.
She also said the success of the open house should be measured in the number of students who take advantage of the services in the future.
"There are still a large number of faculty, staff and students that do not know all of the wonderful support-retention services that we do have available for students, so we want to get the word out to show the campus community what we have available," Imara said.
Imara said they especially want to inform students about the many retention services provided by the academic services department.
"Our unit is responsible for helping students with their academic careers," Imara said.
She went on to say that all students come there to get help with advising through the Student Advising Center, including freshmen, transfer students and students from the educational opportunities program.
Imara also said the Student Services Center offers, and will be conducting, tours of the Student Advising Center, administrative and technical services as well as the Learning Assistance Resource Center.
According to Imara, the open house will offer food and prizes to entice visitors to attend the event.
"We have some really neat gift baskets, giveaways and an overnight stay for one at the Saint Claire Hotel," Imara said.
Imara said there will be tours of all the facilities within the academic services department.
She went on to say that the food would be set up in several different locations to encourage participation in all areas of the department.
"There will be certain kinds of foods, and it will build up to the last area where there will be desserts so it will be a progressive kind of set up, because sometimes people just come to these events for the food," Imara said.
Brown, who has been the learning skills specialist for the past five months, said participants will find appetizers in the Learning Assistance Resource Center, sandwiches in the ASPIRE/ McNair Scholars Program area, drinks in the pre-college programs area, and desserts will be found in the Student Advising Center.
Be the first to comment on this story