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NEWS
| SEPTEMBER 15, 2005
International Office
International Office to move to renovated
Swift Center
The office will move to the Swift
Center due to lack of space in the UC basement.
By Kim
McQuire
Contributor to The Shorthorn
The International Office’s upcoming move will have some students
walking farther across campus to gain access to the available resources.
The office will relocate from the University Center basement to
the Swift Center at 1022 W. Center St. on the west side of campus,
following $85,000 worth of construction and renovations that will
be completed within the next two months, Physical Plant Director
Jeff Johnson said.
“There will be major renovations to the Swift Center in order
to meet the needs of the International Office,” he said.
The office has experienced ongoing complications with its current
workspace, said Joanna McClellan, International Student and Scholar
Services director.
“Ever since we have experienced a jump in enrollment, we haven’t
had enough space for the students to come into the office,”
she said.
According to McClellan, the International Office is trying to hire
another employee but doesn’t have enough workspace. Additionally,
there isn’t enough space for students to wait for appointments,
and office files are located in three places across campus, she
said.
“The downside of the relocation is that it is a bit off campus
and out of the way for our international students,” she said.
Students might experience more difficulty in coming into the office,
McClellan said.
Biology sophomore Karen Dang, an International Office work-study
employee, said the new location will be inconvenient to get to on
a daily basis.
“It’s a good move,” she said. “However,
this location is closer than the Swift Center.”
The Swift Center, which has been used for many purposes, will allow
the International Office to have more group meetings with the larger
rooms and host more social functions for the students, McClellan
said.
Asbestos, floor tiles and other office elements at the Swift Center
will be removed within the next couple of weeks, Johnson said. After
this process, construction of individual offices and other space
modifications will last about two months, he said.
“The relocation will be as permanent as it can be,”
he said. “But they are not going to be there for the next
20 years.”
The International Office assists international students with immigration,
provides information to prospective students and assists in housing,
taxes, immunization and study-abroad opportunities.
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