Written by: Anthony Pope

Construction on the new Health Sciences and Business Administration building on VSU’s North Campus continues on schedule with a completion date set for Jan. 2014.

According to Robert Tindall, associate director of Facilities Planning, they are 75 percent done with the project and are on the final stages of construction.

The HSBA building will be home to several of the University’s health and science related majors and programs including Nursing, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Athletic Training, Exercise Physiology, Social Work and Health Care Administration.

With programs spread throughout main campus, the new HSBA will consolidate all six programs into one building.

According to a VSU press release from the beginning of construction, the HSBA building will also provide a number of advancements and advantages to the programs moving into the building.

Advantages include a state of state-of-the-art simulation center, clinical space, including space for community outreach for each of the health science programs, development of doctoral degrees in nursing, speech and language pathology and social work and several other key advantages that will ensure the continued success of students in those fields.

President McKinney shared his vision of what he hopes the HSBA building will be in the same press release.

“The Health Sciences and Business Administration building will serve as an advanced academic facility to educate Georgia’s future health care professionals,” McKinney said. “It will also provide continuing education for existing practitioners—it really becomes the cornerstone of Valdosta State’s focus on comprehensive health professions programs.”

Students are also sharing President McKinney’s excitement about the new building. Jessica Steinfield, junior nursing major, is most excited about the move to a newer building.

“The building we are now is kind of old,” Steinfield said. “It will be nice to have a new and fresh learning environment, which is something that can come in handy especially in a fast paced environment like nursing.”

VSU has made the community an active part of the construction of the HSBA building. Via a webcam set up at the construction site, anyone who accesses the VSU website can watch the construction of the building live.

The HSBA building is scheduled for completion by the time students return from Christmas break in January.

According to Thressea Boyd, VSU communications director, there is no date scheduled for an official ribbon cutting ceremony.