ECC to Unveil New Student Engagement Spaces

Esports room at Edgecombe Community College

In an effort to enhance campus life by creating spaces where students can more effectively connect and collaborate, Edgecombe Community College has designed three new areas and relocated an additional space. The public will have an opportunity to explore these newly designed locations on the Tarboro campus, known as the Eagles Empowerment Zone, during an official unveiling. The event will take place Wednesday, Sept. 24 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Charles S. McIntyre building on the Tarboro campus.

The first student-centered addition is the Student Life and Leadership Suite. A meeting space for ECC clubs and organizations, the suite is comprised of computers so that it may also be utilized as a study space. With pictures of graduates and the ECC mascot adorning the walls, administrators hope the area will foster teamwork, enhanced communication and student engagement.

The college’s former mailroom has been transformed into a Wellness Center. The multifunctional full-body workout gym is equipped with treadmills, stationary bikes, an elliptical trainer, a multi-station weight set, yoga mats, an ab roller and more. The room has become a serene health and fitness space to improve the physical and mental health of students and staff.

Among the most anticipated openings is the Esports gaming room. Previously a classroom space, the room now includes gaming center computers, 42-inch televisions, Sony Interactive Entertainment PlayStation 5 video game consoles, a Nintendo Switch and Xbox. Noise reduction barriers and window tinting allow students to have the full experience.

ECC’s Esports program started in the fall to provide an opportunity for team building and to prepare participants for jobs in web development, general management, coaching, marketing and more. ECC’s team is already a member of the National Junior College Athletics Association of Esports, designed to meet the needs of two-year, technical and community colleges in collegiate Esports.

Also new to the McIntyre Building is ECC’s Academic Success Center. The center supports the academic success of students outside the classroom, ranging from free tutoring and navigation services that provide guidance with online platforms for registration, to test proctoring and more. The Academic Success Center was previously located adjacent to the library on the Tarboro campus.

With the Eagles Empowerment Zone, all of ECC’s student resources are together, in one facility. If you would like to see how ECC continues to support students personally and academically, please join us at the unveiling of these spaces Wednesday, Sept. 24 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.