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University welcomes $3m boost for Central Coast campus

Thursday 4 October 2007

The University of Newcastle has today welcomed the announcement of $3m for a new nursing and education teaching facility at the Central Coast campus.

The new building will provide specialist clinical and teaching laboratories to support the full range of education programs currently delivered at the campus, and for the further development of on-campus nursing and other clinical education.

The funding has been provided under the Australian Government's Capital Development Pool (CDP) program.

Pro Vice-Chancellor and Director of the Central Coast campus, Professor Stephen Crump, said the new facility would significantly boost the quality of the University's education and nursing programs.

"The announcement of $3m is worthy recognition of the growing status of the Central Coast campus as a provider of high-quality tertiary education programs, and we welcome the commitment to improving our teaching facilities," Professor Crump said.

"Education programs represent some 40 per cent of the University's load at the Central Coast campus and more than 260 students are enrolled in nursing, so there is a need to provide dedicated facilities for these programs.

"The new building will help our students realise their full potential through the support of appropriate teaching facilities."

The building will provide teaching practice rooms and other purpose-designed spaces to address the special needs of education for practice classrooms, and to support teaching methods.

New clinical laboratories for nursing education will also ensure more effective delivery of nurse training on the Central Coast, which is currently limited to a small facility at Gosford Hospital.

Professor Crump said the new education and nursing building would build on the University's significant investment in Central Coast campus facilities.

"The University has committed considerable funds to the development of specialist clinical laboratories for oral health, podiatry and sports science, plus more than $1m for the construction of additional classrooms and teaching space," Professor Crump said.

"We have also had a 100 per cent success rate in CDP grant applications in recent years, including for e-learning infrastructure, multi-purpose teaching facilities, and the proposed expansion of a lecture theatre.

"Today's announcement brings the total of CDP funds for the Central Coast campus to $8m for projects in 2007 to 2010."

For comment: Professor Stephen Crump on 4348 4014.