Transfer, veteran resource center will open after construction delay

This post was updated July 12 at 12:40 a.m.

A new centralized space for transfer and veteran students will soon be in service after months of delay.

The Bruin Resource Center held a soft opening last month for its new Transfer Student and Veterans Resource Center at Kerckhoff 128 and 132 for students and graduating seniors who helped advocate for the space. Although the center’s construction has been completed, the center is not fully functioning and will open in a few weeks.

The BRC provides programs to help students’ academic success and well-being. The new center is part of BRC’s efforts to provide a space for underrepresented students and better connect them with expanded services, said Heather Adams, Transfer Student Center program director.

Construction for the new center began last fall and it was expected to open during winter quarter, however, complications with the construction delayed the opening.

Kerckhoff Hall is one of the original buildings at UCLA that was established in the 1930s. Renovation of historic buildings must follow specific construction guidelines, which may have delayed the process, said Emily Ives, Veterans Resource Office program director.

“There was ongoing construction of the new center, but some issues had to be addressed considering that it was an old building,” Ives added.

Student Affairs and Associated Students UCLA announced the center in 2015 after transfer and veteran student groups said they needed a centralized location for academic tools and programs.

The new location will help consolidate resources and help student communities achieve their academic, personal and professional development goals, Adams said.

“Generally, the center is still part of BRC but now the two programs shifted into a center, with added lounge space and a private space,” Ives said.

The transfer and veteran programming offices were originally located at the Student Activities Center. However, the offices’ limited physical space made it difficult for the two programs to accommodate the large student demand, Ives said.

“Now there is a larger space for students to build community and meet others with shared experience and have one-on-one meetings with various campus partners and resources, such as academic counseling and the Academic Advancement Program,” Adams added.

Divya Sharma, former Undergraduate Student Association Council transfer student representative and current Academic Affairs commissioner, said the center will have weekly programs to help students have successful academic experiences such as workshops on class planning, study tips and counseling hours.

Sharma added that the students who utilize the center will also have access to information about apartment rentals, social mixers and parking.

“The weekly programs are inclusive to all communities and they have existed but we finally have a space to centralize them all,” Sharma added.

The center’s summer operating hours are from 10 a.m to 4 p.m and the BRC plans to hold a grand opening for the center in the fall.