INVESTMENT
G R O W I N G U P, M OV I N G FO R WA R D
Since 2001, the School of Health Professions student population has increased from approximately 1,200 students to more than 1,900, and the school’s research funding has nearly quadrupled. “We’ve had this huge growth, but with no additional space,” says SHP Dean Harold Jones, Ph.D. “We’ve reached the stage where the lack of space is becoming a hindrance to further growth.”
Creating a 21st Century Classroom For the past several years, many SHP programs have had to make the most of whatever space they can find, including borrowing classrooms from other schools on campus or even renting hotel conference rooms and equipment. By adding new space to the SHP Building, the school will get much-needed space while also adding the state-of-the-art amenities needed to accommodate a modern-day classroom and to keep it all “in house.” “In the long-term, this addition will save us money and improve the quality of what we do,” says Gerald Glandon, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Health Services Administration. A building project of this magnitude always involves some trepidation, but Jones says the SHP has long been aware that this change was coming and has taken the necessary steps to ensure the school will be capable of moving forward. In spite of the recent economic downturn, Jones says the school managed to put aside between $5 and $6 million over the past decade. “We’ve consciously thought about the need to put money aside for this.” he says. “We’ve been able to do that by being really efficient in what we’re doing, and because of the growth we have experienced. However, this project will cost between $13 and $14 million. To ensure this addition will sustain us for the next decade, we need to do this the right way. That’s going to take financial contributions and support to help us to reach our goal.”