ASU Three Rivers breaks ground on new Health Sciences learning facility
Officials with ASU Three Rivers and the ASU System came together Thursday at the campus in Malvern to break ground on a new Health Sciences building.
Steady rain did not stop the ceremony, as organizers moved the outdoor event into a lecture hall within the college’s main administrative building.
ASU Three Rivers Chancellor, Dr. Steve Rook, and several other speakers associated with the Malvern campus and the ASU System, at large, made a few remarks before an official turning of the shovel took place in front of the stage.
Rook welcomed all the attendees and gave thanks to a whole host of individuals for their part in helping to make this long-awaited dream a certain reality in the coming year.
Rook pointed to U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-ark.), in particular, for helping the college procure $8 million in federal funding through the Fiscal Year 2023 year-end spending package.
“This building is made possible because of the support from Senator John Boozman,” Rook said. “We wouldn’t be here today without his backing. We received $8 million dollars… because Senator Boozman believed in what we do at ASU Three Rivers and the importance of meeting the demands of the healthcare system in the state of Arkansas.”
The appropriation is the largest amount ever awarded for a single project at any two-year college in the country, according to an article in the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-gazette. The funds will go towards construction of a larger facility that will include classrooms, simulation labs for practical study of medical procedures, a 150seat auditorium and two stateof-the-art computer labs.
“We have 200 nursing students in 11,000 square feet of space. Our nursing students are elbow to elbow. This new, 27,000 square-foot building will provide a first-class learning environment for our first-class nursing program,” Rook said. “This building is truly a game-changer for our college.”
“It’s an exciting day to be here,” said ASU System President, Dr. Charles Welch, adding that he’s been in conversation with school officials at the Malvern campus since 2017 when the college first started exploring the idea of joining the ASU System. Welch said the college has talked about expanding capabilities of the health sciences program since the beginning of that dialogue, so he’s thrilled to finally see a concrete step forward in that direction.
Welch commended Rook and ASU Three Rivers for “their persistence in ensuring that this happened, never losing sight of what the goal was”, along with Senator Boozman, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AK) and other legislators.
“[Boozman] has always been so incredibly responsive to us. Congressman Westerman gave his full approval to this project as well, and we’re here today because of that collaborative spirit,” Welch said.
“The work you’re doing here is significant and meaningful, and we are proud to be part of it and to celebrate this event today,” said ASU System Board of Trustees Vice Chair, Steve Eddington.
“My wife is a registered nurse, and in my home we certainly respect and understand the impact nurses have on our healthcare institutions,” Eddington. He knows the expansion means growth for ASU Three Rivers, but it also means future nurses will get the best possible training and education, which directly translates into better care for the community.
Also taking turns at the podium were ASU Three Rivers Board of Visitors Chair, Rodney Allen, and Ark. State Rep. for District 29, Rick McClure. Mcclure is also on the college’s Board of Visitors and serves as Exec. Dir. of the HSC Economic Development Commission.
“What a great event, what a great outlook for ASU Three Rivers,” Allen said, adding that the professionalism, expertise and tireless efforts of Rook and other school officials have buoyed the college, setting it on what everyone hopes is the permanent path to success.
Allen also wanted to highlight the former students who have come and gone through the ASU Three Rivers nursing program.
“They have been great stewards, and just really exemplified how well this nursing program has performed,” Allen said.
“It is good to be a part of the groundbreaking, even though it is inside today. But before we look forward, I want to take a look back because every chapter is built on a foundation. This new chapter was built on a foundation of hard work, the hard work of the instructors and students,” Mcclure said.
Since 2014, approximately 2,164 students have completed one of the health sciences programs at the Malvern college.
“Some of those people are caring for people in need right now, while we’re here. Others used their education to pursue other avenues. Some are advancing their medical careers,” Mcclure said.
“But that foundation for this new chapter also took a good administration team, took facility personnel, security, financial aid, advertising, accounting, grant writing, financial donors, and much, much more, just to get to where we’re at today,” McClure.
“It’s more than a facility to me. It is the beginning of a new generation of students who will be the healthcare professionals of the future,” Mcclure said.
“At some point, each one of us in this room is going to need healthcare,” he said. “We will need help, and that help may very well come from someone who attended the programs here at ASU Three Rivers.”
“We look forward to a new chapter, a new chapter that cares for people. A chapter where students know that they are more than just a student ID number or a graduation number. A chapter that syncs the understanding of science and technology with the compassion to care for people,” Mcclure said.
For more information about the upcoming expansion or the current classes, activities and programs available at ASU Three Rivers, call 501-337-5000 or visit www.asutr.edu.