Mental health milestone: FSU celebrates $1.45M investment in student mental health and accessibility

By Faith Hatton, posted May 15, 2026 on BizFayetteville.com

At center, Chancellor Darrell T. Allison and Juanette Council, Ed.D., vice chancellor for student affairs, cut the ribbon to celebrate the grand reopening of Fayetteville State University's newly renovated Spaulding Building, joined by campus leaders and community members. Photo provided by FSU.

Tuesday, April 28, was a great day to be a Bronco as Fayetteville State University (FSU) hosted a grand opening ceremony for their newly renovated Spaulding Building, now home to the Center for Counseling and Accessibility Services.
The new facility represents the University’s largest investment to date in student mental health and accessibility services. A total of $1.45 million was invested in renovating the Spaulding Building located on FSU’s west campus. The building was originally constructed in 1955 as the Spaulding Infirmary and functioned as a small hospital with patient beds and examination rooms for more than 70 years.
Now the facility has been expanded from 2,616 square feet to more than 6,500 square feet, significantly increasing capacity with new additions such as private counseling suites, dedicated Student Accessibility Services offices, testing and accommodation spaces and specialized environments, such as a relaxation room and a sensory room.

“I love all the spaces. I’m so grateful that we had the opportunity to be able to expand our capacity. We were in one section of the building and now we have the whole building. It has expanded our capacity to serve our students more effectively,” said Dionne Hall, director of the Center for Counseling and Accessibility Services. “We’re going to have a major impact. We had at least 300 students coming in before we had the renovation.”

The refreshed facility reflects a five-year strategic transformation that began in 2021 to strengthen and expand its system of care. Since 2021, the University has expanded counseling staff, increased service availability and implemented new technology to improve access and coordination. As a result, demand for services has grown, with counseling appointments and accessibility support reaching more students each year.

“The renovation increased the space for dedicated Counseling and Student Accessibility Services by 148%,” said Juanette Council, Ed.D., vice chancellor for student affairs. “This investment reflects Fayetteville State University’s unwavering commitment to putting students f irst, removing barriers, expanding access and creating a campus where every student has the support, care and resources needed to succeed both inside and outside the classroom.”

These efforts also align with the University of North Carolina System strategic plan, Higher Expectations (2022–27), which identifies improving student mental health as a systemwide priority. Through expanded services, training and awareness initiatives, the UNC System is working to equip students with the skills to navigate mental health challenges, reduce stigma and empower campus communities to recognize and respond to early signs of crisis. By advancing these priorities at the campus level, FSU is helping to strengthen a coordinated, statewide approach to student well-being, academic success and persistence to graduation.

The Spaulding Building is now open and serving Broncos as a central hub for care and support on campus. It will soon be one of two facilities dedicated to health care for students.

In July of 2025, it was announced that Cape Fear Valley Health had invested $900,000 towards a new Student Health and Wellness Center at FSU. The two-story facility is currently under construction in the gateway of the campus at the intersection of Murchison Road and Edgecombe Ave. Extension.

The Health and Wellness Center is planned to be a 24,631 square-foot extension to the campus, and will feature a 7,500 square-foot fitness f loor with a full range of equipment, yoga and dance studios, locker rooms, wellness offices and a retail pharmacy. The second floor, accessed via the pharmacy, will include physician offices, treatment and triage rooms, psychiatric services, a lab and waiting areas. Both of these facilities will work together to provide FSU students the ability to have all of their health care needs met on campus.

“It’s one thing to talk about the dramatic growth of our student population. We’re at 7,600 [students] today, and soon to be 8,000, so to whom much is given, much is required. If we’re going to be a campus that talks about meeting the needs of every unique student, everyone that we enroll, we’re making a commitment that we’re going to meet them where they are, to take them where they need to go,” said Chancellor Darrell T. Allison.

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