By AMY JONES / Associate Editor

HOOVER — Jefferson State Community College has opened a new testing center that could soon allow community members and local businesses to carry out essential testing more conveniently.

According to center Director Philip Guinn, the testing center, which is located in the General Studies Building on Jeff State’s Shelby-Hoover campus, is currently primarily used by students.

However, the center can be used for many different kinds of tests, including GED testing, nursing entrance exams and medical billing and coding tests. The center will soon become an ACT testing center and will be allowed to offer high stakes testing, insurance exams and many other types of tests, which will benefit the Shelby County and Hoover community, Guinn said.

“We will be able to provide services to the community that we could not previously,” Guinn said. “This will allow us to bring the community to our campus and hopefully encourage more growth for our institution.”

The center, which cost $150,000 to remodel and outfit, is equipped with 41 stations for testing and has a separate testing room for students who require special accommodations for testing. The center is also under recorded video surveillance at all times, Guinn said.

Before the new center was opened, the college was using a 22-computer lab for testing. The lab was shared with multiple classes, and enrollment increases meant that a new testing solution needed to be found, Guinn said.

“Having a full-time testing center allows us to offer testing more frequently to our students,” Guinn said. “Our facility has the most up-to-date computers and equipment that allow us to administer tests that are requested.”

For more information about the center, call Jeff State at 983-5900.