Starting in fall 2013, the Yale School of Nursing will have a new home.
University administrators announced Thursday that the Nursing School will move from its current location at 100 Church Street South to a new location in the University’s West Campus in West Haven. The decision was made in a unanimous faculty vote.
Nursing School Dean Margaret Grey said the idea to move to West Campus first surfaced in the fall as a result of an understanding that the current building would not meet the needs of the school in the future. Instead of raising money to renovate the school, she said, it made more sense to move to West Campus, which offers a “state-of-the-art facility” for the school’s 500 students, staff and faculty.
“[The decision was] widely discussed with the faculty, staff and students,” Grey said. “In the end the decision was based upon our understanding that our space could not be renovated for a reasonable amount of money, and that the offer from the University was a great opportunity for us.”
Helen MacGregor ’12, who will attend the school next year, wrote in an email to the News that the move is “awful” for the school of nursing and “shortchanges” students.
Students who interviewed for the school were told the University was considering a move to West Campus, according to an e-mail from Grey sent to incoming students. But those same students, MacGregor wrote, should have been informed of the move before decisions were finalized.
Grey said Nursing School faculty has heard this concern and will find ways to mitigate the move’s impact on student life. These could include rearranging schedules and increasing the numbers of shuttles between campuses. Most importantly, she said, moving to the new building will enhance students’ learning with up-to-date technology and classrooms.
The Nursing School will celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2013.