The International Center in the Hub is opening its revamped space next week.
The renovations include new offices for the director and associate director of the International Scholars Program, a program which allows undergraduate students to take classes with an international focus. A reception desk, a television wall and a new waiting area for students are also among the renovations, said Leonardo Villalon, the dean of the center.
The additions will help the International Center because it was lacking the proper space it needed, Villalon said.
“We had them squeezed into a little back corner for years,” he said.
Renovations on the center began in May, and will hopefully be completed next week, Villalon said.
The renovations cost about $360,000, said UF spokesperson Steve Orlando. The Office of the Provost gave roughly $175,000, and the rest came from the International Center’s budget.
Renovations were done primarily to accommodate the International Scholars Program, which can be added to all undergraduate majors, Villalon said.
Students receive a medallion and recognition upon completion. More than 500 students have enrolled and some have already graduated, he said.
The program started four years ago as a part of UF’s quality enhancement plan, Learning Without Borders. UF decided its focus would be the internationalization of the undergraduate curriculum, he said.
Much of the center’s construction expanded into part of the largely unused lobby, Villalon said.
Students had mixed feelings about the construction. Courtney Kreiling, a 19-year-old UF marketing sophomore, said people will be able to work easier when the construction is over.
“It made it hard to find seating,” she said. “The noise wasn’t bad, but it made it kind of dismal.”
The construction didn’t bother Mia Frisiello, a 21-year-old UF international studies and Chinese senior.
“There were less places to sit,” she said, “but it’s not a huge deal.”
Frisielle said she thinks the renovations are great and there are things to be gained from international programs. In the past, she has studied abroad in China.
“In programs like study abroad or international students coming here, you gain cultural language and knowledge from the interactions,” she said.
Susanne Hill, the executive director of the International Center, said internationalization is important because employers look for students with experience.
“We believe students need a global perspective,” she said. “Students with it will be better off in the future both personally and professionally.”
Signs in front of the International Center warned students of ongoing construction. The center is going through a $360,000 renovation.
