Olympic College is preparing the first floor of the College Services Center for a full remodel that is scheduled to start in May to make room for the the Nursing Program from the Poulsbo campus.
The Nursing Program is currently divided between the OC Bremerton and Poulsbo campuses, prompting nursing students to commute between the two. The plan is to move the whole nursing program to one campus.
The remodel of the CSC building’s first floor is going to cost approximately $1.1 million and is scheduled to be complete and fully operational on the Bremerton campus by fall quarter 2010.
With the Nursing Program’s new growth, the Poulsbo nursing facilities are too small to meet the program’s needs. The remodel is going to provide the nursing program with more space and new equipment.
“Because our nursing program is so cramped in the space in Poulsbo it seemed that we could bring it back and give them more interim space,” said Vice President of Administrative Services Barbara Martin.
The new location boasts more than 80,000 square feet of space to accommodate the program, as opposed to the about 33,000 square feet that the Poulsbo campus currently provides, a 250 percent increase in space.
“I think it’s much better for students,” said Associate Dean of Nursing Gerianne Babbo.
The remodel that will include a few improvements for nursing students, like a computer lab and a study area. The remodel will also include two classrooms and a state of the art laboratory capable of being sectioned off into two labs.
“We are more than doubling our lab space,” said Babbo. “Also we have separate space for simulation and an open campus lab, where students can come and do their homework. We don’t have anything like that right now.”
The nursing program’s relocation to Bremerton aims to provide nursing students with a more convenient learning environment. Nursing students will also have “better access to the Haselwood Library and the childcare center,” said Martin.
The current services on the third floor of the CSC building are being relocated to the new Humanities and Student Services Building as well as the services on the first floor. These services include the financial aid office, counseling services and student services office.
The third floor will become home to the nursing faculty offices and an administrative suite, while the first floor will be home to the classrooms and labs.
“I hope that we are meeting their need in the best way we can,” said Martin. “Like I said, there are limitations, but I think that they’ve been heavily involved and I hope that we do the best thing for them, for both the students and the faculty.”
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