Building the Future

Building the Future

Starting in the fall semester of 2019 USC Union will be able to deliver the USC Aiken Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. This new expansion will allow students to study all four years in Union and Laurens, including coursework and clinicals. A new science and nursing center will capitalize on the growing USC Union campus. The goal is to attract more nurses to our area in order to impact local healthcare workforce needs.

USC Union strives to make meaningful, top-quality education both accessible and affordable. Continued success and growth of USC Union depends on our ability to evolve with changes. In today’s world, technology is a critical component of any educational program and incorporating cutting-edge technology will ensure that our students have the resources necessary to succeed.

In order to successfully achieve this goal, the campus will need upgraded biology and chemistry laboratories, additional online classroom capacity, and additional nursing faculty. Union County has provided a building on Main Street in Union to accommodate this expansion but extensive renovations are necessary.

Students will use virtual reality to build familiarity with scenarios in a controlled environment by “doing,” rather than “seeing.” Virtual labs are used presently at Harvard and Stanford. Students will learn using unique state of the art virtual reality. They will be able to explore with life-like 3D models that cover the entire human body. This teaching style drives student engagement and will accelerate learning. It will also give instant feedback to the student during the simulation.

Renovations in the new science and nursing building are needed to accommodate the invaluable educational tool that will assist students on their path of receiving their nursing degree. Virtual labs are safer and preferable because there are no chemicals or vent hoods. The labs also increase access and reduce costs.  Research space will support student and faculty projects to drive learning by allowing hands-on experience. The additional space in the nursing building will enable USC Union to recruit top faculty and students.

USC Union’s Development and Marketing Director, Annie Smith said, “The growth at USC Union is significant for our county and especially our downtown. It is remarkable to see how our campus has developed in just a few years and my wish is that every single person in Union will stand behind USC Union to help us grow even more.”

For over 50 years, USC Union has housed a small library downstairs in the USC Union Central Building. It offered students the tools and resources they needed for research and any computer services. The library hosted workshops and maintained a comprehensive collection of resources that support the academic offerings of USC Union’s curriculums.

One block from USC Union is the Union Carnegie Library. It is housed in the oldest library building in South Carolina that was given by Andrew Carnegie. The library recently went through an extensive renovation and restoration of the original historic section. This added more space for children, teens, and additional space for meeting and workshops. During the renovation, USC Union campus was a satellite location and a strong partnership was formed between the two.

“The agreement between USC Union and the Carnegie Library is a positive for the University, the library, and the community. It enables the University to expand services and hours in a beautiful location. It frees up space on campus for much needed classrooms and faculty offices. It provides the Carnegie with working capital. It allows the community to see that two government agencies can combine efforts in order to provide better service for all while cutting overall expenses,” expressed Dr. John Catalano, USC Union’s dean.

With two libraries being situated within a block of each other, it made sense to move the USC Union library system to Carnegie. The partnership benefits faculty, staff, students, and the community as a whole. Carnegie offers more resources, technology, computer usage, and much more. Their extended evening and Saturday hours will greatly benefit the students, especially during exam times.

Rieta Drinkwine, Director of Union Carnegie Library, stated, “We are incredibly excited about this collaboration and the new ways we will be able to serve the community together, and we hope that this collaboration will serve as template for other similar partnerships across the state. USC Union is doing wonderful things for Union and we are glad to be a part of their efforts.”

Once emptied, the USC Union library will free up over 6,000 square feet. Future plans for the area consist of a foreign language active learning lab, four large classrooms, three office spaces, and additional storage. The area will be designated for humanities faculty, including foreign language, literature and philosophy. The move and renovations will support USC Union’s growth without having to build a new building.

USC Union has also acquired an older post office building across from campus on Main Street. Once the Science and Nursing building renovations are complete, the post office building will become the USC Union Fine Arts building. It will house a printing press room, gallery area, a kiln room, office space for two artists, studio space, and a large lecture room. Thanks to Lockhart Power, the parking lot at the Fine Arts building also has two car charging stations. City of Union and the Union County were the first local governments to participate in the state’s Plug In South Carolina campaign and USC Union is proud to be a location. The initiative is a push to bring attention to the charging stations installed throughout the state.

If you are interested in learning more about USC Union or to donate to campus, please contact Annie Smith, Development & Marketing Director at alsmith@mailbox.sc.edu or (864) 424-8055.

Annie Smith • USC Union • Development/Marketing Director • alsmith@mailbox.sc.edu