Eastern Gateway Commmunity College moves in

Staff report

Youngstown

Beginning Monday, Eastern Gateway Community College student-service functions will move to the new Valley Center from the Choffin Career and Technical Center, bringing more people into the city’s downtown.

Admissions, academic advising, financial aid and other student services will work temporarily from classrooms in the Valley Center at 101 E. Federal St. Their offices and other service areas are currently under construction and will be ready for occupancy by the time spring classes begin Jan. 14.

The relocation of student services is a significant step in building out the new Valley Center, said President Laura Meeks.

“We appreciate our students and employees working throughout the fall semester in dual locations. We are excited to bring our services to the downtown facility.”

The bookstore will be closed Monday and is scheduled for reopening Jan. 2.

The college opened in the new Valley Center last August with eight classrooms and computer labs.

This week’s move is the second phase.

The college moved to the new site to accommodate growing enrollment. During fall semester, there were 577 students taking classes at the new facility.

Even so, Meeks has said she expects the college to outgrow that facility in five years. Being downtown, however, affords the college the option to expand into other downtown buildings, she has said.

“With the relocation of these services, inquiring students will come to one location to apply for admissions and financial aid as well as have the opportunity to tour the classrooms and labs open and under construction,” Meeks said. “Other upcoming projects are refurbishment of the center concourse and completion of a student commons and a math emporium. Our students are excited about the student commons and will benefit from working in the math emporium as they work to master mathematics. The center construction will be finished during the spring with completion of science and nursing labs.”

The move to the Valley Center came after about a year of EGCC’s working with Higher Education Partners-EGCC Ohio to secure a permanent Mahoning Valley location.

HEP is responsible for the buildout of the project as well as building operation and maintenance under the contract.

Eastern Gateway handles all academic decisions, and the college and HEP make joint decisions on marketing and promotional events.

EGCC is grateful to Choffin for accommodating the college’s needs during this transition, Meeks said.

Registration for the spring semester continues through the start of classes. Interested students may call 800-68-COLLEGE, ext. 212, for more information or 330-480-0726 beginning Monday.