The Piedmont College Athens Campus sports a new home for the library and the R.H. Daniel School of Nursing & Health Sciences.

On Sept. 14, 2017, college representatives held a ribbon-cutting to officially open the renovated space in The Commons, the main academic building for the campus. The library and school of nursing had previously been housed in a separate building on North Milledge Avenue, and instructors at the ceremony said the students, faculty, and staff were glad to now be part of the main campus.

Officials on hand included President James F. Mellichamp, Vice President for Academic Affairs Perry Rettig; Vice President for Administration & Finance Ken Jones, Nursing & Health Sciences Dean Julia Behr, School of Education Dean Don Gnecco, Dean of Libraries Bob Glass, Piedmont Board Chairman Thomas A. “Gus” Arrendale III, Trustees Edward D. Ariail and Myron Downs, Athens-Clarke County Mayor Nancy Denson, Commissioner Mike Hamby, Chamber of Commerce President Doc Eldridge, Rep. Spencer Frye, as well as architect Chris Evans and contractor Chris Grahl.

In addition to faculty offices, the space includes two new nursing labs with simulated hospital rooms and computer-controlled simulated patients. The library space includes computer study carrels, study rooms and a leisure reading area.