CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Tennessee General Assembly approved funding Thursday for the construction of an 114,6000-square-foot Health Professions Building on Eighth Street as well as the creation of the state’s first ever Institute for National Security and Military Studies.

The General Assembly approved the ambitious projects as part of the state’s 2021-2022 annual budget.

“I’m so pleased the Tennessee General Assembly is generously supporting the important work we do at Austin Peay by providing funding for these transformative projects,” APSU President Michael Licari said. “We especially appreciate the leadership of Deputy Speaker Curtis Johnson and Senator Bill Powers and the strong support of Representatives Jason Hodges and Jay Reedy.”

Health Profession Building

The new, 3-story Health Professions Building will allow Austin Peay to consolidate its growing healthcare programs under one roof.

“This new facility will not only transform our campus – both physically and academically – it will improve public health for our neighbors, friends and family,” Licari said. “Students will collaborate with others in different fields, making them better healthcare professionals, and the building will provide important public clinical space to serve different populations, including veterans and low-income citizens.”

The building will feature research labs, active learning classrooms and collaborative learning spaces.

The design phase is expected to begin this fall, with construction starting in 2022. The building is projected to open before the fall 2024 semester.

“We are so grateful for the support from the Tennessee General Assembly and look forward to educating and training our students in this state-of-the-art facility,” Dr. Tucker Brown, dean of the APSU College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, said. “The Health Professions Building furthers our mission and expands our ability to foster improved health outcomes in the region and beyond. This is truly a game-changer for Austin Peay.”

In November 2020, the Clarksville-Montgomery County Community Health Foundation (CMCCHF) committed $3 million to the Austin Peay State University Foundation to establish the CMC Community Health Foundation Equipment & Building Fund. The state required the University to raise this amount before it approved the project.

Institute for National Security and Military Studies

State legislators also agreed to fund the state’s first Institute for National Security and Military Studies at the University, which will oversee education programs, military outreach activities and interdisciplinary research on national security, intelligence and military life.

“Austin Peay, with its proximity to the Fort Campbell Army Post, is the state’s leading provider of higher education to military-affiliated students, and we’re not only proud of this fact – we take it very seriously,” Licari said. “This institute will allow us to provide exemplary and unprecedented levels of educational and professional programs not only to these students but also to other individuals who are interested in advancing their careers in national security.”

Austin Peay has made many moves in recent years to support military-affiliated students. It is the only university to have built a free-standing building on the U.S. Army post, in addition to having a presence in the Army Education Center.

Earlier this year, Austin Peay opened the Newton Military Family Resource Center to provide support to military-affiliated students, from applying for admission to securing employment after graduation.

Last fall, Austin Peay began offering a Doctorate of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Counseling Psychology program – the second doctoral degree program in the University’s history – with a concentration in serving military personnel, veterans and their families. Next fall, the University’s Department of Criminal Justice will offer a new Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree, with an optional concentration in Homeland Security. That will be the only master’s program in Tennessee with a concentration in Homeland Security.