Campus Health move halted

Plans to build a new, more accessible Campus Health Services facility in reaction to student concerns have been put on hold due to a lack of money.

The project, halted in May, will not be revisited until money is raised through student fees or private donations, said Chris Payne, associate vice chancellor for student affairs.

The Division of Student Affairs and student government have been working since March 2008 to develop a new facility with greater accessibility, visibility and capacity. Current plans call for the facility to be built near the Department of Public Safety headquarters next to Manning Drive.

Student frustration with the current spot — located up a hill and through a thicket of trees in the James A. Taylor Building, between Kenan Stadium and UNC Hospitals — heavily influenced the decision to change the location.

Campus Health is the only medical resource UNC offers specifically for undergraduate students. The hospitals are open to anybody.

“We really want a health care facility that reflects the quality and excellence of the staff we have,” Payne said. “How we’re going to pay for this is the question that needs to be answered.”

Students said they agree the current location is inconvenient.

“I think the location is awful, especially for people who are sick or have special needs,” sophomore Benjamin Randall said. “It takes a roundabout way to get there.”

But when it comes to the increased student fee — the amount of which has yet to be determined — student opinions were varied. Students are already set to pay $203 for next semester in campus health fees.

“It depends on the cost,” Randall said. “But it’s for our health, and I don’t think you can put a price on health.”

Freshman Emma Harver said she doesn’t think an increased student fee would be worth it.

“We can complain about it,” she said about the current location. “But I don’t think we want to pay for it.”

Payne said his office worked closely with a focus group of interested students during an advanced planning process. The group examined different options for improving the Campus Health buildings through additions to the current structure or a replacement facility.

“We’ve renovated the facility as much as we can,” Payne said. “It was built in the 1980s when we had an enrollment of about 21,000, and now it’s about 28,000, plus we serve postdoctoral students.”

He said student feedback led to the tentative decision to build a new facility on the lot in front of the Department of Public Safety headquarters. But he said building in that area of South Campus will require careful planning and coordination.

“There are a lot of things that confine space around there, like expansion to Kenan (Stadium) and the growth of the hospitals and School of Medicine,” he said.

Payne said the advanced planning process will make it easier to restart the project once funding is obtained. He said he does not know when UNC will be able to afford the new building, but the University is looking for private donations and grants to fund the project.

“Before we move forward, we need private funds or additional University resources,” he said.

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.