Privately Funded $18.5M Facility Combines Advanced Nursing Program with Holistic Health Services to Support the Next Generation of Hornet Nation Students
Emporia State University celebrated the grand opening of its new Nursing and Student Wellness Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday. The center’s opening is a historic university milestone, bringing nursing instruction on campus for the first time since the program’s founding in 1922.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins joined key donors, community members, ESU campus faculty, staff and students and students to celebrate the grand opening of the privately funded facility.
The Nursing and Student Wellness Center broke ground on April 24, 2024, and now serves as a central hub for nursing clinical training and courses, student wellness, healthcare and counseling services. This strategic consolidation reflects the university’s commitment to modernizing infrastructure and prioritizing cost savings by reducing energy consumption while fostering a collaborative environment for students and faculty.
“For over 100 years, our nursing program has thrived off campus; now, we are bringing our future nurses into the heart of ESU,” said Dr. Nicole Webb, dean of the School of Applied Health Sciences. “This space integrates our nursing program with the university's various wellness services, streamlining access for students, faculty and staff and improving interdepartmental collaboration.”
The new building will allow ESU to attract more nursing students and to better fill cohorts to capacity, directly addressing the critical regional nursing shortage, as detailed in the 2025 Kansas State Legislature’s Health Care Workforce Report. The report documented 2,034 full-time nursing vacancies in Kansas between 2017 and 2024.
The new space houses state-of-the-art classrooms, equipment and offices, including:
- Five simulation rooms that allow students to gain hands-on experience mirroring environments of adult care, obstetrics (LDRP), pediatrics and emergency care.
- An 11-bed skills lab that enables students to practice essential clinical skills.
- ESU’s Student Wellness Center, which offers health, resources and counseling support.
- Two adaptable classrooms for varied teaching and student needs.
- A spacious student lounge where students can study, collaborate and connect with staff and faculty.
- Student success center where students can receive tutoring and mentorship.
- Academic offices for staff and faculty.
Following numerous major facility additions and extensive renovations of academic buildings on campus, the new Nursing and Student Wellness Center is the university's first entirely new academic building since 1979. Adding the Student Wellness Center to create a multi-use building creates efficiency and serves the entire campus community. The $18.5 million project was completely privately funded, thanks to the Walter S. & Evan C. Jones Testamentary Trust, Bank of America, N.A., The Sunderland Foundation, Capitol Federal Foundation, Newman Regional Health, Ron E. Ott and other generous donors.
“The new facility is a testament to the university’s commitment to expanding its capabilities, serving the needs of Kansas and broadening its impact for students, faculty, staff and the community,” said Dr. Jason Drummond, president of the ESU Foundation. “We are honored and grateful for our visionary donors' unwavering support, recognizing that the Nursing and Student Wellness Center is an investment in the health of our students and region.”
The facility was designed by Clark | Huesemann and MCP Group. Additional project partners include SK Design Group, LAND3 Studio, Bob D. Campbell & Co., Smith & Boucher, Kahler Slater and Sowards Glass.
Classes began in the building Jan. 20, 2026. A campus and community open house is scheduled for April 11, 2026.