By: Nick Kieser
The Volunteer State Community College has moved the Disability Services office to the Ramer Administrative Building.
Previously the disability office was located on the bottom floor of the Woods Campus Center. In its place now is the math and science offices.
“It was Dr. Faulkner’s vision. It was my idea that he wanted a one-stop shop,” said Manager of Disability Services, Leslie Smith.
Spending one year already in the basement of the Woods building Smith and her staff have changed the scenery to be neighbors with the other on-campus student services.
“If we walk a student over to the advising center it is one door over. It is more convenient now than it was,” said Smith.
The other homebodies in the Ramer building are the admissions office, advising office, financial aid, public relations, human resources, and the president’s office.
Although leaving the Woods building there are pros and cons for this move as a whole. Smith does give one disadvantage of leaving the Woods building altogether.
“It was quiet and confidential. In that respect, people did appreciate it.”
An advantage besides being convenient and around other services there’s another pleasant side too.
“They wanted to have a place where students could get a lot of the services they needed in one building,” said Smith.
Considering the other renovations going on at Vol-State putting most of the services in the same building will be of help to the students who are new and even for returning students as well.
“It is better because it is right where everything else is and will probably be easier to find. Ramer is not my favorite because I am mainly there for financial aid, but I do think it is just fine for me,” said student Alex Winkler.
From a student point of view, it is a decent place to go for having the convenience, but that does not mean every college student will like to go into a building to take care of business.
“I think it will amp up a little bit. Students will come in more now and ask about it,” said receptionist Erin Tickle.
Along with the expectation Tickle had she did have a regard to how she feels about it now telling students in how to get to the disability service center.
“I do not think students will be upset with everything being in one building. I wish that when I was a student here it would’ve been easier to navigate.”
The other take away from having the offices now in one building except the student life center is that the employees who occupy these offices are affected as well.
“It is much easier to direct students and they feel more connected that way,” said advising receptionist, Pamela Lockhart.
“They used to be one building off and now they are so close. You go down the hallway and they are on the left. It is way easier to say and for the disabled much easier,” said admissions receptionist, Beverly Bragg.
The campus services are all now prepared to be close and according to Bragg she can now put the names to faces and know whom they are rather than just hearing about them.
“We are all about access. Everything about disability services is about making sure that everything on campus is accessible for everyone. Hopefully, students come back because we are in a convenient location and remember we are here,” said Smith.
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