Fairmont State University will receive $6.89 million in federally directed spending to go towards three improvement projects.
The offices of United States Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito announced that the university will receive Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) funds to support upgrades to the nursing program facilities, library renovations, and campus security system improvements. Fairmont State Associate Director of Proposal Development Amantha Cole expressed excitement on behalf of the university to have the federal funds directed to support upgrades for multiple aspects of student life.
“This has been quite a wonderful benefit to the campus to be able to secure this funding,” said Cole. “That helps to improve our programs and give our students the very best experience they can have at Fairmont State,” she said.
The majority of the funds (approximately $3.1 million) will go towards the relocation and expansion of the Fairmont State University College of Nursing Simulation Center. This will include the transfer of all equipment and education resources from Colebank Hall to the Fairmont State Education Building, where the first floor will be expanded for the nursing program with upgraded equipment. This is aimed at supporting a nursing shortage that has seen an over 20 percent job vacancy rate in the Mountain State.
“We will be able to move the Simulation Center from it’s current location from Colebank Hall to the Education Building, where the nursing program is currently located,” said Cole. “And also to expand and upgrade that facility,” she said.
Renovations to the Ruth Ann Musick Library are also part of the CDS allocations, with this work valued at $2.1 million. According to Cole, this will support the construction of a centralized “learning commons” and electrical upgrades to the entire library. Work would take place sometime in 2025, pending any sudden snafus in the fund transfer process.
“This money will go to create sort of a new learning commons, as well as to make the building more energy efficient and make those kinds of upgrades,” Cole said.
According to Cole, the university still has to go through one final, non-competitive, application process where the funds will be fully transferred to Fairmont State by the end of October 2024. From there, construction would begin with the transfer of the Nursing Simulation Center with the other projects expected to move forward sometime in mid-2025. While the funds are a few short steps away from being used at Fairmont State University, Cole is excited to see federal dollars be used to help support the university.
“Being able to be a part of the appropriations process has been a tremendous benefit to the campus, for sure,” Cole said.