Alumni Foundation and Workforce Development Institute return to campus
Tyler McNeil
Managing Editor
“It’s going be a whole lot better for us and hopefully better for the students who we intend to serve,” said Rich Bennett, associate dean of Continuing Education, Summer Sessions and Workforce Development.
The Alumni Foundation and Workforce Development Institute are projected to move into Fitzgibbons Hall between January and mid-February. “Relocation in Fitzgibbons creates an opportunity which allows for the Foundation Board of Directors and staff to further ingrain themselves into the campus community and work collectively with other departments to further the mission of Hudson Valley Community College,” said Regina Lagatta, interim executive director of Hudson Valley Foundation, in an email.
Both offices will share the former location of health services. “The Foundation staff team is excited to be back on campus with its community,” said Lagatta. Despite the two office’s departures from the Rensselaer Technology Park next year, the cardiorespiratory and emergency medicine department will remain at the location.
Hudson Valley first rented space on Jordan Road in 2009. “It made sense for a little while considering the space constraints [that] the college was facing,” said Dennis Kennedy, director of marketing and communications.
After the Science Center was completed in 2013, according to Kennedy, the college had more area with additional laboratory space left vacant. “Moving the [Alumni] Foundation and Workforce Development Institute back to campus makes sense from an operational perspective and it also allows us to reduce our rental commitment off campus and save money,” said Kennedy.
Alexander Popovics, vice president for enrollment management and student development, started developing a project to move and consolidate departments around campus about three years ago. The project was approved by President Drew Matonak in spring 2013.
The Wellness Center, along with the Center for Careers and Transfer (a merger of the Center for Counseling and Transfer and the Center for Careers and Employment) opened in the Campus Center earlier this semester. “The setting is very conducive to taking care of students. It’s just a wonderful place to work,” said Claudine Potvin-Giordano, director of the Wellness Center.
When the advisement and new student orientation offices merged in Fitzgibbons Hall, this left new space open nearby in Brahan Hall, at the site of the former individual studies offices. Those spaces were taken by the office of planning and research formerly located in Guenther Hall.