Zgolinski Welcome Center

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Project Description

Progress Reports

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You may submit questions or provide feedback regarding this project to Sam Ball.

2/26/08 Progress Report 

The Green River Community College Board of Trustees recently voted to approve renaming Student Success Center to the Zgolinksi Welcome Center. Dan Zgolinski, a long time scholarship contributor to the Green River Community College Foundation, was a major donor during the fundraising campaign for the center. The project is a matching fund project with 50 percent of the costs provided by state funds and 50 percent by contributions to the foundation.

Construction of the $3.3 million ZWC consisting of a remodel of the existing 5,000 square foot Occupational Education Building, B plus a 4,900 square foot addition of new space on the south side is nearly complete. Construction crews are installing interior finishes, and final grading of the site is underway.

 When completed this spring, the college plans to address the issue of student engagement and retention. As one advisor said, the goal of the new center is to have all new students leave thinking, “I can do this!”

 The center will accomplish this in two ways. First, it will teach students what the college values, what successful students do and how to take advantage of available resources. Second, it will make those resources available when students need them and have responsive systems in place to support student success.

 The ZWC will encompass a welcome center and a testing center that will streamline and centralize many services that are currently inefficient and fragmented.

 New Green River students entering the ZWC will speak with a receptionist who is friendly, multilingual and familiar with the enrollment process.

 All welcome center staff will be cross-trained in core functions including admissions, financial aid, student programs and assessment. These staff members will form an “early warning system,” quickly identifying at-risk students and guiding support to them. An informational kiosk, supported by an online “virtual welcome center,” will offer additional resources and let students easily track their progress.

Students will then visit the testing center which will serve 75-100 students at a time. Eighty percent of new students are surprised to discover that they need remedial instruction in basic academic skills. The testing center’s collocation with the welcome center will close the gap between assessment and advising, so that students with low test scores do not grow discouraged and drop out before they meet with an adviser. Modern accommodations and testing equipment will also better meet the needs of disabled students.

Advisors will work with students to interpret their test results and connect them to students’ academic goals. Finally, every new student will be given a personal campus tour by a peer mentor.

8/09/07 Progress Report

After much anticipation, Construction Enterprises & Contractors, Inc., General Contractor for the new Zgolinski Welcome Center (ZWC) began construction on August 6, 2007. The $3.3 million project consists of a remodel of the existing OEA building plus the addition of 4,900 feet of new space on the south side. When completed (spring 2008), the ZWC will become a vital tool in the college plan to address student engagement and retention. As one advisor said, the goal of the ZWC is to have all new students leave thinking, “I can do this!”

The ZWC will encompass a Welcome Center and a Testing Center that will streamline and centralize many services that are currently inefficient and fragmented. There are at least two other ways in which the ZWC will assist with student engagement. First, ZWC staff will offer workshops and resources that will help students discover what the college values, what successful students do, and how to take advantage of available resources. Second, it will make those resources available in a timely manner, when students need them, and have responsive systems in place to support student success.

New students entering the college will begin in the Welcome Center. They will talk with a receptionist who is friendly, multilingual, and familiar with the enrollment process. All Welcome Center staff will be cross-trained in core functions including admissions, financial aid, student programs, and assessment. These staff will form an “early warning system” to quickly identify at-risk students and guide these students to the support systems that may help them. An informational kiosk, supported by an online “Virtual Welcome Center”, will offer additional resources and let students easily track their progress.

Students will then visit the Testing Center which will serve 75-100 students at a time. 80% of new students are surprised to discover that they need remedial instruction in basic academic skills. The Testing Center’s co-location with the Welcome Center will close the gap between assessment and advising, so that students with low test scores do not grow discouraged and drop out before they meet with an advisor. Up to date accommodations and testing equipment will also better meet the needs of disabled students.

Advisors will work with students to interpret their test results and connect them to students’ academic goals. Finally, a peer mentor will give every new student a personal campus tour.

Green River is very excited to begin this innovative process of student intake. When our students succeed, we succeed!
 

3/27/06 Progress Report 

Faculty and staff are working with our architectural team on the Zgolinski Welcome Centerdesign to create a new 5,000 sq. ft. facility which will accommodate a Welcome Center and relocate and expand the Assessment & Testing Center. 

Welcome Center 

The Welcome Center will provide an inviting environment for students who are approaching GRCC for the first time.  It will have an admission’s area for disbursing information, brochures, schedules, and catalogs, and staff to assist the student with admissions processes.  The staff will be cross-trained in core student services functions, including financial aid, admissions, records, and assessment.  As students complete their GED testing or COMPASS assessment, they will meet with an educational planner to ensure their understanding of the assessment results and how these results relate to their intended program of study. 

Testing Center 

The Zgolinski Welcome Centerwill accommodate a larger testing facility to meet the needs of online-classes, classroom and GED testing, COMPASS assessment, including accommodations for students with disabilities. 

The center is a matching fund project with 50% of the costs provided by state funds and 50% through contributions to the Green River Community College Foundation. The design and permitting stage occurs July 2005 – June 2007, with construction slated to begin in summer 2007.

2/24/06 Progress Report 

A committee of faculty and staff are working with campus architect S.M. Stemper Architects to design a Student Success Center, which will include an expanded Assessment & Testing Center and a new Welcome Center. This new facility will be a 5,000 sq. ft. addition to the OEA, will serve all students, and offer expanded college entry services for potentially at-risk students. 

The center is a matching fund project with 50% of the costs provided by state funds and 50% through contributions to the Green River Community College Foundation. The design and permitting stage occurs July 2005 – June 2007 with construction to begin in summer 2007.