In a news release last Thursday Kennesaw State University announced that the new Academic Learning Center on the Kennesaw Campus was officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The new center is 143,000 square feet, and houses 20 classrooms, a 200-seat auditorium, 12 seminar rooms, 11 group study rooms, a student study lounge and faculty hoteling suite and a 4,600-square-foot suite housing the KSU Journey Honors College.

“There are so many resources available to our students all in this one building. This was intentional, so that we could meet the needs of our growing student population most effectively and efficiently,” KSU Interim President Kathy Schwaig said in the news release. “The Academic Learning Center will have a tremendous impact on our campus for years to come.”

Jeremiah Hayes, a senior Honors student majoring in industrial and systems engineering spoke on behalf of the student body at the opening.

“Having these resources in the ALC is essential for student success because they provide us with dedicated tools to enhance engagement in academics and student life,” Hayes said. “As KSU continues to grow, this space will be critical in enabling students to meet their academic and career goals.”

“The Academic Learning Center has been strategically located, physically and psychologically situating our students in the center of our institutional mission,” said Ivan Pulinkala, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs in the news release. “Completion of the ALC comes at a time when its need could not be evidenced more impactfully by the students, faculty and staff this building serves.”

Other programs that have moved into the new ALC include the Office of Undergraduate Research, the Division of Global Affairs, Owl Advising, the Department of Career Planning and Development, Student-Athlete Success Services, and the SMART (Science and Math Academic Resource and Tutoring) Center.