CU Engineering students will soon have a one-stop-shop on campus for their academic success and career development needs.
The Engineering Student Success Hub is located in the north wing of the Engineering Center, closest to Colorado Avenue. Staff are getting settled in the space now as part of a “soft launch,” and an official grand opening event will be announced soon.
When the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences moved into their new digs on East Campus in summer 2019, it gave the college an opportunity to re-envision how the north wing space could be used.
“Our Engineering Center renovations over the past few years have focused on creating more open, inviting spaces for education and research,” said Assistant Dean for Administration Cherie Summers. “We followed the same theme with the north wing, adding plenty of windows and collaborative spaces for all occupants and visitors.”
While a large portion of the renovated space has been transformed into research labs and office space, the main-floor centerpiece will be the 2,700-square-foot Hub.
The Hub provides a space dedicated to student success that unifies offices previously spread across the Engineering Center, including:
"Our vision for a number of years has been to pull together a number of student services functions under one roof to make it more convenient for students to access these services and have a place to ask questions and access staff who can readily assist them," said Associate Dean for Students Mary Steiner.
The front desk of the Hub will be staffed by Engineering Ambassadors – current engineering students trained to connect their peers with the support they need, as well as to introduce the college to prospective students via tours and online chat.
Senior Director of Student Professional Development Ben Weihrauch said he looks forward to using the new reconfigurable conference room in the Hub to host events for ProReady, the college’s career development initiative.
“Space is always at a premium on campus, so we usually host events like resume reviews or study abroad information sessions in whatever classroom space we can get,” he said. “It will be great to have one place that students will know where to go for the support they need to chart their career path.”
Assistant Dean for Access, Inclusion and Student Programs Terri Wright is also excited to have the Hub join the BOLD Center in supporting undergraduate student success.
“This space was specifically designed for undergraduate students to garner academic and co-curricular information that will round out their engineering educational experience,” she said.