The Beatty Center atrium at the School of Business has a vibe very much influenced by those involved with the Student Success Center (SSC). The SSC is literally just inside the doors from Liberty Street and lives up to its name by ensuring students have the tools to succeed at the business school and in life beyond graduation.
Serving students has been the SSC’s mission since its inception in 2014. School leadership recognized the need to dramatically enhance how business students are prepared to meaningfully launch their careers, specifically through career education, experiential learning, and job placement.
It was then that the School of Business embarked on an initiative to develop the center. Passionate about career-forward education, the School of Business Board of Governors championed the concept of building the SSC and many individual donors provided philanthropic support.
“Our chief mission as a Board is to help the School of Business develop our undergraduate and graduate students to be the next generation of leaders,” wrote the board in a statement. “In our view, the most immediate way to impact this mission is by investing in the center to prepare our students for career opportunities in the state, regional, and global business world.”
Years later, the Student Success Center is the hub of support services for business students to have everything to reach their goals.
“I am grateful to our Board of Governors for investing in career readiness for our students,” says Alan Shao, dean of the School of Business. “Their early support of the Student Success Center set in motion an impactful resource for everyone in the School of Business.”
The talented team of experts in the center offer a wide range of services, including academic advising, professional development, career assessment, interview preparation, resume building, mentoring and more. Whether a student needs assistance in their academic, professional, or personal life, the team has what it takes to guide them to their success.
The SSC recently hit a new milestone — remodeling to take its services to the next level.
“To put it simply, we needed a more dynamic space,” says Kristen McMullen, director of the SSC. “We wanted to be able to deliver innovative services in a more inspirational and modern facility.”
Renovations were made possible because of the support from donors who chose to invest in the place where success starts for business students.
“This would not have been possible without the support and dedication of our Board of Governors and donors who share and support the vision of developing well-rounded business professionals,” says McMullen.
During the initial stages of the pandemic when the College of Charleston campus was closed to student access, the SSC underwent extensive improvements and renovation behind the scenes.
Today, the newly polished Student Success Center presents as a modern, professional and inspiring space that invites student engagement.
The renovation is state-of-the-art, consisting of hardwood flooring, updated ceiling fixtures, a podcast studio, and a new “Wall of Information” that displays resources for all visitors.
Additionally, three collaborative workplaces were constructed to facilitate student success: the new Collaboration Lab (Co-Lab), the Innovation Lab, and a flexible meeting space. The spaces are multifaceted to accommodate different meetings, events and workshops. Positioned at the heart of the School of Business, these new spaces are designed to encourage collaboration, communication, creativity, and networking for students, faculty members, employers and alumni.
A new innovative space calls for several new and exciting projects. The SSC staff is busy readying several new initiatives. One in the works is the Business Executive Network, a program in which active and retired senior-level executives work directly with students.
With an extraordinary vision backed by dedication and donor support, the School of Business can now continue to provide 21st-century excellence to students and produce future business leaders and changemakers.
Written by Siying Zheng ‘22