The Undergraduate Studies program at Kent State has now officially moved to the 5th floor of the University Library.     

The reason for the move is due to renovations that will take place on their former and future offices at Lake and Olson Hall, according to Cesquinn Curtis, special assistant to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies.  

“We’re going to renovate the Lake/Olson Center, and it will be called the Center for Undergraduate Excellence,” Curtis said.

“The reason why we’re renovating is to provide a holistic environment, conducive for student success.  That includes a state of the art tutorial services area, a Wi-Fi bar that will be a new addition to the building that will protrude out to the esplanade, and we will have a new revamped area for trio student support services,” Curtis said about the upcoming renovations.  

Renovations for the new undergraduate offices are expected to last about 14 months, said J. Steven Antalvari Jr., university advising director. In the mean time, employees are getting used to their new office homes.  

“This location is very central; it’s very nice,” Antalvari said. “Whenever we move to our new place, I’m sure someone else could utilize this as well.”

The move brings many undergraduate departments together, under one roof for the first time.  This includes the Undergraduate Studies Deans office, the Exploratory Advising Center, Student Success Programs and many more.

“Instead of being in three or four different locations, we’re all together, which allows us all to collaborate,” Antalvari said.  “Finally for once, we feel like the family is all together.”

Curtis also touched on the togetherness of the departments saying that it will benefit students academically.

“We’re bringing our entire division of offices together under one roof to have more of a vibrant area for students to come through to receive an academic and student success support,” Curtis said.

The students are noticing changes to the undergraduate offices. Sophomore finance  major Matthew Coppa, hasn’t quite been inside the offices yet, but he’s liked what he’s seen and heard so far.

“I’ve been in the undergraduate offices in Olson Hall, and just by looking in from a far at the new offices, I can already see an improvement,” Coppa said. 

“It just looks nicer, and I guess all of the undergraduate people are all together, so I’m sure that makes it easy for people to reach advisors.”

For more information about the move, go to Kent State’s undergraduate studies website.

Contact Drew Jones at [email protected].