The OU Board of Regents approved next steps for renovations to College of Nursing facilities and classrooms on Wednesday.

The regents voted to let the university move forward in selecting a construction management firm for renovations to the College of Nursing. The project will address things like upgrading the student success center, modernizing existing classrooms and adding additional learning spaces in a former simulation lab.

The renovations seek to address increased enrollment numbers, as the bachelor of science in nursing program saw a 73% increase in enrollment this fall compared to 2020.

Oklahoma ranks 46th in the nation for nurses per capita. An increase in enrollment is a good sign for the university, which recently received $2.7 million in federal grants to address the state’s critical nursing shortage.

“At OU, we recognize our pivotal role in fortifying the future of our great state, and nursing is one area we have channeled our excellence to make a profound impact on Oklahoma’s critical workforce needs,” OU President Joseph Harroz said in a press release.

The regents also approved the purchase of a vehicle and CT system for mobile lung cancer screenings. The vehicle is part of the Oklahoma Mobile Lung Cancer Screening Action Network Project, approved and funded by a Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust grant.