Campus buildings nearing completion
By Matt Montgomery, Staff Writer
Construction on the new Health Professions Center and the Arts Education Center are approaching completion.
The Health Professions Center is virtually completed, said Facilities Management Director J.B. Messer.
“The final touches are currently being finished including, carpet installations, the clean up process and the final stages of electrical wiring,” he said.
The Health Professions Center is expected to open for the fall 2008 semester, and the Arts Education Center is approximately two months behind the Health Professions Center, Messer said.
He said, although faculty and students are anticipating classes being held in the new buildings for the fall, “there still hasn’t been a tentative date set for the official opening of either building.”
Health Professions Dean Jo Ann Cobble said she is eager and excited to have such a state-of-the-art facility.
The building will have an Emergency Medical Services simulator designed to, “give students a more hands-on experience, working in real life scenarios,” Cobble said.
Faculty and students in the Health Professions division said they are excited about the new building.
“I am very excited about my new office furniture and the building as a whole,” said Sherri Givens, Human Patient Simulator coordinator.
Freshman nursing student Alexis Robertson said she, too, is anxious for the construction to be over.
Cobble attributes the speedy construction efforts on the new building to Facilities Management.
“Facilities Management has done a fantastic job to ensure everything in our new building is perfect,” Cobble said.
She said an open house and dedication ceremonies are set for October.
As for the Arts Education Center, Messer said, construction has been delayed somewhat “Because of this year’s heavy rainfall.
“The rains have hindered the schedule for the Arts Education Center by about a month or two,” Messer said.
Arts and Humanities faculty and administration said they are very enthusiastic about their new building.
Acting Dean Ruth Charnay said the prospect of having a new building is exciting.
The new building features a 5,000-square-foot film and production studio and a new choir classroom with 100 seats, Charnay said.
“We are well prepared to make a smooth transition into the building after the semester begins,” she said.
Staff Writer Matt Montgomery can be reached at StaffWriter3@occc.edu.
