FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 29, 2010

Contact: Sen. Tim Golden, 404-656-7580 or tim.golden@senate.ga.gov

Lawmakers OK Health Sciences Building funding for VSU

ATLANTA – State Sen. Tim Golden (D-Valdosta) said Friday that funding for the new Health Sciences Center at Valdosta State University is included in the fiscal year 2011 state budget, which received final approval by the Senate and House of Representatives.

“I am very pleased to announce the budget includes a $2.8 million appropriation for designing the new Health Sciences Center at Valdosta State University,” said Golden, secretary of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “This new building will provide growth space for programs to acquire more faculty members and to serve greater numbers of students.”

The center’s location on North Campus makes it more convenient to South Georgia Medical Center for the potential of a closer working relationship with the hospital. The new building will house a variety of health-related departments, including the College of Nursing, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, Communication Disorders, Exercise Physiology and Sports Medicine. It will also share space with the Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration.

The budget for fiscal year 2011, which begins July 1, was overwhelmingly approved by the Senate and House on Thursday, the final day of the 2010 legislative session. The $17.9 billion budget now goes to Gov. Sonny Perdue for his signature.

“I want to thank my fellow members of the Valdosta area legislative delegation – Reps. Ellis Black, Amy Carter and Jay Shaw – for their hard work in securing the funding for designing the Health Sciences Center,” Golden said. “Officials with VSU and South Georgia Medical Center say this will be one of the best things to happen in Lowndes County and South Georgia in a long time. The north campus can become the allied health college for all of South Georgia and north Florida, bringing hundreds of students to VSU. This funding will result in good students, good jobs and good pay in our community.”