The new building, which is expected to be completed in late fall of 2010, will be 54,000 square feet, making it about four times as big as the current building of the Nursing and Allied Health Program, according to a release by Gordon College.
Inside the new three-story building, students will find two spacious, tiered lecture halls, a collaborative learning center, a computer lab and several classrooms. The second floor will feature a state-of-the-art simulation lab, practice lab and check-off lab, all three intended to allow students to learn in an environment that closely resembles a hospital, the release states.
“We are just so excited. We can do so much more with students hands-on,” said Joan Cranford, head of the division of nursing and health at Gordon College. “We do great things now. We can do even greater things with (more) space and equipment.”
Cranford said the move from Smith Hall to the new building became necessary due to the growing number of students enrolling in the program. With classes beginning at Gordon College on Monday, 80 new nursing and health science students will be admitted to the program, which will then have 306 students altogether.
In response to the increase in nursing students in particular, which Cranford attributes to a shortage of nurses in the state, Gordon College will offer a one-year baccalaureate program in nursing for which classes will start in June 2010.
The groundbreaking ceremony is open to the public. Officials advise that parking is available behind the Welcome Center, which is across the street from the construction site.
Post a Comment