SAN ANTONIO, TX-May 25, 2012--Galen College of Nursing is expanding its campus by more than one-third to meet increased student demand at the One Technology Center campus (OTC) and making extensive renovations and updates to the Brownwood campus in San Antonio.  At OTC, located at 7411 John Smith, Suite 300, Galen, which previously leased 30,000 square feet, is taking over additional space on the eighth floor, adding 15,000 square feet to the campus. This space will provide areas, equipment, and resources to help students with learning as well as additional space for faculty needs.

One of the most notable additions on the campus will be the Nancy K. Maebius Student Success Center & Library. This center, on the eighth floor, is double the size of the current library and resource center. The Student Success Center will not only have computers for student use, but also the addition of quiet meeting rooms, individual testing rooms and a resource area where students can meet with their counselor or tutor. The center is named in honor of Nancy K. Maebius, Ph.D., MSN, BSN, R.N., a 40-year veteran of nursing practice and education, as well as a researcher and expert in the field. Maebius has been a consultant, educator and faculty member for Galen for more than 20 years.

“Dr. Maebius has been a champion for vocational nursing by authoring and co-authoring textbooks, writing study guides, offering one-on-one tutoring and actively and successfully advocating for vocational and registered nursing policy change,” said Dr. Vivian Lilly, Dean of Galen College of Nursing’s San Antonio campus. “The Nancy K. Maebius Student Success Center & Library creates a learning environment that embraces the values and passion that Nancy continues to exhibit as a nursing educator and advocate.”

Another significant project is the new high-fidelity Simulation Center. This 3,000-square-foot, multipurpose simulation center is a space where students respond and perform in real-time patient situations like those they will one day encounter in the nursing field. The new Simulation Center includes three separate simulation rooms so that three different simulations can be held at once, much like nurses see in any given day in a hospital setting. A multi-patient simulation area provides space for full simulation on non-private room scenarios like those seen in obstetrics and nursery situations. The Simulation Center also includes a nursing station, debriefing rooms and control rooms with video playback technology.

“The Simulation Center will provide supplemental experiences for students’ clinical site learning,” said Lilly. “It will give them an opportunity to participate in situations that they may not encounter at their clinical learning sites, therefore enhancing their skills and readiness to deal with situations once they are nurses.”

Other changes within the expansion project include:

• Two new classrooms, one of which will be used as a computer-based classroom for students taking online courses as well as a testing room to conduct peer testing or entrance exam testing
• A second student break area will be added on the eighth floor in addition to the current break area on the third floor
• Expanded administration and admissions areas to provide improved service to students
• Additional parking spaces as well as access to overflow parking spaces at an adjacent business for daytime students and faculty

At Brownwood, located at 4440 Piedras Drive South, Suite 200, Galen is investing in a renovation of the current space to make it more consistent with the OTC campus and to better meet the needs of students.

These renovations include:

• Facelift of all student areas which includes new paint and flooring
• A substantial remodel of the student break and Student Success areas to create a resource center
• Addition of a computer-based classroom

About Galen College of Nursing

Founded more than 20 years ago, Galen College of Nursing is one of the largest private nursing schools in the United States. With a focus solely on nursing education, Galen offers practical/vocational Nurse (PN/VN) and associate degree nursing programs to nearly 3,000 students on its campuses in Louisville, Ky., San Antonio, Texas, Tampa Bay, Fla., and Cincinnati, Ohio. Galen is nationally accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE) and is also a candidate for accreditation with the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award associate degrees. For questions about the accreditation status of Galen College of Nursing, contact: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, 404.679.4501 or visit our website.