St. Cloud State University President Earl H. Potter III says Gov. Mark Dayton’s bonding proposal, which includes $12.3 million for renovating Eastman Hall, is a “very promising start” going into the 2016 legislative session.
“We are thankful for the Governor’s Jobs Bill proposal, which demonstrates his recognition of the impact St. Cloud State and MnSCU makes statewide,” Potter said. “We look forward to working with the Governor and legislators in continuing to build on our partnerships to create jobs and prepare our students for success in Minnesota’s communities and workforce. ”
Governor’s proposals for SCSU
Student health center renovation – Governor Dayton proposed funding for St. Cloud State’s $18.5 million project to renovate Eastman Hall into a student health center. $12.3 million is included in the Jobs Bill, which reflects the $18.5 million, minus what the university pays in debt service.
Higher Education Asset Preservation and Replacement (HEAPR) – The proposal includes $80 million in HEAPR funding for MnSCU, of which $1.27 million is recommended for St. Cloud State. HEAPR funds are used to remodel, repair, and maintain current facilities.
Gov. Dayton’s $1.4 billion Jobs Bill would invest in infrastructure projects throughout Minnesota, creating an estimated 39,900 jobs. The proposals for the state’s higher education systems would ensure that Minnesota students have access to world-class labs, classrooms and training for the jobs of the future.
State House and Senate bonding committees visited St. Cloud State in 2015 and toured the current Eastman Hall building. The Eastman bill has strong local support with Senator John. Pederson as the Senate chief author and Representative Jim Knoblach as the House chief author, as well as Senator Michelle Fishbach and Representative Tama Thies as coauthors.
There were 50-plus successful bonding tours to Minnesota State Colleges & Universities (MnSCU) campuses during the past five months.
The Eastman Hall renovation will transform St. Cloud State’s fourth-oldest building into a diverse but interconnected set of health and human service related programs and services. St. Cloud State University continues to take a systematic approach to advancing planning initiatives for our campus that will impact the community and the state, by offering vital educational experiences to help our students be innovative leaders.
“A renovated Eastman will allow our programs to expand on the expectation of applied and experiential learning as a cornerstone of learning for students in the School of Health and Human Services,” said Monica Devers, dean of the School of Health and Human Services.
Renovation of Eastman Hall will create greater integration of academic and student service programs. The co-location of Student Health Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, U-Choose and the Recovery Community will address the fractured and insufficient spaces that limit our ability to serve students.
Integration of these health-care units with the programs in the School of Health and Human Services will provide thousands of students with interdisciplinary experiential learning in and out of the classroom and provide a richer academic experience and better prepare students for employment. It will also strengthen our ability to serve a growing diverse student population as well as develop collaborative interdisciplinary programs to support workforce demands in health and human services.
Other MnSCU projects included in the governor’s proposal
- South Central College, North Mankato – STEM and Healthcare design and renovation
- Minnesota State Community and Technical College, Fergus Falls – Center for Student and Workforce Success design and renovation
- Minnesota State Community and Technical College, Wadena – Library and Student Development design and renovation
- Northland Community and Technical College, East Grand Forks – Laboratory design and renovation
- Bemidji State University – Academic Learning Center (Hagg-Sauer Replacement) design, demolition, renovation, and construction
- Rochester Community and Technical College – Memorial and Plaza Halls demolition, design, renovation, and construction
- Hibbing Community College – Campus reconfiguration
- Winona State University – Education Village Phase II renovation and demolition
- Minnesota State University, Mankato – Clinical Sciences Phase II renovation
A spreadsheet of the full list of investments in Governor Dayton’s Jobs Bill can be found here.
