Someone looking for the student services on the third floor of the Culp Center this fall may have a hard time finding them. The first phase of the $9 million renovation of the building is about to begin, and the five offices opposite the cafeteria have packed up and moved out.
“The offices of Career Placement and Internship Services, the Counseling Center, Student Support Services, the Trio programs and the East Tennessean have moved to the old College of Medicine,” says Tony Warner, the assistant vice president for the University Center.
“The construction work won’t actually begin until October,” Warner says, “but the offices made the decision to move before the semester begins to make the transition easier.”
The employees in the offices had few complaints about the move.
“It went smoother than we thought,” says Mitzi Martin, the executive aide for the student support services office. “The College of Medicine is old and a little dirty, but everyone’s just happy to have windows. In the Culp Center, we didn’t have windows, and we couldn’t tell if it was rainy or sunny outside,” she said.
Others also enjoyed the view.
“We love it!” says Jeannette Hill, the information research technician for the career placement office. “We have windows. We can see outside and even hear the chimes.”
“All of the offices are already completely moved and already have their phones connected,” says Warner. “They will keep the same phone numbers and e-mail addresses to minimize confusion.”
The new room numbers for these offices are as follows: Career Placement and Internship Services, 211; Counseling Center, 303; Student Support Services, 315; Trio Programs, 313; and the East Tennessean, 208.
Other areas of the Culp Center that will be closed this semester are the Cave, some of the meeting rooms and the Auditorium.
Java City will still be open in the building, but in a new location on the second floor near the food court, says Warner. And because of the closure of the auditorium, they will be doing a lot, including having Homecoming, in the ballroom.
“The construction may be a little inconvenient now,” he says, “but the improvements to the building will pay off in the future.

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