HERALD EDITORIAL: Student Organization Center a definite upgrade for RSOs

Western Michigan University is a place of abundant opportunities. Anyone who ventures a look – and even those who do not – will find themselves in a powerful and positive atmosphere that promotes on-campus involvement and encourages students to make Western their own.

This spirit has lead to the formation of the new Student Organization Center (SOC) in the Bernhard Center, where offices for Registered Student Organizations have just officially moved.

The move to the SOC has brought numerous advantages to all student-run organizations. The new location in the Bernhard Center is centrally located on campus, which increases both the visibility and accessibility of RSO offices to students.

Previously, RSO offices were in the basement of the Faunce Students Services Building, placing them both at the edge of campus and making them somewhat hidden.

Another problem addressed by the move to the Bernhard Center is the inherently closed-off nature of the offices at Faunce. The new SOC features a very open layout according to Chris Sligh, director of Student Activities and Leadership Programs (SALP).

“The open layout was intentionally designed to allow members from various RSOs to collaborate and get to know each other better, and work together,” Sligh said.

The new space provides common areas and encourages more dialogue between different RSOs. The SOC also provides a variety of resources, even for organizations that don’t have official space there.

The conference room and public social networking areas are available to all organizations according to Sligh. Organizations also have access to a graphic design team located in the downstairs of the Bernhard.

The SOC is located at the back of the Bernhard Center, straight down the new corridor by the main entrance. New signage to help people trying to locate it is being worked on.

The Student Organization Center is a boon for on campus organizations, and student leaders should be sure to take full advantage of it. More information about the SOC is available on the SALP Web site at: http://salp.wmich.edu.

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=7982

Posted by heraldstaff on Sep 13 2009. Filed under Editorial, Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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