Phillips Graduate Institute is moving from Encino to a larger facility in Chatsworth later this month to create more of a “campus feel” for students, officials from the institute say. At the end of the month, the counseling-focused master’s and doctoral institute will move to a new 43,400-square-foot standalone building that formerly housed a Washington Mutual call center, said Phillips President Yolanda Nunn Gorman. The institute will be the only occupant of the site, which is located at 19900 Plummer St. near the Northridge Fashion Center. The move also is meant to position Phillips for future student population growth, and to increase its visibility and bring the campus closer to community partners, Gorman said. The institute is working to rebrand itself as it reaches its 40th anniversary this year, she said. “It will significantly impact our ability to generate revenues,” Gorman said. “It will significantly impact our ability to attract donors, (and) to attract contracts and grants as well.” The institute’s campus currently occupies 35,000 square feet of space at two office buildings just off the 101 freeway, where it shares some facilities with other businesses. The buildings are located at 5435 Balboa Blvd. and 5445 Balboa Blvd. Jennifer Sherman, who is pursuing a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy at Phillips, said the institute’s current buildings are outdated and have limited space for parking. She said the new site will be a significant upgrade. “There’s going to be 1,000 parking spaces just for us,” Sherman said. “We’re going to be surrounded by a lot of places to eat.” FOUNDED: 1971 degree levels: Master’s, Doctoral programs: Marriage and Family Therapy, School Psychology, School Counseling, Organizational Management and Consulting NUmber of faculty members: 46 NUmber of students: 268 student median age: 37 Kayvon Babakan, who is also pursing a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy, said he is looking forward to having classrooms located closer to the counseling center and updated equipment. “It’s going to meet all our standards of technology,” he said. Gorman said having more space will allow for growth she expects to occur in Phillip’s student population over the next three to five years. While Phillips experienced declines in its student population during and after the recession, Gorman said the population started stabilizing last year. Moving to the Chatsworth site will also place the campus closer to schools and neighborhoods Phillips already serves and would like to serve in the future, Gorman said. The institute currently works with elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School district, but would like to expand to private and charter schools, she said. Finding a new home is not the institute’s only makeover tactic. Gorman said the institute is working on a new logo, and has spent the last year and half creating new partnerships in the community. “We have focused quite a bit of our energy and attention on building partnerships with local businesses (and) with organizations to offer services and to attract prospective students,” Gorman said. That outreach effort coincided with changes Philips has made to its curriculum. About two years ago, the institute expanded its organizational consulting doctoral program to also include a management focus, Gorman said. Gorman said the institute will also expand its marriage and family therapy master’s program by the fall of 2012. The change will require students to obtain 12 more units, giving them more specialization opportunities, she said.
New Campus To Strengthen Image, Community Foothold
