Monday 8 July 2019 2:11pm
Group … One of two student group study rooms equipped with high definition short-throw projectors and interactive whiteboards.
A new $1.5 million study hub at Southland Hospital, in use since April this year, is scheduled to officially open next month, University of Otago Chief Operating Officer Stephen Willis says.
The 443 square metre Division of Health Sciences study hub has been developed in Invercargill by the University of Otago to support the many students and teaching staff at the hospital, enable more local research, and enhance relationships with the community, University of Otago Dunedin School of Medicine Dean Professor Barry Taylor says.
The hub contains flexible spaces for:
- Student study 24/7
- Teaching/tutorials/seminars
- Research/consultations with research participants
- Modern video conference facilities
- Administration
- Toilets
- A kitchenette
- Storage
The hub is on the ground floor of the recently renamed Southland Learning and Research Centre – previously the Education Centre Building – on the hospital campus.
A kitchen for staff, students and research participants.
This building also houses the Southern District Health Board’s $2.5 million Clinical Education and Skills Centre, on the top floor.
The hub – delivered on time and on budget by Senior Project Manager Wes Jenkins – is designed to foster greater collaboration between the district health board and the University.
Every year, the University trains and teaches more than 250 students in Invercargill and two programmes want to increase the numbers of students they place there, Professor Taylor says.
Programmes currently place up to 28 medical students in the hospital at a time, up to 50 other students simultaneously (such as allied health, pharmacy, physiotherapy, dental and radiology) and two medical laboratory science students.
The University also has 19 staff from the Division of Health Sciences based in Invercargill, including 17 at Southland Hospital.
Previously, only one room was available for all those staff and students’ learning, teaching, research and administration activities, he says.
Both staff and students need to stay on site at Southland Hospital when learning or undertaking research because of their patient-centred work commitments, so the centre needed to be on site.
Study … a dedicated student study suite with two audio-visual-equipped group study rooms.
Having the centre should encourage more collaboration between the various health disciplines, and the University and health board, in training and research.
The new centre could be used by Southland community groups as well, for a range of purposes that include video links to public lectures in Dunedin, falls prevention exercise classes, information evenings for potential Otago students and public meetings.
Having a centre in Invercargill embodies the University’s strategic imperatives, which include excellence in research and teaching, outstanding student experiences and campus environments, and strong external engagement, Professor Taylor says.
The University has a Study Hub Users Group that is monitoring and reviewing joint use of the hub.