By Christina Myles
Ashley Johnson from Eufaula, an elementary education major who was a senior in the spring, had just finished her first day of classes for the fall semester and decided to go to the Trojan Center to get something to eat.
Every student who lives on campus is required to have a meal plan each semester that has flex points, which can be spent like dollars in food services around campus, including the Trojan Food Court and Herb’s Place.
Johnson waited in line for what, to her, seemed like forever to get her favorite meal from Einstein Bros Bagels, only to get to the front of the line and find that her flex points weren’t working.
Her points weren’t there
Johnson said she couldn’t understand this. She knew that she had paid her tuition for the semester and she should have flex points, but they weren’t there.
She had to leave the Trojan Center with no food, no points and no clue why.
Many students face a similar problem at the start of each semester, but this problem can be often be fixed easily with one trip to the Adams Administration Building, which houses the financial aid and business offices.
“We get calls weekly, especially when semesters start, about problems with flex points,” Debra Williams said.
Williams is an accounting specialist for Student Financial Services, which is in Room 154 in Adams next to the business office.
Williams can check and/or activate your flex points on your student ID at no expense.
“We run everything through a system on Blackboard,” Williams said. “We run a report through Blackboard and check Datatel (another database) to make sure that Blackboard and Datatel are equal.”
The box office in the business office in Adams, Williams said, can also help by scanning student IDs to inform students of how many flex points they have remaining.
“It took me almost a full week before someone finally helped me figure out where to go to get my flex points fixed,” Johnson said. “I wish someone would have told me it was that simple.”
This service is just one of many that Troy University offers its students to make their time here easier.
Christian Woods from Milton, Fla., a Spanish major who was a senior in the spring, said that the most helpful service he has found at Troy is Career Services.
“They help you prepare for life after college,” Woods said. “They help you find jobs in your major, create or revise your resume, and they even do things like mock interviews to let students know how it will feel when they go for real interviews.”
Eldridge Hall services
Career Services can be found in Eldridge Hall, also known as the Center for Student Success. It is part of the Student Development office, which also caters to students with undeclared majors; unconditionally admitted students; students who need to withdraw from the university; and students with adaptive needs.
“Center for Student Success was created in 2005 to provide sort of one-stop shopping for as many student services in one area as we could,” said Hal Fulmer, associate provost and dean of undergraduate and first-year studies.
Other services that are offered in Eldridge are First-Year Studies, which is over TROY 1101 orientation class; the Writing Center, where students can get hands-on help with papers from trained student tutors; the Natural Science Center, which offers tutoring for math, chemistry, biology and physics; and Computer Works, which is a fully functioning computer lab, free to all students.
“I like to look at this center as the kitchen table,” Fulmer said. “Growing up, I got everything at the kitchen table. I did my homework, got support, got inspiration when I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to, and a good counselor. It was an important part of life.”
Variety of needs
Catherine Garrett, an accounting major from Montgomery who was a senior in the spring, said she also found Eldridge Hall full of great resources.
“Everything in Eldridge is helpful,” Garrett said. “I love the fact that Computer Works has Microsoft Office and it allows you access to free printing.”
The Trojan Center is another place that houses several services, including a post office, a fitness center, a game room and meeting rooms.
And, like several other services offered at Troy, these services are also free to students.
For more information on helpful student services, students can visit the school’s website, trojan.troy.edu/students, and search under the student resources section.
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