American River College is planning to celebrate the expansion of the Student Services building with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday from 2-3 p.m.
The west side of the building underwent a 14-month, 5,500-square-feet remodel that went from April 2014 to summer 2015.
In a press release over the summer, ARC President Thomas Greene said that the final goal of renovation was to “have an outstanding space to better serve our students.”
Dean of Student Services Kolleen Ostgaard said that the event will welcome students to this “new beautiful place.”
“I hope that it’s welcoming to our students and they feel invited and glad to be here,” said Ostgaard. “We will have speakers present who will talk about the idea and decision-making that went into the new part of the building.”
On behalf Greene and the rest of the ARC administration, Communications and Public Information Officer Scott Crow said that the school is “very pleased” with the expanded facility.
“The expanded building allows ARC to put a wide variety of services all under one roof,” said Crow. “In the coming months, the Career Center will be moving into the building too, bringing yet another service into the same area.”
Crow also said that the ribbon cutting ceremony will be a good chance for students to see all the changes that have been made.
“The ribbon-cutting is a ceremony to officially announce the ‘opening’ of the building,” said Crow. “If someone hasn’t visited the building before, this is a great opportunity.”
Kaela Vivian, a clerk for Extended Opportunity Program and Services (EOP&S), said that the improvements are more than just a “beautiful new look.”
“I love it (the renovations),” said Vivian. “Everything is much more convenient and operates more smoothly.”
The Assessment Center, CalWORKs, the Career Center, Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS), EOP&S, and Financial Aid are all a part of the building, with the Veterans Resource Center set to move in during the Spring semester.
