Office of Academic Services and Student Financial Services Relocate to Jean Koplin Memorial Hall
Student Hannah Jacobs moves boxes out of the former student financial services office in Goebel Hall on Oct. 3. SFS has officially relocated their office to the second floor of Koplin Hall. (PC: Ashley Vanderhoff)
The offices of Academic Services and Student Financial Services are relocating from Goebel Hall to Jean Koplin Memorial Hall, which previously housed the Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic.
Academic Services includes Academic Advising, Registration and Records, and Transfer Articulation, while Student Financial Services oversees financial aid.
Koplin Hall already houses numerous departments, including the Office of Admission and the Department of Education, which includes the Elmhurst Learning and Success Academy.
With the additional departments moving in, the building will offer a more centralized location for students, according to a combined statement from Interim Vice President for Business and Finance/CFO Kurt Ashley, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs Courtney Miller, Assistant Vice President for Academic Services Michelle Adams, and Executive Director of Facilities Management Nora O’Malley.
Students will be able to travel from multiple appointments — such as meeting with a financial aid counselor and accessing services from the Office of Admission — all in one building, and should not expect a delay in services from any of the departments, according to the joint statement.
“During the move from Goebel Hall to Koplin, we have made every effort to minimize service disruptions for our students, and appreciate their patience during the process,” read the statement. “We have also communicated the move through signage, emails and on social media.”
The SFS team has been hoping to relocate for several years. Senior Director of Student Financial Services Nathan Hancock advocated for the move throughout his six years working at Elmhurst University.
“I’ve been advocating for a change in space for a while now, mostly because of the office we have now,” said Hancock. “We’re split physically into two different spaces, which is not ideal from our standpoint because we work with each other. Also, from a student perspective, there’s no privacy anywhere. There’s only one office, so there’s nowhere to have a closed-door conversation about things that are often very personal.”
“We’re getting newer furniture,” Hancock added. “Right now, it’s an outdated look with the colors, especially for prospective students, you want to put your best foot forward.”
Transfer student Alexia Hoppe recently went through the process of getting situated at EU. Among her appointments, she met with SFS — a building she found difficult to locate.
“It was difficult being new and not knowing where to go,” said Hoppe. “I depended on my roommates a lot because they were all transfer students as well so we would all travel around together. [EU] is small, but at the same time it’s so twisty and some buildings can be difficult to find.”
Hoppe also shared her thoughts on the relocation of SFS, considering whether the change would have made her initial appointments smoother.
“It would have been 10 times easier,” Hoppe said. “I wouldn’t have to go into the bushes to find the entrance of buildings. Plus it’s in the center — right in the middle of campus.”
SFS had been aware of the potential move in advance. They were given the flexibility to move in gradually to avoid disrupting student services. SFS also helped determine the layout of the new space, allowing for a setup that better accommodates staff and students.
The Office of Registration and Records declined to comment on their moving process.
Associate Director of Financial Aid Counseling Megahn Webber reflected on the benefit of the move.
“Our current office space had been here longer than a lot of us, so we had to fit into it and make it work for us,” said Webber. “But, we’ve had more of an opportunity to dictate how the new space is going to be.”
Offices moving across campus is not unprecedented. Eight years ago, the Russell W. Weigand Center for Professional Excellence moved from Koplin Hall to the A.C. Buhler Library for a bigger space for students.
The joint statement emphasized this ideal behind moving departments around campus.
“It’s important that we, as an institution, remain flexible and nimble so that we can take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves, and more effectively serve our students,” read the statement.
