The School of Engineering & Science (SES) is forming a new academic support and advising center called the Center for Student Success (CSS). Much like the School of Business’s Student Support Center, the purpose of the CSS is to provide student-centric support for all SES students. This includes assisting with day-to-day activities such as creating and amending study plans, adding and dropping courses, as well as managing schedules for students in the Co-op or study abroad programs. CSS will be working collaboratively with faculty advisors to provide students with a better experience.
The CSS is meant to be a one-stop shop for students. As described by Christopher Church, the Director of Programs and Advising, the center is “a place where students can come in and have support at the administrative level.” The goal of the CSS is to guide students through their entire academic career with continued support and advice. One of Church’s goals is to be proactive rather than reactive. He cites that one of the center’s potential challenges will be catering to the larger SES student body while still being accessible and personable.
The center will be a place for students to receive help making and approving their academic plans, get career advice, and take care of administrative forms. If the center is unable to take care of things in-house, they will connect you to the proper office directly. Jean Zu, Dean of SES, expressed that “the purpose [of the center] is to support students, to give students the best experience, and the best service that they well deserve.” This sentiment is part of the push to make Stevens more student-centric and improve the relations between administration and students.
Church has been meeting with different departments to understand student needs and then translate their needs into holistic support at the CSS. He also has worked with the Student Support Center advisors to learn about Stevens culture and how he can help the center become a valuable resource for students. The team currently has six employees. The most recent hire, Nina Cheung, is responsible for advising engineering and science majors. The other members of the team are Jennifer Lebron (Computer Science and Cybersecurity advisor), Ann Petrigliano (Mechanical Engineering advisor), Sandra Clavijo (Director of CORE), and Sally Reiter (Administrative Assistant). Starting November 16, passersby could see a new sign at the center, which will be undergoing complete renovations over the winter break.
The CSS has unofficially started seeing students. The center is quickly becoming popular among the general student body through word of mouth. An anonymous student expressed that the center helped them develop their general college plan and that it was “very accessible and much less intimidating than my faculty advisor.” They explained that the center helped them develop guidelines for future plans and that they would feel comfortable going back to the center for future advising.
The Center for Student Success is located in EAS 119. To schedule an advising appointment right now, contact Christopher Church at cchurch@stevens.edu. In the future, they will be implementing an online appointment scheduler. Walk-ins are also welcome. All official administrative business should still be conducted at the Office of Undergraduate Academics, located on the 9th floor of the Howe Center, until the launch of the CSS in the spring. The CSS is excited to welcome students into the office to help them navigate their Stevens career!
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