With the refurbishment of Chancellor’s Walk delayed until May 2009 and Seahawk Crossing almost completed, new projects are already underway.

“If you take a snap shot of the campus, everything’s filled up,” Assistant Vice Chancellor for Facilities David Girardot said. “We’re in great need for more space because we have the lowest space per student of the UNC system.”

The plan for the new nursing building is currently under review and Girardot expects to break ground by the end of October 2008.

“We’ve had a lot of demand for it,” Girardot said. “But we haven’t had space until now.”

Nursing faculty and students will make their third move from Hoggard Hall and Friday Annex to parking lot S near the modular units by the end of next year.

The program currently accommodates 260 students, but after approval is obtained from the North Carolina Board of Nursing, UNCW hopes to offer more spots.

“The building will greatly expand the facility to simulate all necessary teaching rooms of a hospital including a maternity suite, observation suite and a surgical room,” UNCW architect James Ross said.

The new structure will be 48,000 square feet, up from 14,000, and include a 230-seat teaching lecture hall and a 150-seat multipurpose room that can be used as an auditorium or dining room.

It will consist of three floors and have a handicapped motor entrance in the back in order for students to work with the community.

“We’re going to have different rooms for every purpose including pediatric, maternal, ICU and two medical surgical units,” School of Nursing Department Chair RuthAnne Kuiper said.

Friday Annex currently only has one room which must be transformed into different environments in which a nurse is needed.

The new rooms will consist of simulators, or animated dummies, and will be placed next to private observation units so instructors can watch students and control the learning environment from behind a glass.

The new nursing building will hold 25 to 30 beds for simulators, while the program currently only has room for six.

“You can simulate all human functions on the simulators,” Ross said. “You can increase their temperature and heart beat to see how students respond in different situations.”

Kupier added, “Students can practice with patient situations and have the ability to make mistakes without hurting patients.”

While most Baccalaureate and Associated Degree programs in nursing have similar equipment, UNCW has the most up to date.

“Now, everything is portable,” Kuiper said. “But in the new the building, it will be permanent.”

New accommodations will also allow classes to be recorded on video in order to facilitate future learning and offer more equipment to help simulators run more easily and effectively.

“We are always growing and changing to meet the demands of healthcare in our region,” Kuiper said.