With the start of the fall semester, the ETSU Office of Administration has shared that there are big plans in store for the future of campus.
Currently, construction and renovations are underway at Lamb Hall, a building dedicated to the health sciences.
Jeremy Ross, the chief operating officer at ETSU, said that this will be a major renovation, including completely new classrooms, technology, labs and two new additions on the east and west sides of the building.
“It’s [a] significant upgrade [of the] space, but it has the potential to completely change even modalities and the way students interact and receive instruction,” Ross said.
Construction at Lamb Hall has been ongoing for several semesters, causing the relocation of faculty and classrooms to alternate spaces; however, the dental hygiene lab remains functional in Lamb Hall.
The estimated date of completion of the renovated Lamb Hall is Spring 2023.
Ross shared that the renovations and construction are not stopping with Lamb Hall. A new $40 million residence hall has been proposed, and $25 million will be spent on upgrading the existing residence halls across campus.
Design work is also currently taking place at Brown Hall for the first phase of an $85 million project.
Other improvements in ETSU’s future will include a new $52 million academic building for general education, a $43 million integrated health services building, an addition to Thomas Stadium, phase two of University Commons and continuation of living learning communities in residence halls, as well as various maintenance, roofing and HVAC projects.
Ross shared that despite the heavy construction happening at campus, efforts will be made to prevent any possible interruptions for students.
“There will be some disruptions; certainly we will have to have surge spaces for multiple pieces. We’re trying to align all of these so that operations can continue at a high level,” he said.
The Office of Administration hopes students see an improvement in the quality of instruction and interaction they receive, which will positively impact the future lives and careers of ETSU students.
Ross is also excited about how campus improvements will benefit students in other areas. He shared that working on campus will help to achieve a “complete student experience,” one that has not only academic relevance but also significant cultural and social impact.
Over the past decade, design plans for various campus renovations were deliberately engineered to bring the ETSU community together.
The use of large glass panels for the additions onto Lamb Hall are just one way that construction seeks to integrate the lives of ETSU students together, due to the increased visibility for students inside the building to see their peers outside and for students outside to be able to watch their peers actively at work in labs and classrooms.
Ross said that the University Commons Project, completed in the spring 2021, is another example of how ETSU is making strides to integrate its student body together, all while capitalizing on the outdoors.
“We’re in East Tennessee and leveraging and enhancing the outdoors is… a focus for this campus,” Ross said. “The outdoors is absolutely a part of the university experience”.
With each upcoming project occurring along a different timeline, there is no ultimate date that all construction will cease at the ETSU campus.
Ross is adamant, however, that the completion of each project will be a step in the right direction for the future of ETSU.
“My goal is for this to be the most beautiful campus in the state,” Ross said. “In the next three to five years, there’s going to be a transformation.”
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