Stark State College breaks ground for $9 million Health Sciences Building

Rendering of the $9 million Stark State College Health Sciences Building scheduled for completion in Fall 2009.		A $9 million Health Sciences Building at Stark State College will help to address the need for educated workers in high-growth, high-demand health fields. The 47,500 square foot building will provide additional classrooms and instructional laboratories for Stark State’s 12 associate degrees and five one-year certificates in health technology and biotechnology. “Providing state-of-the-art education in the high-demand health sciences requires the latest instructional and
laboratory equipment,” said Stark State President John O’Donnell. “Our students benefit from working on the same type of equipment currently used in hospitals and other health care facilities. That’s a win-win for our students and the employers who benefit from our well-prepared graduates.”

High demand, job security and signing bonuses have fueled the record numbers of students enrolling in health programs. At Stark State College, about 40% of the College’s 8400 students are in health and pre-health programs. “As a result of the tremendous growth in our health technology enrollment, our health programs have outgrown their current classrooms and laboratories,” said O’Donnell.

O’Donnell noted that recent job outlooks indicate over thousands of jobs in health-related fields currently available in the region. “Stark State is an essential component in the training of well-educated health workers, so the expansion of our health programs and facilities will prove to be invaluable in meeting the training needs of our regional economy,” O’Donnell added. “The time is now; we are committed to meeting the need.”

New classrooms and labs will be provided for programs in dental hygiene, emergency fire services, emergency medical services, health information, massage therapy, medical assisting, medical laboratory, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy and respiratory care therapy. New science labs will support anatomy and physiology, biology/science energy and the environment, biotechnology, cell culture, chemistry and microbiology.

Funding for the new building was provided through state, federal and private funds. Medical Mutual, Aultman Health Foundation and the Hoover Foundation are lead private donors in supporting both current and new health programs at the College.

College and community leaders were joined at the groundbreaking ceremonies by Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, U.S. Representative Ralph Regula (R-OH) and Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut.

Stark State College is the seventh fastest growing mid-sized, public two-year college in the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Education (2006). The College has consistently set new enrollment records each semester since 2000.
 

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