Space prepared for use by ETSU’s new professional advisers

ETSU paid about $100,000 to renovate offices in the Advisement Resources Career Center to accommodate new professional advisers in the College of Arts and Sciences.

“The addition of these new staff members meant they needed some additional space,” Dean of Students Jeff Howard said. “Arts and sciences kind of restructured their advising a little bit, and that’s what necessitated some moving and renovation.”

Preston Construction Co. was contracted to perform the renovations for the university and completed the project the week before students returned from winter break.

Arts and sciences advisers were moved into the University Career Services wing of the facility and University Career Services was relocated to another section of the ARC center.

Hard-walled offices were constructed for arts and sciences advisers moving into the University Career Services wing, and the cubicles previously used by University Career Services personnel were moved to the University Advisement Center and University Career Services’ new location.

Howard said the advisers needed hard-walled offices so they could meet with students confidentially.

“In the long run, the hiring of the new academic advisers is to provide additional student support to increase retention and to increase resources for students in terms of advising and access,” Howard said. “So, pulling them all together in one place for our largest college for example — the College of Arts and Sciences — means that students would be able to walk in to the ARC and to access either their adviser in the College of Arts and Sciences or if they have a question and their adviser isn’t free, another adviser who could assist them.”

Howard said the consolidation of the arts and sciences advisers in one location will produce a more dynamic and streamlined environment for advisement.

“Bringing all those different parts together, this is a new thing for the ARC,” Howard said. “It’s an additional student resource as part of the ARC and makes the ARC an even more important one-stop shop for students.”