BY RAEGAN NEUFELD<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vital student resources used to be spread out all over the Fort Hays State University campus. That changed last year with the opening of the Fischli-Wills Center for Student Success, named for Richard Fischli and Dolores Wills-Fischli, whose $5 million donation kickstarted the project.
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Marketed as a \u2018one-stop shop,\u2019 the Center for Student Success houses academic and career services, student engagement, and health and wellness services all under one roof. According to Joey Linn, vice president for student affairs, the building has already made an impact on students.
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\u201cWhat happened is, we heard from students \u2018I didn\u2019t even know we had all of this,\u2019\u201d Linn said. \u201cBefore, [the resources] were scattered all over campus. If I was meeting with a student, I\u2019d tell them about the counseling center in the basement of Picken Hall, and then I\u2019d wonder if I didn\u2019t walk them there, would they really find it?\u201d
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Academic and career resources are located on the first floor. This includes the offices of most academic advisors, general education tutoring services, the career clothing closet, and resume reviews.
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\u201cIt\u2019s all free,\u201d Taylor Kriley noted. \u201cIt\u2019s part of what students pay to have here.\u201d
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As Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, Kriley\u2019s work deals with both academic and career services, as well as student engagement, which is located on the second floor of the Center for Student Success.
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\u201cPart of our mission is to create engaged, global citizen leaders,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s really the heart of the second floor, helping students get connected to clubs, organizations, and activities that will help them educationally and socially develop their leadership capacity.\u201d
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According to Kriley, having one building for resources has been a \u201cgame changer\u201d when it comes to helping direct students to what they need. She also spoke about the importance of utilizing each service.
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\u201cMy biggest piece of advice to students is to just try it. Come over, study, meet a staff person, engage in the services, and I guarantee it will take their experience at Fort Hays to a better level,\u201d Kriley said.
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The third floor is where students can go for any kind of health and wellness services. Two nurse practitioners, two registered nurses, and a doctor provide medical services such as physicals, STI testing, allergy shots, and general care. Students can purchase medicine for a cheaper cost through the campus pharmacy as well. Affordable costs for medical services can be determined for students without insurance.
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\u201cWe also have personal counseling,\u201d said Director of Health and Wellness Gina Smith. \u201cWe deal with homesickness, anxiety, depression, dating issues, and any kind of stress. Then we also have drug and alcohol counseling.\u201d
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In addition, the health and wellness services also cover accessibility, providing students with resources like academic assistance.
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\u201cIf a student needs to be evaluated to see if they do need assistance, we work with the Psychology department to see how we can help them,\u201d Smith explained.
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Another resource located in the Center for Student Success is the Welcome Center. However, this resource is utilized by prospective students who visit campus.
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\u201cThe Welcome Center is a state-of-the-art, awesome way for students to come in and get a look at the university and a look at the facilities,\u201d Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Dennis King said.
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King also noted that welcoming visitors in the Center for Student Success has been a benefit to the tour process, which previously started in Picken Hall.
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\u201cSome people get here thirty minutes to an hour before their tour,\u201d he said. \u201cIn Picken Hall, they were kind of limited in the places they could go explore. Here, they can walk down and get Starbucks, walk through the second floor, and see the resources and students here to get a better feel for campus.\u201d
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