Book Store | Photo by Diana Jaber | The Wright State Guardian
The University Center for International Education and current bookstore are relocating to make room for a new event programming space in the Student Union.
New office space
The UCIE office moved from the first floor of the Student Union to the third floor, the former home of career services, in order to make way for the new bookstore location.
Plans for old space
According to Greg Sample, executive vice president and chief operating officer for WSU, the previous UCIE office space is being transformed into a new bookstore space.
Sample explained that the university’s contract with Barnes and Noble expires this year and that the university is working to choose a new retail partner to provide books and materials to the campus community.
“It’s been estimated that the bookstore will need 8,000 to 9,000 square feet (which is about a third of the existing bookstore footprint). We were already working to reposition UCIE in the Student Union and the space occupied by them in that location was the perfect size (approximately 9,000 sq. ft.). So, it was natural to become the new bookstore,” Sample wrote.
The current bookstore space will become an event and programming space. According to Sample, all changes are set to be complete by the fall semester.
UCIE
UCIE Director Michelle Streeter-Ferrari shared that the center was in the old first-floor space for around 25 years. Streeter-Ferrari and other center staff were notified of the move at the beginning of April and were given around two weeks to fully instigate into the new space.
According to the director, the center will continue to offer all normal international student services, manage international student admissions and run study abroad programs.
However, the new office space is smaller than the previous location causing the center administration to reevaluate how they conduct larger events.
“So downstairs we did have a very nice programming space so we are working with event services to find a permanent space we can book to do programming ongoing and that’s still in the works,” Streeter-Ferrari said.
Most student-focused activities, including student organizations and student-centered events, occur in the lower half of the Student Union. Due to this, the director explained how UCIE staff and student workers are working on new marketing stages to ensure their audience stays connected with the center.
However, Streeter-Ferrari is confident that students will still use the center despite the distance.
“They have found us and will find us,” Streeter-Ferrari said.
UCIECareer Services has moved to the Student Success Center.
