Department shuffling causes confusion: Three department offices relocate for the 2019-2020 school year

Many Gustavus Students are excited to be back on the hill and to explore the new Nobel Hall expansion, but Nobel Hall is not the only place where changes are happening this fall.  The Jackson Campus Center and Johnson Student Union experienced many changes over the summer as well. Several departments have changed their locations. JoNes VanHecke, Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students, detailed the changes in an email to students last week.  The largest change was the shifting of the Residential Life office and the Career Center. The Residential Life office is now located in the lower level of the Campus Center in suite 105. The Career Development Center is now in the Student Union in suite 209. The Dean of Students office has also been moved to the Campus Center and is located in room 201, formerly known as the Board Room.

Students are still adapting to the new office locations in the Campus Center and Student Union. Many students who have been here for awhile are used to the old office locations.

“It is confusing and we did not get any warning about the changes. I feel like departments in the past have used their space well. As a tour guide is is frustrating because we have to rethink and retrain our tour routes,” Senior Lauren Lowe said.

While some students have concerns with the changes being made on campus, the departments seem to be excited about the move.

“I am very excited about our location. I feel we are in a place that is easy for students to access and we have a space that will accommodate a variety of programs for students and employers,” Andrew Coston, Executive Director of Career Development said. The college made these changes to help students gain more opportunities for their futures. Gustavus is working to assist students in their job search post-graduation through new services. Coston outlined those services.

“We have a career development specialist for each cluster and we are expanding our internship and mentorship programs to allow more students to participate in activities that will bring them work experiences which will enhance their resume while in college and hopefully lead to permanent positions after graduation. We have the Focus 2 online career guidance system which will help students to identify their major, and make decisions regarding graduate school or career opportunities. We also are using Peoplegrove, which is an online system designed to assist students with finding mentors in their field of study.”

“The Career Development Center can assist students at any stage of their career development process. If a student doesn’t know what they want to major in and needs help figuring it out, we can help. If a student does know what they want to do we can help them become aware of the job market in their field and gain salary information about their chosen profession before they graduate so that they may conduct a successful job search,” Coston said.

The Residential Life office is available to help students with their life outside of the classroom here at Gustavus.  They work to make Gustavus a home away from home for its students.

Their mission is to “complement the academic mission of the institution by providing a living environment for students conducive to learning and development. The staff is committed to fostering a community in which students respect and affirm the dignity of all persons and develop the responsibility and values that will allow them to assume roles of leadership and service in society.”  More information about the Residential Life office and their services can be found on the Gustavus website.

The new Dean of Students office is open from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. The Dean of Students office is available to help both students and their families navigate their time at Gustavus. “Members of the Dean’s staff guide, support, and challenge students in taking full advantage of a Gustavus education. They also provide advice, support and assistance to students and student groups and respond to inquiries from students, parents, and others about college policies and procedures,” according to their website. More information about the Dean of Students office can be found on the college website.