It seems only a short time ago that ground was broken on the new Emporia State University Nursing and Student Wellness Center, and now it is nearly ready for use.
According to ESU Director of Facilities Peter Hauff, the facility should be ready for partial, if not full, use by mid to late January. Hauff says the project did have a rocky start, but since then has been moving along fairly smoothly.
Hauff’s update came Friday during a media tour of the facility, which began construction last spring. Interim Assistant Dean of Applied Health Sciences and Professor of Nursing Kari Hess says they are very excited for the opening of the facility, noting it will provide increased space, state-of-the-art technology and better support for students.
As KVOE News has reported previously, the new $25 million, roughly 32,000 square foot facility will bring the university’s nursing program back to campus from Newman Regional Health’s Cora Miller Hall, in addition to replacing the current student wellness center in Southeast Morris Hall, which was a clinical space built into what was originally residence space, according to Student Wellness Interim Director Anja Ford.
Ford says having the facility in the center of campus will make it more accessible to students at a time when that access is of the utmost importance, especially from a mental health standpoint.
The new facility has three levels, with the ground floor being the student wellness center, the second, or main floor, being used for classroom and office space, and the third floor being a functional hospital and lab space. As mentioned, the facility was a multi-million dollar investment and one that is already appearing to pay dividends, according to Hess, who says they have seen an impressive increase in interest in the nursing program, likely correlated in part to the new center’s construction.
The project was largely funded through donations, grants and spending authority granted by the Kansas Legislature and is part of the university’s restructuring effort, which began just over three years ago.
Photos by Tagan Trahoon/KVOE NewsÂ
