Co-Lin excited about new health sciences building
Published 12:00am Thursday, September 9, 2010NATCHEZ — Copiah-Lincoln Community College’s Natchez campus has a big red bullseye on January.
That’s when construction will likely be complete on the school’s new health sciences building, Co-Lin Natchez Vice President Teresa Busby said.
Construction began on the 25,000-square-foot facility in the fall of 2009 and the first classes should take place in the building in February 2011.
After construction is complete it will take some time to move and install equipment and furniture in the building.
The building will be home to the respiratory therapy, licensed practical nursing and certified nursing assistant programs, biological sciences laboratories, general classroom space and school and community conference space.
Busby said during a recent walk-through she was pleased and excited about the construction progress.
“I was part of the planning process, but still the building is just astounding,” she said. “It’s huge; it’s nice, and its going to be wonderful for our students.”
Co-Lin Natchez’s current enrollment of 968 is squeezed into every nook and cranny of the current campus. The last construction project on the campus was in 1996 when the Tom Reed Academic Building was opened.
“We are really full,” Busby said. “We’ve had to get creative in placing classes.”
Busby said instructors from all academic areas are already asking what classes are going to be placed in the new buildings, but one group is especially ready for more room.
“The health science departments have never complained about their cramped quarters,” she said. “They have been really good sports. Now, though, they are probably my most excited group.”
There was one point when Busby wasn’t sure the project would be completed on time. December 2009 and January and February 2010 were especially wet months that halted construction on the building.
Busby said the contractor has monthly calendars chronicling the work done on the building.
“Almost every day of those three months was canceled because of that rain,” she said. “But they did a fabulous job of not only staying on track, but catching up. They have put up lights and work day and night.”
