Gordon State College Launches Adult Learner and Veteran Center
On Wednesday, September 14, Gordon State College hosted the grand opening of the Adults, Veterans and Non-Traditional Students Center located in Student Center room 222 at 3 p.m.
The purpose of the center is to provide this student population with a comfortable and family-friendly space on campus where they can go to study, connect, and access on and off-campus resources to support their educational journey.
“I am very excited about the center and appreciative of our administration for allowing us to use this space on our campus. These student groups have always been an important part of our campus and we hope this space will help to support their experience here with us at Gordon State College,” said Assistant Vice President of Innovative Education and Strategic Initiatives, Dr. Ric Calhoun.
The center will be open Monday through Friday and is equipped with three computer work stations, a collaborative work area, resource library, and lounge. There is also a kid’s corner with headphones, STEM toys, and children’s books available for use so parents can feel comfortable coming with their children to work or study. These resources were purchased with funds from the Two-Gen Innovation Grant and were recommended from survey data and panel results gathered from the work of the grant.
“As a graduate of Gordon who was an adult learner and parent, I know first-hand how difficult it can be to find a space to study or bring my child if I need to do last-minute submissions and have nowhere for my son to stay entertained. Together with our Non-Traditional and Veteran Student Association Advisor, Dr. Inez Jones, we can now welcome our Non-Trad student population to a multi-use space where veterans can take solace in the day, adult students can study in a group setting, or student parents can come and complete their work while their children have a suitable space to occupy themselves. We want Gordon to be a supportive, family-friendly space for this important student population and we are glad to be able to provide just one small thing that could make a big difference in their day here,” said Innovative Education Specialist, Ashley Travis.
The Office of Innovative Education and Strategic Initiatives in conjunction with the Dean of Students has been working on this project since 2019 when Non-Traditional and Veteran’s Association students requested a place on campus that they could call their own.
“The Division of Student Affairs is delighted to partner with colleagues in Innovative Education in the launch of the college’s inaugural Adult Learner and Veterans Center. We know this new space will strengthen the services and programs geared towards our adult and veteran student populations!” said Dean of Students, Dr. Matthew K. Robison.
