Palo Alto now has a Welcome Center for all students, both new and returning, to get on the right track. In addition, a variety of services to help students succeed is now located under one roof.
Cartoon by Dennis Gray.
One of the most noticeable changes is the physical separation of Student Support Services from the Counseling and Advisement Center. Counseling and Advisement is in the building across from the Palomino Center and is open to all students. Their hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays; and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays. Their telephone number is 921-5280.
The Welcome Center is located in the Counseling and Advisement Center. Amie DeLeon, interim coordinator for the Welcome Center, said she helps new and current students identify and address their needs. “We are really the best place for them to start,” she said. “Once that’s done, we help them with each step.”
The Student Success Center is a new one-stop service center that combines six services into one area located on the Villaret side of the Palomino Center.
“Our mission statement is in our name,” said Tami Musser, Interim Director of Student Support Services and Coordinator of PASSkey. “We want every student who walks through the doors to succeed.”
The Student Success Center houses Career Resources, Job Placement, PASSkey, Access Childcare, Sign Language Interpretation Services and Transfer Services in one location. Student Support Services, disABILITIES Services and International Students Services are across the hall. The Student Success Center’s tenants all have one purpose, which is to help students. They offer different workshops, cultural activities and job placement services. Special activities are listed on a large calendar on the wall across from Room 115 and are updated at the beginning of each month.
Students are welcome to drop by the Student Success Center in Room 126. The offices are open Mondays through Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Irma Herrera is the Student Success Center secretary, and her telephone number is 921-5381 or 921-5170.
PASSkey is a federally funded program that serves students who are low-income, first generation college students or have a disability. They offer career, academic and personal counseling, as well as free workshops and field trips to qualifying students. Students can speak to Judy Anders in Room 126 or call 921-5283.
Lydia Ortega, Senior Job Placement Specialist, will provide students with information on any number of career options. Career Services now has the Internet version of the Discovery Program, which is designed to help students narrow down their selection. They also have a resource library for information on a career choice. In addition, Job Placement Services will assist students with finding employment, either part-time or full-time. A list of local employers is kept and updated daily. They can also help with internships as well as workshops on interview techniques. Ortega is in Room 126, and her telephone number is 921-5298.
Charley Garcia, Education Support Specialist, heads the Transfer Center, also in Room 126. His telephone number is 921-5276, and he will assist any student with a degree plan or university application. The center has a large library of different colleges’ and universities’ catalogs.
The International Students Services are set up to help international students with counseling and advice and to navigate the rules and regulations of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services. They are located in Room 123. Students may speak to Lydia Hannawi, Assistant Director, at 921-5348.
For students with a documented disability, Beverly Brown, Learning Disabilities Specialist, encourages students to make the disABILITY Office their first stop. disABILITY Services was previously known as the PASS Center. They are now located in Room 119 of the Palomino Center, or students can call 921-5287.
Sign Language Interpreter Renae Quick is located in Room 126. Her number is 921-5227.
Students who need tutoring can find assistance through each department. For example, a student who is challenged by English and or writing can get help in the English Learning Center, located in the Social Sciences Building, Room 105. Their telephone number is 921-5199, and their hours are Mondays through Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Fridays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome. There are five tutors available, and three are bilingual.
If math is a challenge, there is the Math Learning Center. They are located in the Developmental Studies Building (EL Building). They offer tutoring in all math courses, either walk-in or by appointment. Their hours are Mondays through Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Fridays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For tutoring in reading, students may go to Room 105 in the Applied Sciences Building. Their telephone number is 921-5111, and their hours are Mondays through Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Students are encouraged to bring by suggestions. If there is a workshop you want or need, a college campus you would like to visit, or an activity you would like to see made available, students can talk to Tami Musser or Patty Medina in Room 115, or leave a message at 921-5284.
Stop by and see how the Welcome Center and the Student Success Center can help you.