The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and Medical University Hospital Authority (MUHA) Board of Trustees held their regularly scheduled meeting to review the enterprise’s progress in fiscal year 2018, which ended June 30.

“Sustaining the high-quality education and training that MUSC provides requires ongoing investment in people, technology, and infrastructure,” said Charles W. Schulze, CPA, chairman of the MUSC board. “To further advance the education mission, this board has unanimously approved hiring an architectural firm to design new, dedicated space for the College of Pharmacy and innovative instructional space that will benefit the entire enterprise.”

In the Basic Science building (BSB), MUSC plans to renovate 12,909 square feet of space and add 38,348 square feet to the existing structure. Roughly 24,000 square feet on two floors of the expanded BSB, located in the heart of the campus, will serve as the permanent home for the College of Pharmacy.

“Our faculty, students, staff, and alumni are excited and energized about the potential new space,” said Philip Hall, PharmD, FCCP, dean of the MUSC College of Pharmacy. “With the board’s approval to hire architects, we’ve taken a noteworthy step in what we know will continue to be an ongoing and very worthwhile process. We look forward to the next steps and a positive outcome.”

On all four floors of the Colbert Education Center and Library building, MUSC will refurbish 42,515 square feet. The complete renovation is designed to meet the evolving needs of today’s digitally connected and highly collaborative health care campus. New innovative instructional space will consist of flexible classrooms and learning areas for 21st century pedagogy across all six colleges, including an updated Simulation/Innovation Center and skills labs, virtual reality demonstration space, and space to accommodate the newly established College of Medicine (COM) FLEX curriculum and accelerated programs. The project will also provide expanded COM student support space to comply with accreditation guidelines.

“These renovations and additions align with our institution’s academic strategic drivers to optimize collaboration, innovation, and maximal efficiency and flexibility,” said Lisa K. Saladin, PT,  Ph.D., executive vice president for Academic Affairs and Provost. “The board’s approval to move forward with a design concept is the first step in an extended process that will involve additional MUSC board reviews,” she noted.

In other business, the board voted to:

• Re-elect chairs for several existing committees.
• Approve the established South Park Plaza renovation to relocate 300 occupants from Harborview Office Tower (HOT), which the university is selling. The cost for the design phase is $5.4 million and proceeds from the HOT sale will be used to defer the initial design expense.
• Appoint Ann Lefebvre, MSW, CPHQ, as executive director for the South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium.

The MUSC and MUHA Boards of Trustees serve as separate bodies to govern the university and hospital, holding two days of committee and board meetings six times a year.