For nearly a year, Kirkwood Hall, home of the Advising Center, has been under renovation. Over spring break, the center reopened, allowing advisers to return and students to once again attend advising meetings there.
The renovation process of Kirkwood Hall began back in spring of 2025 with the goal of modernizing the building by updating the lights, infrastructure and many other areas. During that time, the advising center was moved to Nielsen Hall.
“The move back to Kirkwood Hall is expected to have minimal impact on students and advisors,” said Troy McQuillen, vice president of facilities, public safety and operations, when asked about how the move affects students and advisors.
Kirkwood Hall is in a more convenient location for the majority of students as well. There is a skywalk that connects Kirkwood Hall with Iowa Hall, so students will be able to access the Advising Center without traveling outside.
“I’ve always wanted to walk that skywalk. I never really knew what Kirkwood Hall was. It looked cool on the outside to me,” said Ryan Lindaman, welding.
For any students worried about finding the Advising Center, Kirkwood has made it abundantly clear where the location is with signage, so no students will be getting lost.
“Moving the Advising Center over spring break allowed us to minimize disruption for students,” McQuillen said. “This transition was planned with students in mind, making sure access to advising stayed as smooth as possible.”
Some of the renovations to Kirkwood Hall includes new LED lighting, additional private offices and sit/stand desks for advisors. It also included new seating so whenever students are waiting for an appointment, they’ll have a comfortable place to sit.
Back in November, the goal for the renovation was to modernize Kirkwood Hall as well as return by mid-spring. It is safe to say those two goals were comfortably met.
“These upgrades create a more functional and welcoming environment for both students and staff,” McQuillen said.
Students prefer functionality and a welcoming environment, as Lindaman said, “Without those two, I would never be content. Those changes make me feel good about any future changes.”
The former space in Nielsen Hall where the adviser used to be will now be used for temporary spaces for future campus needs.
“We’re excited to welcome the academic advising team back into their newly renovated space,” McQuillen said.
Categories: Campus News, News
