DENTON (UNT), Texas -- When the spring semester officially began at UNT on Jan. 16, students were able to get medical care, fill prescriptions, apply for student jobs and get advice on how to manage their money all under one roof.
In addition to health and wellness facilities, Chestnut Hall (located at 1800 W. Chestnut on the UNT campus) houses the Career Center, Counseling and Testing Services, Student Money Management Center and the Wellness Resource and Substance Abuse Resource Center.
The Student Health and Wellness Center occupies the entire second floor of the new three-story building.
The additional space will better serve the health and wellness needs of the students, says Reginald Bond, director of the center.
"With a growing student population, we were running out of places to see students. Now, Chestnut Hall has 26 student exam rooms, compared to 12 in the old health center," Bond says. "There are more offices for medical providers, a state of the art medical lab and an expanded pharmacy that also features over-the-counter medicines."
The health center facility Chestnut Hall replaced was built as a student hospital in 1958. When it opened, it had more beds than the only hospital then operating in Denton. But university enrollment was less than 7,000 students, and the medical technology of the day was a very far cry from the many advances that are considered standard treatment today.
The first floor features the Student Health and Wellness Center pharmacy, space for a future optical retail outlet and dental retail space. College Optical will operate the optical retail outlet, while the university is still seeking a dental provider. Bond says optical and dental services will open at a later date.
The UNT Career Center also is on the first floor of Chestnut Hall. The Career Center not only serves as a clearinghouse for student jobs on the UNT campus, but also coordinates career seminars and career days for students and assists in all stages of the job search process including interviewing and resume writing tips.
Over the last three years, the number of companies recruiting on the UNT campus rose by 59 percent, and the number of resumes referred to potential employers increased by 80 percent. Chestnut Hall will have 19 career interview rooms, compared to six in the previous Career Center.
"Our Career Center has had increasing success by attracting top-level employers, and in developing student career opportunities," says Bonita Jacobs, vice president for student development and associate professor of higher education at UNT. "Having a first-rate facility will be invaluable to the work they are doing."
The third floor is home to the UNT Counseling and Testing Services, the Student Money Management Center and the Wellness Resource and Substance Abuse Resource Centers.
The Counseling and Testing Center provides UNT students professional confidential counseling, consultation, screenings, psychoeducational programming and referral services, as well as a variety of computer and paper-based testing.
The Student Money Management Center provides tools and solutions students need to achieve financial freedom and is dedicated to bringing financial literacy to students, and the Wellness Resource and Substance Abuse Resource Center is dedicated to providing health and substance abuse education by providing a wide array of services, programs and activities.
"We are proud of the expanded services we are able to provide with the addition of Chestnut Hall. I think the students will greatly benefit from the level of services that are available to them," Jacobs says.
UNT News Service Phone Number: (940) 565-2108
Contact: Rafael McDonnell 940-565-4835
Email: RMcDonnell@unt.edu