By DANIEL R. DURRETT
@EtcDanD
The Harvester Hub office opened March 27, offering students a more direct way to get involved in campus clubs and activities.
The new Office of Student Engagement and Retention space is located in C-217, just above the Hive in the center of campus.
“We are here to expose, teach and enhance the college experience,” said Jide Carew, OSER’s student program development coordinator. “We love this job because we are able to help students grow.”
OSER Associate Dean Alex Snowden said the Harvester Hub serves as a home base for student clubs and campus activities.
OSER staff members who oversee activities such as the common book and intercultural engagement will also be based there.
“There will be a space for clubs to hold meetings and eventually we will have a place to do presentations,” Snowden said. “In addition, we will display slides of club events and other campus activities.”
Snowden said the centralized location gives students quicker access to information about clubs and organizations on campus, which could help increase membership and awareness.
“The ability to access OSER advisers will be a huge benefit to our club,” said Ruben Ingram, president of the Human Services Club. “One of the most difficult tasks for our club is to get information out to the student body.”
With 26 active clubs this semester, there are a plethora of opportunities for students to be involved.
“Most students don’t know our club even exists,” said Science Club President Victoria Meeks, who worked in the old OSER office as a student.
In addition to club oversight, the new office will also be a secondary site for acquiring student IDs.
Starting April 1, all students are required to wear their student ID while on campus.
“When new students get their IDs, they can be introduced to the whole engagement side of Eastfield,” student development staff member Cindy Fabela said.
Snowden said the primary OSER office, still located in C-237, will now be solely focused on career services and expanded academic advising.
“There is more to college than classes. There is a bigger sense of finding yourself,” Carew said. “If you’re leaving here 60 credits into your college career and you don’t know who you are, I feel like we have failed.”
