Spring Break
Undergraduate education center opens its doors
Lauren Bente
Issue date: 1/26/04 Section: News
|
The CUE, the former home of the School of Business, is strategically situated at the center of campus and offers students the first time opportunity to visit several academic programs in one building.
Renovations for the new building cost approximately $11 million according to a press release. This includes a restructuring of the main building and 19,000 square foot addition built right next to the main building.
Various resources are provided and easily accessible for students, staff and faculty in the CUE according to the press release. A help desk is in the building to direct students to the right support service, there is a model classroom space specifically designed for the training and demonstration in classes. There is a space designated for informal student-faculty meetings. In addition, there are two hi-tech classrooms and a video classroom.
The Academic Center for Entering Students (ACES), Career Services, First Year Experience, the Honors Program, Individualized Major, Institute for Teaching and Learning, Student Support Services, Study Abroad, Urban Semester Program and the University Center for Instructional Media and Technology have all moved to the new CUE building.
"The goal for the Center for Undergraduate Education is to be a place that facilitates learning, teaching and mentoring for undergraduate students," Jarvi said. "Combining different academic services is beneficial to both students and faculty as it allows them to be interwoven in one environment."
"The CUE is an effort to get us to pull together and work more collaboratively in providing the optimal undergraduate experience," Jarvi said. "It is growing into a hub of activities to be a tutoring, teaching, learning focal point of undergraduate activities."
The level of effectiveness in bringing all of these programs together is expected to be high, according to UConn administrators. "There are tremendous benefits to having everything in one place, and I hope and believe we'll see many, many students taking advantages of those services," said Fred Maryanski, senior vice provost for academic affairs.
Students and faculty said although the relocation of services, such as ACES, (formally located in Northwest Campus) may not be as convenient, it will be beneficial overall because it will be easier to access these services during the school day.
"Having the CUE at the center of campus with so many facilities is really convenient. I didn't have to trek across campus to go to Career Services and the Study Abroad Office," said Lindsey Cenci, 6th-semester sociology major.