Multimedia Editor
The different centers at the CSU Bakersfield campus offer many services to students that students are paying for when they pay their tuition. The more students know about these offers, the more they can take advantage of them. Some of these centers are showcasing new things this school year. For students who are new to CSUB or are not familiar with all of the services at CSUB here’s a look at what some of the major campus centers offer students.
The Student Union
The Student Union is between the Runner Cafe and the Student Recreation Center on the south side of campus. The front desk in the Student Union is where students can go to get any answers to any questions they have about the campus. If the desk employees, or “Information Specialist” doesn’t know the answer, they will call around campus to find the answer.
The lounge is the large open room on the right-hand side before you reach the front desk. E.J. Callahan, director of Student Union said, “The lounge is available for students between classes”.
The lounge features tables, high chairs, couches, and desks with free computers open to anyone on campus. Free Wi-Fi is available not only in the lounge but in the entire Student Union as well.
Past the front desk in the hallway is a microwave for students to use if they don’t want to wait in a line to use a microwave in The Runner Cafe. Past the microwave, there is a room on the left-side. This room is being turned into “The Game Room.”
“The goal is to put three forty inch TVs here,” Callahan said. X-box and Playstation will be available to students.”
He added that it is so that they can blow off some steam and play some games. The Game Room is scheduled to open this fall.
The multipurpose room is where various school events are held. Departments throughout the school use this room for functions. There will be a back to school dance in the room the first week of school.
The “Green Room” and the “Blue Room” are available for clubs or for studying. The rooms can be reserved, but walk-ins are available if the room is open. The room can be checked out for 45 minutes. Callahan said you can check the room out for studying. All you do is ask the employee at the front desk if the room is taken, and if it isn’t you give the employee your student I.D. and the room is yours.
Students can also find the bookstore in The Student Union.
Campus programming plus the Spirit Team in the Student Union is a good place for students to get a list of events of what’s happening and where.
If students have questions regarding Associated Students Incorporated, they can also go to the Student Union where the ASI staff works.
“The idea behind the union is a student space, [which] they can go and meet people, find out ways to get involved or just relax between classes,” Callahan said.
Health Center
The Health Center is directly behind a grass field behind the Science III building.
“Student Health Services is available to all registered students who have paid fees,” Health Education Assistant Lauren Ash-Anderson said. “We have a full array of services, including two medical doctors, pharmacy, laboratory, x-ray, and health education.”
She added that students are encouraged to call the front desk at 661-654-2394 for more information, or they can visit their website.
Ash-Anderson said the Health Center has two licensed medical doctors, a pharmacy, a laboratory, x-ray and health education.
“Our doctors can write a prescription, and they can either get it here in our pharmacy or take it off campus”, Ash-Anderson said.
Ash-Anderson said the Health Center encourages students to take advantage of the it because when students pay their mandatory health fee that includes most of what the Health Center offers and what the Health Center doesn’t offer they try to keep inexpensive.
She said that students will always be informed if they have to pay for something and that they take walk-ins for most services.
“It’s also very easy to get an appointment and we have very little wait times,” she said.
The Health Center also provides birth control, STD testing and etc.
Career Education and Community Engagement
The CECE office is right before the Runner Cafe on the left hand side if you’re coming from the Walter Stiern Library or Dorothy Donahue Hall.
CECE Director Markel Quarles said CECE helps students achieve their career plans and goals.
“We offer career advising, access to part-time jobs (both on and off campus), internships, career positions and local volunteer opportunities,” Quarles said. “We also help students with their resumes, prepare for interviews and how to market themselves.”
Dr. Quarles says students should take part in what the CECE has to offer because the CECE works with organizations everyday and knows how to help students get hired.
Student Recreation Center
The SRC is the large tall building between the Student Union and the old gym and is another available service to students at no extra cost.
“The most important thing is that the SRC is here and open for students to use, and they have already paid their fees for the facility if they have paid their tuition”, SRC Director Mary O’Mahoney said. “There are no additional fees [because] they are members. Almost all of our additional services are free too, IM Sports, Group X, personal training, fitness advising, etc. There are some additional fees for outdoor adventure trips.”
O’Mahoney said that the SRC has a variety of state of the art equipment and facilities for students.
“For example, we have over 60 cardio machines that range from treadmills to ellipticals to the newly purchased curve treadmills and Jacob’s Ladder. We have your basic dumbbells, barbells, and plate-loaded weight equipment as well as variable resistance weight machines including LifeFitness and Cybex. We also have a core strength and stretching area.”
She added that they have a three-court gymnasium available for basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer and badminton. In the gym area, they have a suspended three-lane track, a 34-foot high free-standing rock wall, a lit playing field and sand volleyball courts.
The SRC hosts events like the “Meet me at the Rec” event on the first day of school, Monday, September 14th from 5-7PM. At this event students can come and checkout programs, services, play games, take part in activities, and win prizes and giveaways.
Outdoor trips, rock wall climbing competitions, Group X classes, personal training and fitness advising are all offered at the SRC.
There are many intramural sports leagues set by the SRC.
“Students can and should create an IM Leagues account to keep up to date on all IM activities through the year,” O’Mahoney said. “We have added many more activities this year. We will have some opportunities for students to participate in regional events at UCLA for flag football and Sac State for basketball.”
Tutoring Centers
There are tutoring centers for various subjects throughout the CSUB campus. The mywriting lab headquarters is in the Classroom building, the Writing Resource Center is in Administration East, the Social Science & Education tutoring center is in the Education building, the Kegley Center for Student Success is in the Modular West building, the Arts & Humanities tutoring center is in DDH, the Science tutoring center is in the Science I building, the Mathematics tutoring center is in the Science III building, the Computer Science & Engineering tutoring center is in the Science III building and the Accounting/Finance & Economics tutoring center is in the Business Development Center.
Writing and Tutoring Center Coordinator Jeff Eagan said the tutoring centers offer help for nearly every assignment and course.
Eagan says meeting regularly with a tutor and working one on one will help increase student’s GPAs and improve their self-esteem
“Some instructors offer extra credit if you go to the writing center,” Eagan said.
Eagan said tutoring can be helpful to students because the tutor may reiterate a concept that the student didn’t understand in class, or watching someone else do a problem differently than the professor may be helpful for the student.
“Successful students use tutoring, not just remedial”, Eagan said. “Eighty percent of the students who used tutoring last year were in good academic standing. They shouldn’t be afraid to walk through the doors and ask for help.”
If students have questions about the specific tutoring center they need to go to, they can ask questions at Admissions and Records, which is across from the cashier’s office, and right next to the Education building.
