News Release

CHAPEL HILL -- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill dedicated its new $20 million School of Nursing building addition – which doubles the school’s previous space – today (April 29) in a morning ceremony on the Carrington Hall lawn.

"We are proud to expand the school’s capacity to educate high-achieving students who will meet the escalating health-care needs of our state, nation and world," said Dr. Linda Cronenwett, the school’s dean. "We are proud to expand the space for faculty and student scholars who seek to discover improved ways to ameliorate illness and promote health."

UNC Chancellor James Moeser and Cronenwett hosted the ceremony. Other speakers were Dr. Mary C. Tonges, UNC Hospitals senior vice president and chief nursing officer; Margaret Raynor, School of Nursing Foundation president; and BJ Lee, School of Nursing Alumni Association president.

Funding was provided through the following sources: $10 million from the N.C. higher education bond referendum of 2000; $3.4 million from university overhead receipts, which are generated through faculty research; $1.1 million in additional university funding; almost $3 million in private gifts raised as part of UNC's Carolina First campaign; and $2.7 million in School of Nursing debt financing.

Carolina First is a comprehensive, multi-year private fund-raising campaign to support UNC’s vision of becoming the nation’s leading public university.

The addition is the first building in the 16-campus University of North Carolina system with a pending Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Certification is voluntary and based on design and construction practices promoting buildings that are environmentally responsible and healthy places to work.

The new 69,350-square-foot facility doubles the school’s previous space and is home to a 163-seat auditorium, 83 new faculty and staff offices, 23 new funded project spaces, and 15 new conference room-meeting areas. Other features include technology-enhanced classrooms, a human patient simulator laboratory for critical care skill development and a landscaped rooftop to manage storm water sustainability.

In addition to the ceremony, the school today offered tours and is holding its 2005 Elizabeth L. Kemble Lecture in the new Frances Hill Fox Auditorium on the lower level of the new addition at 2:30 p.m. This year’s featured speaker, Dr. Pamela H. Mitchell, is presenting "Health Care is a Team Sport: Improving Health Through Collaboration."

Mitchell is the Elizabeth S. Soule professor and associate dean for research at the University of Washington School Of Nursing.

UNC’s School of Nursing was established in 1950 in response to the overwhelming need for nurses in North Carolina and was the first nursing school in the state to offer a four-year bachelor’s degree (1950), a master’s degree in nursing (1955), a doctorate in nursing (1989) and an accelerated bachelor’s degree option for second degree students (2001). The school also was the first to initiate continuing education for nurses (1964).

More information on UNC’s School of Nursing is available at http://nursing.unc.edu/.

- 30 -

UNC School of Nursing contact: Amanda Dindino, (919) 966-1412 or amanda_dindino@unc.edu

UNC News Services contact: Lisa Katz, (919) 962-2093 or lisa_katz@unc.edu