Dean of the School of Nursing Afaf Meleis led Nursing students, faculty and others in celebrating the new Nursing renovations at a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday.
Donning a hard hat and holding a shiny shovel, Meleis joined Penn President Amy Gutmann and others in a largely symbolic public groundbreaking, as renovations began this summer. These renovations, which will cost $8.5 million and are slated to be completed by September 2005, are part of the first phase of construction planned for the building.
"These renovations will allow us to have a much more fully realized vision of this school," said Jane Barnsteiner, professor of Pediatric Critical Care Nursing.
Speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony discussed plans to blast a hole through the Biomedical Library in order to extend the 36th Street walkway next to the Quadrangle directly to the Nursing Education Building. Currently, the NEB can only be accessed by walking through the Johnson Pavilion, which is part of the School of Medicine. In addition, a new front entrance facing the heart of campus will replace the current side entrance.
"We will be joined more closely with the University," Barnsteiner said.
The groundbreaking was attended by faculty and a handful of students, along with the Nursing Board of Overseers, Interim Provost Peter Conn, Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli, Senior Vice President of Facilities and Real Estate Services Omar Blaik and the First Lady of Pennsylvania Midge Rendell. The Penn Glee Club also attended, performing a medley of Penn-related songs and other selected favorites.
A drawing of what the completely renovated building will look like was unveiled, preceded by speeches from Meleis, Gutmann, Rendell and Dean of the Medical School Arthur Rubenstein. The speakers praised the renovations, as well as expressed gratitude toward the Board of Overseers and other friends of the school for their generous donations.
"It was really encouraging, as a Nursing student, to see work actually starting on the building," Nursing junior Cindy Lu said.
As of this past Wednesday, the funds required for the first phase of renovations were fully raised. According to Meleis, this was accomplished in one year, through the support and generosity of the Board of Overseers and friends of the school.
"This is an amazing feat, and we're very excited about it," Meleis said.
Among the many changes being made to the building, the Student Affairs Office will be moved from the fourth floor to the first floor for easier access, an Internet cafe will be added, old elevators will be repaired and new ones will be added. According to Meleis, the renovations aim to make the NEB more accessible to students and more technologically advanced, as well as to create a more inviting environment in order to foster a greater sense of community for faculty, students and staff.
"All the different campus constituents had a real joy seeing the school achieve its goals by bringing the building into the 21st century," Meleis said.
However, there was some impatience among Nursing students who feel that these renovations are long overdue.
"The Nursing Education Building is so old and so hard to find. ... I think that, for the No. 1 nursing school in the country, it needs a better appearance," Nursing senior Susan McCall said.
"A lot of times, I feel like there's not a lot of attention given to this school," Lu said. The construction "was a sign that we matter to this campus."
Before the groundbreaking ceremony, Meleis gave a "State of the School" address in which she discussed the history and goals of the Nursing School for the upcoming year, and provided a context for how the school is progressing. At the reception following the address, speeches were given by Meleis, renovations architect Susan Maxman, Blaik, Barnsteiner, Nursing doctoral student Anna Beeber and Board of Overseers Co-Chairwomen Norma Killebrew and Andrea Laporte.
"Her vision of the building and how it can be transformed has been transpiring through all those people that have given leadership here," Meleis said concerning Maxman.
Following the groundbreaking ceremony, the Nursing administration and the Board of Overseers went to Rendell's house in Harrisburg, Pa., where they met with policy-makers from the state capital and discussed major issues relating to nursing practice and education, as well as the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
