Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Truman State University to Renovate Historic Building into Student Success Center

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/08/22

Construction will begin soon on the campus of Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., to convert a historic building into a Student Success Center. The Kirk Building, built in 1923, has been closed to students since August 2020 and used primarily for storage. A renovation project was announced in February 2022 with construction scheduled to begin in August. A recent local news story reports that construction is on track and that university officials have been conducting meetings with architects during the summer and into the fall.

“We have been in need of renovating the Kirk Building for some time, and student success is really important to us at Truman,” said Janet Gooch, Truman State Executive Vice President of Student Affairs and Provost. “So, we started thinking about student needs and our needs as an institution for the renovation of Kirk, and we put it all together and realized that what better way to use Kirk—which is right there in the center of the university—but to be a building for all units that support student success?”

Local news reports that the project is estimated to cost $21 million. About half the funds are coming from the American Rescue Plan, while the other half comes from community partners in northeast Missouri, said KTVO. Completion is currently scheduled in January 2025.

A university press release reports that the new building will play home to “the Career Center; Tutoring Services; the Student Health Center; Counseling Services; Student Access and Disability Services; the Center for Academic Excellence; the Communication Lab; and the Writing Center.”

“What’s really unique about the particular project that’s going to go in the Kirk Building, it’s not just services that will be available to Truman students, but we’re going to open those up and make those available to the community, as well,” said Gooch. “To help our community with workforce development and provide young people and adults out there who are looking to expand their knowledge and skills the opportunity to use those services, as well.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Kimball International Releases Curated Design Support Program

    Commercial furnishings company Kimball International recently announced the launch of a new end-to-end design support program, DesignSuite. According to a news release, its goal is to guide architecture & design professionals and dealer partners through the process from vision to specification.

  • Ohio State University Opens 26-Story Hospital

    The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center recently opened in Columbus, Ohio, standing 26 stories and covering 1.9 million square feet, according to a university news release. The project marks ten years of effort and is the university’s largest single-facility construction project ever.

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).