BCC 'One Stop' Construction Underway as Welcome Center Takes Shape
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) aims to streamline its admissions and enrollment process with its One Stop Student Success project, currently under construction on campus as part of a $5.5 million grant provided by Governor Baker's Capital Investment Plan for public higher education.
The overarching goal of this project is to make it easier for anyone who wants to access higher education to be able to do so with ease.
One of the most important parts of the One Stop project is the Welcome Center, located in the former dining hall in the Susan B. Anthony (SBA) building. The Welcome Center will be the gateway into newly consolidated offices of admissions, advising, new student registration, financial services, and student records. Staff will be on hand for assistance, and new kiosks will allow students to complete transactions such as paying bills or registering for classes. Comfortable waiting areas will welcome students meeting with admissions, career counseling, financial aid, and academic advising staff.
During construction of the One Stop facility, the Welcome Center is open 8 am to 6 pm Wednesdays and Thursdays or available via the One Stop Center for Student Success Virtual Window available Monday through Friday from 8 am – 4 pm. The link for the virtual window is available at berkshirecc.edu/admission-and-aid/financial-aid. The entrance to the Welcome Center is the same as the ADA-accessible route through the SBA building, the Field Administration second floor, to the Snide Walkway, and eventually to Hawthorne and Melville Halls.
Consolidating office space and offering more online services will help reduce crowding and shorten lines, explained Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, Adam Klepetar.
"It's the new front door to campus," he said. "We want to put everything a student needs in the palm of their hands, so they can do everything they need to do in fifteen minutes or less."
Noting that the majority of BCC students are first-generation college students who are likely unfamiliar with the admissions process, Klepetar underscored the importance of easing the onboarding process.
"The first couple of weeks of a student's career are the most critical in terms of that student staying with you," he said. "We want to create an environment that's welcoming, that's comfortable, and that makes our students feel like they matter."
"As we all transition out of the restrictions of the pandemic, the Welcome Center will provide face-to-face services to help new, returning, and current students plan for summer or fall enrollment at BCC," said Michael Sharp, Interim Dean of Enrollment Management.
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