The big move into the new Donald and Peggy Cravens Student Services Center is completed and the building has officially opened for business. After over four years of development and construction, this new 48,000 square foot building provides a centralized location for many student services and support programs.
Located at the gateway of the campus at the Monterey Avenue entrance, this two-story building houses a new Bursar’s Office on the first floor. The bursar’s office will now handle all student payments, parking permits, all deposits for District offices and student clubs, athletic checks for travel and meals, and employee paycheck distribution. The College Bookstore is also located on the first floor and now has a larger space for text books and merchandise displays. There are two student services located on the first floor, the Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS) and the Student Health Services Center. In addition to the traditional counseling and instructional support services, DSPS provides eligible students with a testing center and a high tech instructional lab. With larger exam rooms and a new reception area, Student Health Services provides limited medical attention and psychological services to enrolled students.
On the second floor there are many student services and support programs such as the Admissions and Records Office and Financial Aid. In the past, these two services were located in separate buildings, now these two critical services are located in the same suite of offices at the top of the main stairway (or if you’d prefer, take the elevator up to the second floor and turn left). Adjacent to Admissions and Records and Financial Aid is the Veterans Office where military veterans can meet with an admissions specialist to access their educational benefits. Just behind the elevators, also on the second floor, is a 46 station Computer Lab that will be utilized for assessment testing, new student orientation, and other registration activities throughout the year. Directly across from the elevators is the new Counseling Center, which is a single suite of offices that combines all of the services of the old Counseling, Career and Transfer Centers. Down the second floor hallway as you head east from the elevator and main stairway are offices suites for EOPS/CARE (Extended Opportunity Programs & Services/Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education), which also houses CalWorks; the federal TRIO programs, which includes ACES (Academic Counseling and Education Services) and Upward Bound; and the International Education Program. Across from the TRIO suite, there is also an Administration Office where you can find the Vice President for Student Affairs and the Dean of Student Support Programs & Services.
As if all these programs and services were not enough, the building also houses three new classrooms that can each hold approximately 50 students, a new staff conference room, and a multi-purpose room that will be utilized for student recognition events, student service workshops, and staff trainings. Floor maps for the building are available at the Reception Center desk located on the first floor at the main entrance to the building. The building is currently open from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm; however business hours for each department vary so students are advised to call individual offices for more information.
The building is named for Donald and Peggy Cravens who generously donated a considerable sum to establish an endowment that would fund the future maintenance of the building. Construction was paid for by funds from the $346.5 million Measure B Bond that was overwhelmingly approved by the voters of the Coachella Valley in 2004.
