Every day, our students walk across campus to get to their classes, activities, meals and dorms. The grounds of Seattle Pacific University hold a convenient and scenic layout for people to be anywhere on campus within fifteen minutes or less.
On April 19, 2017, this ideal was going to continue to be upheld by Seattle Pacific University’s Standing Advisory Committee in the plans for 6 Nickerson. The building was unused property that Seattle Pacific University owned.
In Nov. of 2017, SPU’s Board of Trustees to finally agreed to put it to use.
It was decided that 6 Nickerson would become the new building dedicated to the School of Health Sciences, with an emphasis on the nursing program.
“We are excited and grateful for a new learning space for the SHS Lydia Green Nursing Program,” Dean of School of Health Science and Professor of Nursing Lorie Wild wrote in her article entitled “A Word from Dean Lorie Wild” for the Nursing Praxis Winter Quarter in December of last year.
Over the past few years, The School of Health Sciences has experienced constant program growth, specifically the nursing department. The new, expanded space will provide three floors and contain three multipurpose conference and seminar rooms, four interactive learning classrooms, student spaces and faculty offices.
Wild noted in her article that, “one of the greatest benefits to students will be a greatly enhanced clinical learning lab (CLL) on the entire third floor of the building. The CLL will have an eight-bed skills training area and another ‘flex’ training room with six exam tables.”
In addition to Wild, nursing students also expressed their feelings about moving to the new location.
Hannah McDonald, a second year nursing student said, “Overall, I am super excited for the move … to have a new lab that is twice the size as our current one and to have a dedicated space. Although the location seems a bit weird to me, because I like the central location of our current building (Marston-Watson Hall), as it makes me feel more apart of the campus; I understand the want and need to expand SPU’s nursing program and lab.”
The actual address of the new location is 36 Cremona Street Seattle, WA 98119. It is the furthest removed building on Seattle Pacific University’s campus. However it will also increase program space by 4375 square feet.
“We hoped to be moved in by the beginning of this school year, but unfortunately it will be another month or so. The wait is well worth it though as our new lab space will be double the size of the old one and the building will have four classrooms,” Amber Alexandria, another second year nursing student, said.
“We are grateful for the support of the SPU community for the nursing programs and an enhanced learning space that will carry us into the future,” concluded Wild’s note.
A dedication ceremony for the space will be taking place sometime in October.
The building will be open and in use by the School of Health Sciences by January 2019, in time for winter quarter.