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> Winona State University > WSU President's Office > News > Message from the President 04/09/08
Message from the President 04/09/08
Story by: WSU Office of University Communication
Many of you have heard by now that funding for the WSU Integrated Wellness Complex was included as part of the $717 million bonding bill that Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed on Monday.
This is wonderful news for the university and our community. The bonding bill provides $8.4 for the Integrated Wellness Complex. We will combine that with $7.1 million already committed by our students plus $3 million that we are raising in private donations. Planning for the $18.5 million complex has long been underway, and we expect to break ground this summer.
The Integrated Wellness Complex is an important investment as we define how our university community will live, learn, and work in the future. Health and wellness are among the most important challenges facing our region, and, indeed, our nation. The Integrated Wellness Complex will be a catalyst for new ideas and innovative solutions that will improve our world.
The facility will serve as a comprehensive health and wellness education resource that will allow us to share knowledge and experiences with our community. It will also provide much needed academic space, an integrated approach to student health services, and a stronger emphasis on wellness and fitness for all members of our community.
The Complex will support expanded academic and research programs focused on healthcare and wellness; provide a platform for developing new degree programs, such as cardiac rehabilitation, that will help solve the healthcare workforce crisis in our region; advance new healthcare technologies; and invite new partners, such as Winona Health and other healthcare, fitness, and wellness organizations, to collaborate with our students, faculty, and staff.
I offer heartfelt thanks to our students, faculty, and staff for working closely with the State Legislature to make the case for the Integrated Wellness Complex. I also want to thank our alumni, friends, and benefactors who have generously supported this project.
Throughout its 150-year history, Winona State has taken bold steps to be a leader in taking on the world’s complex problems. The Integrated Wellness Complex reaffirms this commitment to make a difference in the lives of all people in our community and it carries with it a vision of how our university, in cooperation with our friends and neighbors, will continue to evolve as we address the challenges of a new era.
Judith Ramaley
President
Last Modified: Wednesday, April 09, 2008 17:48 by Andrea Mikkelsen