August 29, 2014
The beginning of the 2014-15 school year marks Nevada State College’s 12th year in existence. While the college began as a small group of 177 students, it has evolved into a campus of more than 3400 students, set on 500 acres of land.
The college originally offered 15 majors and under 20 concentrations. It has grown to more than 35 majors and minors and close to 130 concentrations. NSC also boasts more than 2,200 graduates, many of whom were first generation college students.
As the college population continues to grow, so does the campus itself. NSC is adding two new buildings near the School of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Construction of the new buildings began in January 2014 with a Groundbreaking ceremony, and the projected date of completion is mid-June 2015.
As of August 2014, construction of the plaza area is complete, and the Nursing, Science and Education (NSE) building is finishing up on structural steel. As the block work continues, workers are also starting to lay out the interior framing on the first floor and pour the second-floor deck. For the second building, the Student Center, work is being done on the under-slab utilities, and the slab will be poured the first week in September with structural steel work starting the second week of September.
Vice President for Finance & Business Operations Kevin Butler oversees the development of the new campus. He believes the addition of these two buildings is vital for NSC’s future. These buildings will provide NSC the opportunity to unify our operations in one location, he said. It will give the students and staff a sense of place.
Glenn Christenson, NSC Foundation Campaign Chairman, has been instrumental in the investment campaign for the new buildings. We’re so excited about what the opportunity for the school could be, Christenson said. Building these two buildings I think is very important. It sends the message to the community that not only are we here to stay, but we’re growing.
Butler, along with NSC faculty and staff, asserts that the new buildings will support that growth. We will be gaining 20 teaching spaces, several offices, which are quickly filling up with new faculty, and about 385 parking spaces, Butler said.
The college has hired more than a dozen new faculty members for the coming year, including: June Eastridge, Tracey Long, and Dominic Etli from the School of Nursing; Ted Mitchell, Sarah Bryans-Bongey, and Amanda VendeHei from the School of Education; and Jennifer Edmonds, Amber Howerton, Jo Meuris, Nathan Silva, Kathryn Tucker, John C. Laurie, and Abby Peters from the School of Liberal Arts & Sciences.
Members of the NSC community believe that with the enhancement of the campus comes an enhanced overall experience. These will be two new facilities that, together with the LAS building and the Dawson building close by, will start to build campus pride, Butler said. President Bart Patterson agreed, saying, we really want to give our students a great experience here at NSC, both in and out of the classroom.
The new buildings, growing faculty, added course options and boosted morale all contribute to a bright future for Nevada State College. It’s really very exciting, Christenson said. We’ve created a niche for ourselves in the education system that I think is absolutely critical for where we want to go in the future.