Ribbon cut on renovations at UMMC School of Nursing in Oxford
Published on Monday, July 14, 2025
By: Annie Oeth, aoeth@umc.edu
Photos By: Joe Ellis/ UMMC Communications
The next generation of registered nurses is being educated by the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing in newly renovated classrooms and labs at the South Oxford Center, which will boost the number of nurses in North Mississippi.
The state-of-the-art spaces were celebrated with a Wednesday ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by state, local and medical leaders. Tours of the areas, including a high-tech classroom with a dozen interactive computer display screens and additional simulation labs that include manikins that move, blink and display vital signs.
“This is a special day, no question about it,” said University of Mississippi Chancellor Dr. Glenn Boyce at the ceremony. “This renovation represents the dream of expanding health care in Mississippi, but it’s just a building. The power of this beautiful building is what its impact will be on nursing and nursing education.”
The UMMC School of Nursing has an enrollment of about 200 students in its Oxford traditional BSN and accelerated BSN programs, which are based at the South Oxford Center. The renovation created a high-tech area designed for growing enrollment as well as flexibility and collaboration plus faculty office space.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony comes as a new School of Nursing building is under construction at UMMC. Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs at UMMC, said the renovation in Oxford as well as the new building in Jackson set to open in fall 2026 are investments in building a healthier Mississippi.
"By increasing access to nursing education in Oxford, we are not only addressing the critical need for skilled nurses but also strengthening the care teams that are essential to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care,” she said. “This renovation reflects our commitment to training the next generation of health care professionals."
In 2023, the Mississippi Legislature appropriated $4 million to the University of Mississippi for the repair, renovation and expansion of the space used by the nursing school in Oxford. Elected officials who made this possible and supported the project include Gov. Tate Reeves, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, former House Speaker Philip Gunn, current House Speaker Jason White, Rep. Clay Deweese, Sen. Nicole Boyd, Rep. John Read, Rep. Trey Lamar, Sen. Briggs Hopson and Sen. Josh Harkins. The Legislature has also supported the construction of the new School of Nursing at UMMC with $55 million in funding approved in 2022.
“We’re grateful to this strong support for nursing education,” said Dr. Tina Martin, dean of the School of Nursing. “The renovation of the South Oxford Center represents the growth and commitment to excellence in nursing education at the UMMC School of Nursing.”
The state’s first baccalaureate nursing program got its start at the University of Mississippi in 1948 but moved to the UMMC campus in 1956, a year after the Medical Center opened. UMMC’s School of Nursing returned to Oxford in 2008 with a traditional BSN program that was later converted to a year-long accelerated BSN program. A traditional four-year BSN program began in Oxford in 2024.
Jack Taylor of Corinth, a junior in the traditional BSN program in Oxford, has already been learning at the South Oxford Center’s advanced spaces, taking health assessments and pathophysiology classes.
Faculty and staff at the UMMC School of Nursing program in Oxford “foster our growth both academically and personally and support,” he said, “and strengthen us into skilled, empathetic caregivers.”
Dr. Kristi Reece, assistant dean of the Oxford instructional site, said the newly renovated space represents an exciting opportunity.
“This is giving our students the chance to learn alongside dedicated faculty in a high-tech, hands-on environment,” she said. “Together, faculty and students are working to build the skills needed for safe, skilled nursing practice and are helping to grow the strong nursing workforce for our state.”
The renovated fourth floor of the South Oxford Center is an addition to the first-floor classroom and simulation lab, a former intensive care unit. The fourth-floor labs are in spaces that were formerly hospital rooms.
“Students are learning in areas that look like nursing units, which adds to their educational experience,” said Dr. Camille Beals, assistant professor of nursing and director of the traditional BSN program in Oxford. “These new spaces are created for student-teacher collaboration and interaction.”