During the 2022 Legislative Session, Southeastern received approval for significant incremental capital outlay funding to enhance current building projects and start planning on a brand new project. Partial support for these projects is also being provided by donors and the Southeastern Foundation.
The D Vickers Hall renovation, an ongoing project to update and upgrade one of campus’ main classroom buildings, received added funds. The funds will help defray the costs of inflation for the years-long project. Communication and Media Studies Department Head James V. O’Connor said the renovations will bring positive change for video production and television instruction on campus.
“The renovation will create a high-visibility state-of-the-art television and video production teaching space that will position Southeastern as a cutting-edge media program that will educate students for meaningful work in the 21st century,” he said.
A shared academic and athletics building was approved in 2020 and is in the initial phases of planning. It received added funding to ensure the facility is a state-of-the-art shared space. The building will be a multi-purpose facility encompassing numerous programs, one of which is athletic training.
“Athletic trainers are highly trained healthcare professionals that support the sports medicine team,” College of Nursing and Health Sciences Dean Ann Carruth said. “As such, a strong partnership with athletics to provide real-world experiences is integral to the success of the program. We are very fortunate to have these new resources as we launch this new program.”
The most notable funding will come in the building of an entirely new Nursing and Health Sciences building. This multi-purpose healthcare-related building will include expanded classroom space and a rural health clinic for the public, as well as labs and other needed spaces. Carruth said she is very excited about housing all health and human sciences degree programs on the north corner of campus.
“This new building will allow several of our high-demand programs to expand and increase enrollment,” she said. “We envision a rural health academic clinic providing care through significant partnerships. Our students will gain multidisciplinary real-world experiences while providing care alongside community care providers. These resources will allow nursing to increase student simulation experiences, as well as allow counseling and communication sciences, for example, to design a unique, state-of-the-art community-based clinic space.”
Vice President for University Advancement Wendy Lauderdale also shared optimism after the legislative session. “Working with our legislative delegation from the region, Southeastern was able to ensure more of its facilities will meet the needs of students for another generation,” she said.
