Crafted out of an office building in downtown Mount Clemens, Oakland University’s Anton/Frankel Center is growing and growing fast, according to the director of enrollment and community outreach Julie Trube.

Betty Youngblood, associate vice president for outreach and executive director for OU-Macomb, said the center serves as a gateway to the main OU campus and provides students in Macomb the opportunity to go to OU.

The Anton/Frankel Center first opened in August 2011 and offered 35 classes in various areas of study.

The 25,000 square foot, two- story building drew about 400 students in both fall and winter semesters this year, but according to Trube and Youngblood, it could accommodate up to 1,000 students if needed.

Trube said one benefit of a small campus is that the furthest parking spot is about 400 steps from the building.

Big expansion of classes

The campus will offer 85 to 90 classes next fall, said Youngblood. Many of these classes will be in areas that the center currently doesn’t offer, including philosophy, foreign language and film studies.

According to Trube, there is an approval pending for the Anton/Frankel Center to be able to offer a criminal justice program.

The center is a short walk away from the Macomb County Court House and both Trube and Youngblood feel this would give criminal justice students a great opportunity to learn and obtain internships.

While the center may not offer the same variety of general education classes found at OU’s main campus, Trube and Youngblood explained the center offers at least one course in each of the general education categories.

All of the full-time faculty that teach classes at the Anton/Frankel Center are from OU’s main campus and several of the classes have been taught by OU department heads.

“OU is conscious of how they grow,” Youngblood said.

He added that they strive to ensure that the environment at the center is on par with the main campus of OU.

New technology, growth

Trube and Youngblood said the classrooms that do not have teacher stations equipped with the latest technology, but will be getting them soon.

The average classroom at the center seats around 32 students, but there are rooms that can hold up to 56 students.

Youngblood and Trube both indicated that the center is growing and changing rapidly.

“It is exciting to be a part of,” Youngblood said, referring to the center’s growth.

“People in Macomb say that they don’t have their own university and I tell them that they do, it is just called Oakland.”

Over the coming weeks, Trube said the center will be holding an open house in hopes of attracting more students.

For more information on the Anton/Frankel Center visit www.oakland.edu/afc

Contact senior reporter Chris Lauritsen via email at [email protected] or follow him to twitter @ChrisLaurtsen