Administration building now Welcome Center
Those needing help with registration, admissions or cashiering should go to the Welcome Center (the old Administration building), and students needing assistance in counseling, financial aid or student life should revert to Campus Center.
“You don’t have to come here to get redirected. You come here and get many of your questions answered and not have to go someplace else,” David Farrington, director of enrollment services and registrar, said. “Not just the questions about our area but the common questions about the whole school; that’s why we are calling it the Welcome Center.”
The Welcome Center will serve to answer basic, first-time questions from new students before directing them to Campus Center. Continuing students will also be able to enter the Center and receive help with registering for classes, filing for graduation, paying fees and career advising.
Farrington also expects to install information kiosks in the Welcome Center lobby in the next four to six weeks. The hope is to enhance student independency for things, such as registering for courses and applying for graduation online.
Four full time advisers will be located in the Welcome Center to assist students. Mandie Pritchard, director of advising and counseling, will be staying in Campus Center along with the remaining staff.
The student services that have remained in Campus Center are counseling, testing, financial aid and student life. Human Resources are now where Admissions used to be located.
The college has talked of moving services around for years, and now it has happened. As of fall 2013, President Joe Olson gave the approval to move forward and create the Welcome Center.
“They’ve really been talking about some kind of move for years. This is not necessarily anything new. Even back before I got here we were talking about moving stuff around,” Farrington said.
Farrington has been at Umpqua for 11 years. He said the topic of moving had come up at least three different times while he has been present. The main reason he could equate for never making the move was difference in personalities.
“In the 11 years I’ve been here we’ve had at least six different presidents. The personalities change because the people have changed,” Farrington said.
The Administration building has received a makeover creating a new atmosphere for students. The Welcome Center’s registration, admissions, cashiering and advising options offer easier access for both prospective and current students.