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2018, consolidating all of its programs into one building located at 615 N. Monroe St.
The four-story NOC Gateway building, like most other OSU buildings, is designed in the Georgian-style. It boasts 25 classrooms, six science labs, two computer labs, 30 faculty offices, two student lounges, one large multipurpose space, one free tutoring lab, one state-of-theart nursing skills lab and five meeting spaces.
It also houses a“ one-stop shop” that includes bursar, registration, financial aid and testing in one convenient location.
“( This building) does more to make our students feel like Cowboys while they’ re with us, because they are,” Morris said.“ It just makes it easy for them to get that access, and to building that community and for them to get that( individualized) attention.”
Former OSU President Jim Halligan and former NOC President Joe Kinzer were instrumental in bringing NOC to Stillwater. The college opened in 2003 and filled a need for students who required remedial courses. In its first year, NOC offered only remedial courses for students who would not otherwise be admitted to OSU, but in its second year it offered degree-granting courses.
NOC serves three main groups of students: first-time, full-time freshmen; developmental students( those coming from OSU who either needed developmental courses or those who didn’ t meet requirements to attend OSU); and non-traditional students.
NOC students have full access to OSU services and amenities. In fact, there’ s only two things NOC students can’ t do: play sports or join a fraternity or sorority. In every other way, students can be involved at OSU.
“ We really try to get them to start making that( transition), and to get them active in those clubs and organizations early on, because then it does feel like home across the street, pretty easily and quickly,” Morris said.
It also houses a“ one-stop shop” that includes bursar, registration, financial aid and testing in one convenient location.
Vice President and Grant Development Coordinator Marsh Howard said on the OSU campus, students have to hustle around to different buildings to go to class, pay their school bill or eat a meal.“ Here, you just hustle your way around the floors, and everything else is the same,” he said.
Many of the students at NOC are, like Pickering, from small towns who came from a graduating class of 20 or so, who love OSU or whose parents attended OSU. Morris called NOC a“ gentle introduction” for students.
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