A lounge in the International Centre provides a meeting place for international students.

Staff in the various units that serve international students are seeing more of each other these days. And students are having an easier time finding them.

This is thanks to the new International Centre, a three-storey building that opened its doors last month.

While the offices of International Services, International Market Development, ESL Services and others used to be scattered throughout the main campus – many with offices in the Decew Residence – the departments have new digs with more space and contact with the students they serve.

The building includes a dozen seminar rooms, lounges for faculty and staff and a bright and spacious international students’ lounge. Offices for Brock International, International Services, ESL Services and International Market Development are located on the second floor. The third floor includes offices for the Department of Classics, an archeology workroom and a Cypriot museum.

The new building allows staff members who work on behalf of international students to meet more of them face to face, said Sheila Young, director of Brock International.

“It’s such a pleasure to see how well used the international lounge is,” said Young, whose office looks out on the space. “If you come here between classes or at meal times, you’ll see how busy it is.”

With the new building, “international students have a place,” said Jackie Sanders, associate director of ESL Services. “They feel the university respects them. And all the international offices really benefit. We can all work much more closely together. This really does give us an international presence.”

Work began last March with a ground-breaking ceremony for the Norman Road project. The International Centre is 46,000 square feet, located east of 573 Glenridge Avenue and west of Quarryview Residence. The project is part of the Campaign for a Bold New Brock. An official opening ceremony is expected in the fall.

The space means Brock’s international offices can do more of what they’ve been doing for years — serving students, said John Kaethler, director of International Services.

“We have more extra space than we did before, and that will help us be of service to international students as well as Canadian students,” he said. “It’s a lovely building and we look forward to being of more service.”