College marks opening of Snodgrass Hall Expansion

PALMER — Community members gathered March 8 at Mat-Su College to mark the official opening of the Snodgrass Hall Expansion for the nursing and paramedic programs.

The ceremony included special recognition for Bill Tull, who was the first director for the fledgling college from 1958-59 before it had a campus, buildings or full-time staff, current Director Talis Colberg said.

“While he was the director for only one year, it was so near the beginning, that he is essentially a surviving witness to our creation,” he said. “A lot has changed since then and he has been here to see it. It was nice to be able to recognize him publicly for his contribution to what has become a major Valley institution.”

The new classrooms contain state-of-the-art display screens and projectors. One has hospital beds and a full mock-up of a hospital room for nursing students to practice their skills.

During a January tour of the new space, Colberg said it has allowed the college to grow its nursing program from eight students to 16.

The new space also will house the paramedic program, which didn’t grow with the addition but did get much nicer facilities, including a garage, which will house an ambulance used for training.

The change also created free space in the other campus buildings, Colberg said, will provide some space to house the campus’ Information Technology department, whose old space will become classrooms.