| A $24 million Health Education Complex will soon be on the horizon at USC Upstate, following approval by the USC Board of Trustees at its June 30 meeting.
The 190,000 square foot building, the first major academic building to be built in the northern segment of the campus, will include the Mary Black School of Nursing, School of Education, Wellness/Fitness Center, Enrollment Management, and Bookstore.
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| Rendering of proposed USC Upstate Health Education Complex |
“The value of the Health Education Complex is two-fold,” said John Stockwell, chancellor of USC Upstate. “With current enrollments of 4,500 students, we are experiencing tremendous overcrowding in the major academic buildings of the institution. USC Upstate makes the heaviest use of classroom space per student of any university in the state, and this new facility will ease excessive demand by providing vital academic space for instruction.”
The new space will allow the School of Education to provide more teachers for Spartanburg County and beyond, while the Mary Black School of Nursing will be able to double its output of nurses and to add graduate programming in nursing. The Wellness/Fitness Center, in addition to supporting academic programs, will provide recreational opportunities for students, including a rock climbing wall, indoor track, lane swimming, and exercise equipment.
Additional functions of the Health Education Complex will include classrooms, labs, tiered lecture halls, study rooms, offices for faculty and staff, general open area, and conference areas.
Stockwell said that once the Mary Black School of Nursing, School of Education, Wellness/Fitness Center, Enrollment Management, and Bookstore move to the new facility, opportunities for expansion in existing space, mainly the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business, and other programs, will be realized.
“Funding for the Health Education Complex comprises $5 million from a state capital improvement bond, $10 million from an institutional bond, $5 million from a university revenue bond, and $4 million in private gifts,” said Bob Connelly, vice chancellor for business affairs at USC Upstate.
Students approved an increase in the institutional bond allocation for the Wellness/Fitness Center in both 2003–04 and 2004–05, resulting in full-time students paying a $65 fee per semester.
USC Upstate expects to break ground for the facility in spring 2005, with construction being complete in fall 2006. McMillan Smith & Partners Architects have been selected to design the facility.
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