Construction of new building on schedule

Eagle Learning Center, the new building located next to Eagle Residence Hall, will house nursing laboratories, graduate classrooms and offices.

Upon the completion of Eagle Learning Center, Eastern’s main campus will welcome back those working at the Campolo College of Graduate and Professional Studies, currently located at the American Baptist Churches headquarters in Valley Forge.

“The majority of the building will be taken up by CCGPS, because they are moving from the rented Valley Forge spaces,” said Carl Altomare, executive director of campus services and overseer of the building process. “It will be nice to have them home.”

The building has been in process for over a year, starting with the clearing of the land in August 2006.

“Everybody should be moved in and set up by the first of the year [2008]; that is the plan,” Altomare said.

Because of past space problems, Eastern rented out locations at Valley Forge to house offices and classrooms, but Eagle Learning Center will erase that need. This building will bring a new sense of community between undergraduate and graduate programs as both will be operating on the same campus.

Eastern’s nursing program will also benefit from the building as they will be moving into new laboratories in Eagle Learning Center.

“We are excited about moving into the Eagle Learning Center,” said Corrine Latini, nursing clinical resource lab coordinator. “The new nursing clinical resource lab will provide expanded space for our students and will have a seven-bed patient area.” According to Latini, the new lab includes an area for medication administration, an instructional area with smart-room capabilities, four computer stations and a counter to simulate the nurses’ station.

Latini is thrilled about this new opportunity and anticipates a very beneficial experience for the many students involved in the nursing program. The students who will be using the labs are those in the Korean Nurse Program, the BSN Two2 second-degree program, the RN to BSN program, the RN Refresher and the school nurse certificate program, according to Latini.

“Students will have classes in the Eagle Learning Center and therefore, easy access to the lab,” Latini said. “I anticipate that they will find this will enhance their educational experience. We are grateful that our students have been provided with this excellent new learning environment.”

Unfortunate weather conditions, particularly the recent rainy weeks, have slowed the process of the building’s completion, but Altomare is confident the building will be ready for business right on schedule.