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WVU Tech opens Student Success Center on Beckley campus

Students and staff cut a ribbon during the grand opening ceremony of the Student Success Center on the Beckley campus.

On Thursday, November 17, WVU Tech students, faculty and staff met on the Beckley campus to celebrate the opening of the university’s Student Success Center.

Originally launched on the Montgomery campus in 2013, the SSC is a popular resource for students. The center offers a wide range of academic support services, including first-year advising and free on-site peer tutoring. The SSC also provides students computer access and a place to hold study or group project sessions.

The SSC has become an integral part of the WVU Tech experience for many students transitioning into college life. It’s also a powerful tool for keeping current students on the right track.

“We’ve seen a small, steady increase in retention since we started the program, and we think it’s due in large part to the kind of treatment we’re providing first-year and new students,” said WVU Tech Dean of Students Richard Carpinelli.

The SSC’s director Kelly Hudgins said that the center was serving students on the Beckley campus since before the semester started. Beckley students have been working with tutors in math, psychology and pre-nursing courses. SSC advisors worked with Beckley students at four registration events over the summer and connected with more than 100 students before the school year began.

“This fall, SSC staff have conducted 400 individual student meetings on the Beckley campus. We advise 178 students in Beckley, and are pleased to report that 77 percent of them are already registered for spring term classes,” she said.

As the university transitions to the campus full-time, Hudgins expects the SSC to see continued growth.

“In Montgomery, we have logged 12,000 student sign-ins during each academic year. We expect this trend to continue in Beckley,” she said.

“It was absolutely a natural fit that we replicate the program here in Beckley,” said Carpinelli. “I think we’ll see it continue to grow in the Learning Resource Center because this really serves as a central point of activity for the campus.”

WVU Tech Campus President Carolyn Long addressed attendees at the grand opening. She shared that the SSC’s mission is a part of the university’s overall push to help students realize their academic goals.

“This is one more step in making sure that our students are as successful as humanly possible. We tell students that they can be successful here, but that they have to work at it. We tell them that we will give 100 percent, but you’ve got to give 100 percent, too. This is part of making sure they meet those expectations and find success,” she said.

View photos from the grand opening on Flickr, and be sure to visit the SSC website for more information.

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