Nina and Steven Wiley Student Plaza at Clark State College

As part of their work to provide inclusive student environments, Clark State College will celebrate the opening of the Nina and Steven Wiley Student Plaza with a dedication ceremony at 3 p.m. on April 18. The plaza is located outside of Rhodes Hall on the Leffel Lane campus, 570 East Leffel Lane in Springfield.

“We are proud to have an outside space on campus where students can gather, learn and connect with one another,” said Nina Wiley, assistant vice president of student affairs at Clark State College, who, along with her husband, donated funds for the Plaza. “The design of the plaza lends itself to a welcoming environment, perfect for student events and programming.”

The Plaza is one of the final steps in Clark State’s Rhodes Hall renovations, which began in 2014 with the creation of the Student Academic Support Center on the first floor. The next phase of renovations, in 2017, included updates to the building’s mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. In 2019, another phase of renovations enhanced and modernized classrooms on the third floor, followed by a similar phase for the second floor in 2021.

“The Plaza will provide students with a place to interact in a way that brings life and joy to our college,” said Jo Alice Blondin, Ph.D. “Nina and Steve’s commitment to the well-being of our students is evident in this space.”

In 2023, the Wiley family also established a scholarship through the Clark State Foundation in honor of Nina’s late father, Bobby Fisher.

Event RSVPs are appreciated by April 16 to Toni Overholser, Clark State’s vice president of advancement and outreach, at 937-328-8070 or overholsert@clarkstate.edu. RSVPs to the event are not required, but appreciated for refreshment purposes.