The United States, still reeling from the Soviet launch of Sputnik 12 years earlier, was trying to narrow its science gap. Thirty years later, the job still is not complete. America continues to trail other nations in educating students in the natural sciences.
Science education continues to be a priority for higher education.
When the Burns Hall of Science was built, Indiana Wesleyan University had 800 students and no nursing program. With the advent of the nursing program in 1973 and an increase in overall campus enrollment to 2,000, the science hall is no longer adequate to meet the educational requirements of today's students. The science hall houses the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the Division of Nursing Education. A clinic, which will provide opportunities for practical experience for nursing students, will be included in the project. The Nursing Division, with more than 225 students, is one of the largest majors on campus.