The Academic Advising Center opened a satellite branch Monday in Grant Tower A. The center, originally only located in the Campus Life Building, decided to make its services accessible to more students this year.

“Since the majority of students are on that side of campus, we wanted to be more easily available to them,” said academic adviser Missy Lugo.

The Academic Advising Center is a place for students to ask questions and get help with academic, career and personal goals. The center’s main focus is helping undecided students declare a major.

“We help these students plan classes, explore major options at NIU, and ultimately decide on a major,” said Dan Turner, the acting associate director of the Academic Advising Center.

The new center is staffed with professional academic advisers, graduate assistants, and undergraduate learning assistants. It will provide all the same services for students as the office in the Campus Life Building, but will offer extended hours. The new office will be open from 2 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, whereas the office in the Campus Life Building is only open until 4:30 p.m. These hours will “allow students to come in on their own time, and be much easier because it is closer to where they are,” Lugo said.

“I think it is a really good idea to have the center here,” said Laura Finnemann, a freshman undecided major and Grant resident. “It will be so much nicer to just be able to go downstairs to ask questions instead of having to walk all the way across campus, I will probably use it now.”

To assist students in exploring their major options, the center will hold a fair in September where representatives from each college will be available to talk to students and get them interested in a specific major.

Additionally, for students who already have a declared major, the center will make referrals to the appropriate college or department office on campus, Turner said.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to be of service to more students this semester,” he said.