Ground has been broken at Emporia State University’s new Nursing + Student Wellness Center site.
University leadership, state representatives, nursing students and many others gathered on the Emporia State campus Wednesday morning for the official groundbreaking ceremony. Among those on hand for the ceremony was 17th District Senator Jeff Longbine of Emporia who called it a “transformational day” for the university, the region and the state of Kansas.
ESU President Ken Hush agreed and stated the addition of the roughly $23 million facility will not only increase the quality of education students receive, but campus efficiency as well.
Most of the project was funded by donations, grants and spending authority granted by the Kansas Legislature. In addition to ensuring the university would not have to raise fees the donor dollars also helped ESU fund the project without having to bond it out. 60th District Kansas Representative Mark Schreiber says that while donor dollars will go to the construction of the facility, the real investment is in the students.
Kansas Board of Regents Member Cynthia Lane says projects such as this were exactly what the board had in mind when they approved the university’s reinvestment plan back in September of 2022. She adds that even more impressive than the reinvestments made in the campus is the short timeframe in which those investments have occurred.
During his comments Wednesday, Speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives Dan Hawkins noted that just a few years ago, ESU’s nursing program ranked amongst the top 12 programs in the nation. He believes the new center will only help to bolster its already impressive reputation adding that ESU is a central piece of the “regional system.”
ESU Senior Student Nurse Kelsi Gadino tells KVOE News this investment is a gift that will keep giving for several generations.
The new complex will include numerous cutting-edge training areas for nursing students, including a Simulation Hospital Suite, classrooms, conference rooms, a dedicated student success center and a learning commons area. It will also have clinical space for the Student Wellness Center, including health and counseling services. The building will open by fall 2025.
Click here for a YouTube short of Wednesday’s ceremony
Photos by Tagan Trahoon/KVOE News
