A light at the end of the tunnel for the ASH mountain Project

Jason Deal

The Advocate

The ASH Mountain Project is nearing completion. As workers begin taking down the boards that blocked the office windows, as well as the view of what’s going on inside, they’ve began moving office furniture back in.

Jean Erickson, coordinator of registration, said the staff at the Student Services Center is getting very excited, although the experience has felt, “like moving into a new house.”

Much of the excitement has to do with the discomfort experienced since the project began. The staff at the moment has less space than before, which has made their jobs difficult these last few months. They were given a finish deadline of Nov. 3 and plan on moving back into the offices Nov. 8.

Jim Thomas, superintendant of the ASH Mountain Project said, “It has gone very well. It’s been a fast-paced schedule.” He was referring to the lack of time the college gave the project to be completed, not to mention the month they spent removing asbestos from each office.

Once the project is completed, Erickson said each section will be moved back into its original place one at a time. Once everyone is back in place, the staff will go through a “cross-training” in order to make the student services staff members more versatile and help students more.

The main purpose of “cross-training” in Student Services is to make the center a one-stop center, where all services will be rolled together.

As each department is moved back, phone lines to each department will be temporarily disconnected. An automatic voice mail system will be in place to take calls during this time.

The Business Office and Career Planning center will be the first to move back on Monday, Nov. 8. The Business Office phone is expected to be disconnected from 3 p.m. Friday until Monday at noon. The Career Planning center will have their phone disconnected on Monday from 7a.m. until 5p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 9, Financial Aid, TRIO, Transitions, Disability Service and OLI (Oregon Leadership Institute) will make their move. Phone lines for Disability Services will be disconnected on Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The rest will be disconnected from 3 p.m. Monday, until Tuesday at noon.

The last department to go to the new facilities will be Admissions and Records on Wednesday, Nov. 10. Phone lines to this department will be disconnected from Tuesday at 3 p.m. until Wednesday at noon.