New School of Nursing building, WIMR research tower included in budget

A $52.2 million home for the School of Nursing was given the green light by the state Building Commission after Gov. Scott Walker made it a last-minute addition to his capital budget.

The School of Nursing project has been a university priority for some time, and Walker added it to the 2011-13 capital budget on March 16, the same day the budget went before the commission for approval.

“The nursing school will help address the state’s shortage of nurses,” the governor said. “It will allow Wisconsin to train the next generation of health-care professionals so we can meet the needs of our citizens.”

Katharyn May, dean of the nursing school, agreed the facility will help address the shortage and allow the school to increase enrollment by at least 30 percent.

“We are already turning away three well-qualified applicants for every one we accept into our bachelor of science program, so expanding that program is critical,” May said. “Nearly 80 percent of our bachelor’s graduates remain in Wisconsin to practice, so this will really help mitigate the continuing shortage.”

Additionally, May said the facility will help expand graduate program and eventually help address a nationwide shortage of nursing school faculty.

“The shortage of nursing faculty nationwide is quite serious and will only get worse,” she said. “For instance, nearly 75 percent of our nursing faculty here at Madison are retirement-eligible in the next five years, the highest percentage of any unit on campus.”

The new building will also offer the school to have state-of-the art teaching and research facilities.

“For the first time in the school’s history, our researchers will have space specifically designed for them — with flexible project offices, and interview and observation spaces that are accessible for those who participate in studies,” she said. “We will even have an ‘emerging technologies’ lab where investigators can work with technologists to integrate the latest in consumer-facing health information technology into their research programs.”

The building will be constructed on the west side of campus, near Rennebohm Hall. That, May said, will create a welcoming outdoor space.

“We are also very excited about the creation of a wonderful green space — literally a ‘campus quad’ — between our building and Rennebohm Hall — the first of what I hope will be many more steps to creating a campus atmosphere for the many students, faculty and staff who inhabit the health sciences end of campus,” she said.

The nursing project will be funded by $17.4 million in gifts, $17.4 million in maintenance funding from this biennium and $17.4 million in borrowing in the 2013-15 budget.

The capital budget also included $67.4 million for the second phase of the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research on Highland Avenue. The funding will be matched by $67.4 million in grant and gift funding.

The research tower will offer 251,000 square feet of biomedical research space. Plans call for the tower to house a new eye research institute, and research programs in cardiovascular science, regenerative medicine and molecular medicine. It should open in the fall of 2013.

The capital budget also included $76.8 million for the Badger Performance Center, funded by $49.2 million in athletics revenue and $27.6 million in gifts.

The center, to be located between Engineering Hall and Lot 17, will house programs for athletics, the College of Engineering and a clinic operated by UW Hospital and Clinics. Plans call for it to be complete by 2014.

In addition, the capital budget includes $38.5 million for campus utility projects.