Fargo, N.D. – North Dakota State University leaders, students and supporters celebrated on Thursday the start of a construction project to expand Sudro Hall, home of the university’s College of Health Professions.
The ceremonial groundbreaking kicked off construction of a 74,000-square-foot, six-story addition that will accommodate collaborative learning, expand the college’s research capabilities and help meet the region’s growing need for health care professionals.
The North Dakota Legislature and State Board of Higher Education have authorized NDSU to develop the privately funded project at an estimated cost of up to $28 million. Construction is expected to be completed in time for spring semester 2020.
“The Sudro Hall expansion project clearly reflects NDSU’s commitment to preparing students for real-world success and to serving the workforce needs of the state and region,” NDSU President Dean L. Bresciani said. “This project will bring all of the college’s disciplines under one roof. Its design will support collaborative learning strategies that help prepare students for today’s health care professions and updated labs will empower greater discovery.”
More than 2,000 students are enrolled in the College of Health Professions’ School of Pharmacy, School of Nursing, Department of Allied Sciences and the Department of Public Health. Currently, the college leases space in three off-campus buildings to make room for its nursing and public health programs and its Haakenson Health Sciences Library, a logistical barrier to collaborative learning and research.
Once the expansion project is completed, Sudro Hall will house all of the college’s programs and include newly designed space for students to learn and work within interdisciplinary teams, just as they will in hospitals, clinics and other health care settings.
“The health care industry is rapidly embracing team-based strategies to improve patient care and the industry wants graduates who are practice-ready and team-ready professionals,” said Charles D. Peterson, dean of the College of Health Professions.
Inside Sudro Hall’s labs, faculty and students are involved in promising research that has attracted highly competitive, national grants. Future plans to upgrade Sudro Hall’s labs will expand the college’s research capacity and include safety and security improvements, pending available funding.
"We are excited about the impact this state-of-the-art addition will have on students,” Peterson said. "We are grateful for the tremendous support from generous donors, alumni, corporate partners, and friends that have helped make this privately funded building addition possible, and to the State Board of Higher Education and State Legislature for giving final approval for the project."