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Science building opening is milestone for USC
The official opening of the University of the Sunshine Coast’s $12 million science building on 1 May 2007 marked a milestone for the University’s campus development and for its delivery of quality tertiary education.
The building, which contains a state-of-the-art nursing ward, laboratories and sport science facilities, will be used extensively for many of USC’s planned new degree offerings for 2008 (listed below).
Queensland’s Minister for Education, Training and the Arts, Rod Welford, officially opened the building which received $1.5 million in State Government funding for the nursing facilities and $6 million from the Commonwealth Government.
The science building, which can accommodate up to 400 students, was designed by Brisbane-based firm, Hassell Architects, and constructed by Sunshine Coast builder, Evans Harch. It took 12 months to build and was completed in August 2006.
The two-storey building has 2540 square metres of useable floor area. It has two sports exercise laboratories, two new advanced computing labs, two nursing teaching wards including an isolation room and a nursing station, two teaching wet labs, a lab preparation area, staff offices and a motion lab.
Air-conditioning is provided from a central chilled water plant. Other environmentally-sensitive features of the building include recycling fume cabinets, non air-conditioned foyer and atrium and access to natural lighting in the wet labs.
Students and staff also have easy access to laboratory areas in an adjacent science building via an enclosed footbridge.
USC now has more than 5000 students, 100 degree programs and 1000 staff. New degrees which the University plans to have on offer in 2008 are:
- Bachelor of Education (3 years)
- Bachelor of Engineering (Construction Management)
- Bachelor of Engineering (Water and Sustainable Resource Management)
- Bachelor of Exercise Science (4 years)
- Bachelor of Nutrition
- Bachelor of Occupational Therapy
- Bachelor of Science (Paramedic)
- Bachelor of Science (Sustainability Education)
- Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology)
- Bachelor of Education/Bachelor of Arts (Special Education and Psychology)
- Diploma of Nursing Care/Bachelor of Nursing Science
- Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) (Honours)
Construction of the science building (Building H) has been part of USC’s ongoing building program aimed at matching the campus development with the growth in the University’s degree programs.
Work has recently been completed on the new Chancellery building (Building C) which contains Student Administration and Student Services in one area called Student Central.
This building includes a 250-seat lecture theatre, seven tutorial rooms with Smart technology and a cafe.
Other major construction projects have included: a $10 million indoor sports stadium which is due for completion this month; the USC Noosa Centre for first-year students at The J in Noosa Junction; and Dilli Village – an educational facility on Fraser Island – which has been expanded to cater for larger study groups.