The three-month report card is in, and, aside from some early technology glitches (see sidebar), those overseeing the new $19 million UNMC Health Science Education Complex in Kearney is a resounding success.
“People are in awe of everything going on inside this facility. It has been a tremendous transition,” said Mary Ann Mertz, Ed.D., interim assistant dean for the College of Nursing Kearney division.
As expected, public reaction to the new building has been very positive.
“From the city of Kearney to our university system to the entire region and state, support has been overwhelming,” said Greg Karst, Ph.D., executive associate dean of the UNMC College of Allied Health Professions. “People are quite happy with everything.”
View a video tour of the facility.
Dr. Mertz said she is awed by the amount of interest in the new complex.
“People always stop by and want impromptu tours. We’re not used to all the attention. There’s just really a lot of excitement still in the air,” she said. “What’s really been fun is watching our students take ownership. They are always proud to show it off.”
Classroom and lab spaces are shared by College of Nursing and College of Allied Health Professions students. While nursing has a long history on the UNK campus, the expansion of complete programs of study to Kearney is a new venture for allied health.
Dr. Karst said any initial concerns about the quality of programs offered at the Kearney campus were quickly erased.
“Any time you expand, there are always questions and that concern of, ‘Are our programs going to be as strong at a second site?'” said Dr. Karst. “We allayed those fears almost immediately.
“The exciting thing is that we’re still ramping up to use some of the collaborative software and integrating that into our teaching. The idea that we have a really connected experience with people on two campuses, and the fact all of us are embracing that, is so encouraging.”
While it’s too soon to start examining specific numbers and the impact the Health Science Education Complex will have on enrollment, all indicators show that UNK is quickly becoming a destination for allied health and nursing students.
Dr. Mertz said the feedback from potential students is encouraging.
“Every time a group of high school students is on campus for something, we notice a lot of them are finding their way to the building and have interest in our programs,” she said. “We are confident that if you visit, and you’re interested in nursing or allied health, it will be difficult to attend anywhere else.”