Pearland Campus opens newly constructed Health Sciences and Classroom Building
The University of Houston-Clear Lake’s (UHCL) expansion has made its way over to the Pearland Campus (UHCL Pearland) with the addition of the recently built Health Sciences and Classroom Building. Over the course of 2018, the $24.6 million, three-story space was constructed and officially opened for the start of the 2019 spring semester in January. With it, new students and new opportunities are available for the growing population of UHCL.
The building houses both students and faculty from UHCL Pearland and Alvin Community College. Although the building has space for many of the existing programs at UHCL Pearland, the main focus of the building is to accommodate students who are studying to go into healthcare fields such as nursing.
Karen Alexander, director of the RN-BSN nursing program, said having the new building will bring additional opportunities and new goals to the nursing program.
“The building will provide us the much-needed space to offer other nursing program options and thus allow an increase in enrollment,” Alexander said. “It is our future goal to expand with new nursing program options.”
Kathy Dupree, executive director of campus operations at UHCL Pearland, said the new building provides space for many services related to the health sciences.
“The building also includes a Nursing Simulation Lab, satellite locations for the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, a Counseling and Training Clinic, a 32-seat biology lab and a 30-seat chemistry lab,” Dupree said.
Alexander said that the new building will promote growth for the nursing program by creating collaborative education with other health programs.
“It will provide an opportunity for our current students to receive a state of the art education with the amazing classrooms, study areas, nursing simulation lab and other resources provided,” Alexander said. “We hope in the near future to partner with the ACC nursing program and work inter-professionally with their nursing programs.”
Not only is UHCL expanding, but the communities that encompass it are as well. UHCL Pearland is located off Pearland Parkway close to where the city is seeing tremendous growth and development. The campus where the new building is located is situated just 17 miles from the Downtown Houston Medical Center and just 9 miles from the Pearland Medical Center.
“Pearland is growing and based on U. S. Census Bureau data estimates, approximately 8,000 Pearland residents, or about 15 percent of Pearland’s work-age population, work in health-related fields,” Dupree said. “They live in the Pearland area and commute to the Texas Medical Center. Pearland city leaders anticipate profound growth in this segment. Therefore, UHCL Pearland and, in particular, such programs as the RN-BSN program, is a natural fit for the Pearland and Brazoria County community. We strive to maintain that connection with the community.”
The expansion of UHCL and the construction of the new Health Sciences and Classrooms Building on the Pearland Campus will allow for more opportunities for the university to collaborate with the community. Alexander said she hopes the impact of the new building on the nursing program will create opportunities within the community and additionally allow UHCL to partner with other community and healthcare institutions to host activities.
