School of Applied Technology makes major renovations to Student Activities Center through Educational Foundation funding

Thanks to an investment by the Educational Foundation of Alfred, Inc., the Alfred State School of Applied Technology campus in Wellsville made a number of significant improvements during the current school year, including renovating the Student Activities Center.

For the 2014-2015 academic year, the foundation allocated $549,500 for a number of upgrades and repairs to various buildings and locations on campus. Of that amount, $65,000 went toward renovating the activities center.

According to Justin Cornelius, coordinator of student affairs at the Wellsville campus, improvements upstairs in the main gathering space have included new painting, trim, doors, and ceiling tiles, and the creation of a revamped computer lab with new stations, and a mind spa that focuses on stress reduction. Student Senate has also provided funding for new foosball tables, a new ping pong table, furniture, and new, modern computer desks for each of the seven stations in the lab.

“By combining capital improvements with updated equipment and furnishings,” Cornelius said, “our returning students noticed an amazing transformation throughout the 2014-2015 academic year.”

Jared Good, an electrical construction and maintenance electrician major from Andover, said he thinks the changes to the Student Activities Center are fantastic.

“The best thing about the Activities Center is that it is a place where students can come in to relax,” he said. “It is important for students to stop in simply because of all the great activities and services the center has to offer.”

Also upgraded through Educational Foundation funds were the stairwell and two downstairs bathrooms. The “largest footprint that was left by the Educational Foundation funding,” Cornelius said, is the revamped gymnasium, which had been used for building trades classes, but is no longer.

“After the space was cleaned, an entirely new synthetic floor went over the existing floor that was original from the early 1980s,” Cornelius said. “With that came fresh paint and freshly painted lines. This was a major improvement, as students now use the space for health- and wellness-related activities.”

Cornelius said outside vendors have also been increasingly interested in using the gymnasium area.

“Having a clean, updated space really allows us to make a positive impression on those who step foot on the campus,” he said.

Also recently made available to students and the community is a racquetball court, which was previously used for storage. Cornelius said he would be very excited if the court also drew interest from community members.

“On a small scale, we have been able to have community members sign liability waivers and use the space,” he said. “I am not entirely sure how it would work if we were to, say, start talking about a community league with larger numbers and more routine use. I am pretty confident that something could be arranged that would make this a possibility.”

The Educational Foundation of Alfred, Inc. is a private foundation representing faculty, staff, and friends dedicated to improving the Alfred State community through support of education programs. The foundation provides monetary support to enhance learning opportunities for students through scholarships, work grants, and academic club activities.