Los Angeles Valley College Breaks Ground on $13.6 Million Student Services Center

Project will consolidate all student services in one location

More than 100 people watched recently as ground was officially broken on the $13.6 million Student Services Center at Los Angeles Valley College. School staff, Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) officials, students and campus neighbors were on hand to kick off the two-building project, which will provide a one-stop center for student services.

“Once our new Student Services Center is completed, Valley students will no longer have to travel to 15 different locations on campus to use the many services that we offer at Valley College,” said Dr. A. Susan Carleo, Valley College president. “Many key services for students such as Admissions and Records, Counseling, Financial Aid and the Assessment Center will be housed in one location, which will be an invaluable resource to our students.”

Steinberg Architects designed the 37,000-square-foot complex and it is being built by J.D. Diffenbaugh, Inc. The single-story and two-story structures will help to modernize Valley College and are funded by the LACCD's $5.7 billion Sustainable Building Program.

The new Student Services Center will have a "cool roof" to reduce heat, improved air quality, use energy more efficiently and cut water usage. Nearly 75 percent of construction waste will be diverted from landfills, and builders are using some recycled and locally manufactured products. In addition, the complex is easy to reach from the Valley College stop on the L.A. Metro Orange Line.

The Center will house the Associated Student Union, International Student Services Office, Disabled Student Programs and Services Office, Extended Opportunity Programs and Services Office, Veterans Program and the Student Services administrative offices.

“Los Angeles Valley College is important to the San Fernando Valley and the greater Los Angeles area and I’m personally pleased to see how its new sustainable buildings are revitalizing the campus,” said Nancy Pearlman, of the LACCD Board of Trustees. “The new Student Services Center will be invaluable to students, providing them with better access to the services and assistance they need most.”

Construction is expected to be completed by mid-2010.

About Los Angeles Valley College
Los Angeles Valley College has met the educational needs of the San Fernando Valley since 1949 by offering courses for transferring to a four-year university, career training and lifelong learning. The college has nearly 200 full-time faculty and more than 400 part-time instructors who serve more than 20,000 students.

Most Valley College students come from Van Nuys, North Hollywood, Valley Village, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Lake Balboa, Pacoima, Panorama City, Sun Valley and Burbank.

About the LACCD Sustainable Building Program
With more than $5.7 billion in bond funding to modernize its nine colleges, the LACCD’s Sustainable Building Program is one of the nation’s largest green construction efforts. For more information on the LACCD’s construction program and a list of awards the District has received for its environmentally responsible projects, visit www.LACCDBuildsGreen.org.