Construction continues on new COD Student Services Center, BIC Renovation

Work on the new “front door” for College of DuPage continues as the interior of the Student Services Center takes shape.

The west half of the Berg Instructional Center renovation also is nearing completion, as paint, carpeting and lighting have been installed in some of the new offices and classrooms. The work will connect the BIC, the Student Resource Center and the new SSC together to give the campus a dynamic look and feel.

“We want people who are coming to campus for the first time to have a positive experience, and the design for the new Student Services Center will make that a reality,” said John Wandolowski, director of Facilities.

The 65,000 square-foot center will include Admissions, Registration and Financial Aid on the main floor, Counseling and Advising on the upper floor and various Student Activities offices sprinkled throughout. A dramatic two-story open space on the main level, featuring a wall of windows that faces east, will include an information desk, while a new coffee shop will be located a short walk away.

The Testing Center will be relocated to the second floor of the BIC and right around the corner from the new front door, making it easier for new students to complete the necessary steps for admissions and registration, Wandolowski said.

The 477,000 square-foot BIC, which opened in 1973, contains classrooms, labs and offices for faculty and departments. It is undergoing a 90 percent renovation that has been divided into two phases. Exterior work includes a new roof, which has been completed; new windows; and a new exterior that covers the rusted side panels and features a color grid that will blend with the other buildings on campus. Interior work includes improved overhead lighting, more efficient temperature control and expanded white board space.

“One of the biggest goals is to bring more natural light into the BIC,” Wandolowski said. “Before the renovation began, you would look down the long corridors but never see the outside. We've reconfigured the space so you can now see windows that provide a brighter feel. The dark brown interior brick in the hallways has been stained a lighter color.

“We also want to make the classroom experience better for the students. Indirect lighting replaces the fluorescents, and you can actually see out the windows. The windows facing south have a natural shading grid built into them in addition to pull-down screens that filter out 97 percent of the light while allowing you to still see outside. As for the white boards, they traditionally are just in the front of the classroom. Now we'll have them in the front and on the side.”

Both the new Student Services Center and the west half of the BIC will open this summer. The east side of the BIC then will be closed for renovation and will reopen in 2012.

For more information on the COD Facilities Master Plan, visit www.cod.edu/facilities_plan. To see construction photos of the new center, visit: www.flickr.com/photos/codnewsroom. For a sneak peak video tour, visit: www.youtube.com/collegeofdupage.