New Era of Student Efficiency

VVC breaks ground on ‘One Stop’ Student Services Center

VICTORVILLE — Victor Valley College has embraced a future of efficiency by breaking ground for its new “One Stop” Student Services Center that will help streamline the enrollment process.

With student services currently spread out in three different buildings, the new building will centralize all services at one location.

“All of the services have been combined, meaning that every single service we have in all three buildings will be housed in one building,” Dean of Student Services Art Lopez said. “Right now, the way it’s set up, we’re spread out.

“They have to go everywhere. This building is going to allow us to be able to navigate and keep everyone matriculated in an efficient manner.”

The new building will facilitate such services as counseling, financial aid, admissions, disabled student services, extended opportunity program and services, and CalWORKS.

“The No. 1 reason that we wanted this student services ‘One Stop’ is just what its name says,” VVC President Dr. Roger Wagner said. “Our students can come in and register, get their financial aid, get their counseling and all their support services in one building.

“But right now, a student has to go to at least three buildings, maybe up to five.”

DLR Group Architect Leigh Anne Jones explained how the building will also act as the new face of the campus. The campus’ entry road will be redirected around the building so that it will be the first thing students see when they enter campus. It will also be visible from Bear Valley Road.

VVC spokesman Robert Sewell explained how this new building will clear up other much needed space and reduce foot traffic around campus.

“It’s not just the building,” Sewell said. “The building has significance but where they’re vacating from, those facilities are going to serve another need to be able to create additional classrooms, seven to 10 more depending on the size, that are going to facilitate the ability to offer additional classes that are needed during critical time periods.”

The new building will allow the college to have extended and weekend hours.

“Right now, these services are in multiple buildings,” Sewell said. “It’s difficult to open up, and they’re not really customer-service friendly in that they’re not laid out for the benefit of students per se.

“With all of these services in the one building, when the counselors need to open up their building for the weekend to address students right before class or during that time period, they’ll be able to open up this building and provide the counseling services on Saturday.”

The building, scheduled to open in fall of 2019, will also incorporate new high-tech systems that will help speed up the enrollment process for students. For example, they are incorporating Qless, an automated queue system that will prevent students from having to wait in line, Lopez said.

“Now, with us being a one-stop center, everything is going to be housed in one area ... that was the whole purpose,” Lopez said. “It’s just to try to get everyone together so that we can take care of everything in an efficient manner. The student just has to come into the building one time and that’s it.”

Wagner reflected on what the building means to him in light of his recent retirement announcement.

“There’s a lot of things you do when you get ready to retire that you appreciate,” Wagner said. “One was my last graduation a couple of weeks ago, and now a new building.

“I’ll always know I was part of it. It’s a great building, and I hope I get invited back for the ribbon cutting.”