In an email to students Friday, provost and vice president of academic affairs Megan Zwart announced the launch of the new Prikkel Advising, Career and Experience Center that will include the combination of academic advising and the Career Crossings Office. The center will be an addition to the northwest wing of Le Mans Hall, which also houses the office of academic advising.
The funding for the new center was provided by Patrick and Jennifer Prikkel. Jennifer Prikkel received an honorary degree during the College’s 2013 commencement ceremony. Since 2004, the Prikkel family have made multiple donations to the College, including for the establishment of Spes Unica Hall and expanded renovations to the Science Hall, the “largest private gift in the history of the College.”
Construction on the new center began in October, but the College remained quiet about the purpose of the project until Friday.
Two businesses are currently involved in the building and design of the project: Kleckner Interior Systems Inc., a northwest Indiana contractor that specializes in institutional construction and remodeling, and Design Collaborative, an interior design firm that offers engineering services.
Zwart shared the purpose of the new center is for both offices to expand their collaboration with one other through integrated programming and information. It will allow students to find different services pertaining to their academic and professional career in a centralized area.
She said the development would enhance The Avenue Experience, a model for students to discern their career path through resource assistance from career services and alumni connections. It will also allow them to obtain further guidance on their time after graduation.
“As part of that Avenue Experience, the PACE Center will really be the physical embodiment of that promise on campus,” Zwart said. “It’ll be a one stop place where students can go to help discern their strengths and think about what they want, what their passions are in their academic studies and then how they’re going to prepare for a life after Saint Mary’s.”
Stacie Jeffirs, the director of Career Crossings, described the importance of the two offices’ proximity and how the transition process benefits students.
“Hopefully the goal here with all of this is to make the advising process for students more seamless, because we know there are a lot of connections between academic advising and career advising,” she said. “Career advising with students is intimately connected to academics here at Saint Mary’s.”
Jeffirs said the transition will neither limit nor dramatically alter office services but instead provide various possibilities to enhance students’ career brands. It includes a LinkedIn photo booth, interview rooms and a coffee bar.
Physical changes are coming to the combined center as well, including an added entrance on the northwest side and alterations to the Reignbeaux Lounge.
“It will be this beautiful space that is used by the career development and academic advising folks during the day, but it’s also available for students to use and study and meet,” Jeffirs said of the additions. “We really want to keep Reignbeaux as a space for students, and so we didn’t want the impact on that to reduce student access.”
The construction entails some inconveniences — the academic advising office and registrar have been temporarily moved to the rear section of the Le Mans wing.
In addition to the PACE Center, the College is hiring a new dean of career integration to build on the collaboration between the joint offices. They will assist in creating high-impact experiences for students to gain future employment and internship opportunities.
“That person will help us work with external potential employers to build internship opportunities. They’ll help connect the current career services team with the academic advising team and they’ll be a great partner with the dean of student academic services to make sure that student experience feels really integrated in that way,” Jeffirs said.
A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held in January to mark the completion of the new center for students, faculty and community members.
“We’re very hopeful that all of the things we’re doing, building The Avenue Experience, building the PACE Center, making sure that we’re speaking to the needs that students come to us with right now, making sure that we emphasize access and belonging, so every student gets an excellent education once they’re here,” Zwart said. “These are all things that we know are going to drive a lot of growth and a lot of possibility.”
