University of La Verne Secures $8.5M in State Funding for Construction

The University of La Verne in La Verne, Calif., will receive $8.5 million in state funding to go toward the construction of a new facility for the College of Health and Community Well-Being in Ontario, Calif., according to a news release. The funds were part of Senator Susan Rubio’s 2023–24 budget for District 22 and were approved last week by California Governor Gavin Newsom. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2024.

“I am thrilled to be able to bring resources to help students reach their academic and professional goals,” said Rubio. “Not only will it generate good-paying jobs to construct the new college, it will also train the next generation of healthcare workers our community desperately needs.”

The facility will measure in at 60,000 square feet and stand two stories, according to the news release. Design features and amenities will include a daylit atrium, skills and simulation labs built to resemble real hospitals, technology upgrades in classrooms, research space, and collaboration areas. The College of Health and Community Well-Being is the university’s fifth academic college and opened on July 1, 2022. According to the university website, the college’s founding serves as a major facet of the university’s 2025 Strategic Vision.

“College programs serve as a catalyst to retain local talent, as well as expand healthcare and workforce opportunities in the region,” said University President Devorah Lieberman. “We are deeply appreciative of Senator Rubio’s support and advocacy for the university, especially as we create a space that will transform a historically underserved and under-resourced region within the district and beyond.”

According to the press release, the college was founded to help meet the growing need for healthcare professionals in the Inland Southern California region. The new facility will stand alongside the university’s College of Law and Public Service and the Randall Lewis Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Social Impact to complete its “education and innovation corridor” within the region.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.

  • Back-to-School Playground Safety: 7 Common Hazards to Look for After Summer Break

    As summer break comes to an end, school administrators have plenty to prepare before students return. While classrooms, hallways and common areas often receive attention during all the back-to-school preparations, the playground should not be overlooked. Months of weather exposure, storms, and regular wear can leave behind hazards that may not be immediately noticeable.

  • Purdue Fort Wayne Opens New Student Housing Complex

    Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW) in Fort Wayne, Ind., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new, 600-bed student housing complex on campus, according to a news release.