Bushnell University says its Eugene campus is about to undergo a major expansion.
The announcement came Tuesday during the school’s 130th annual convocation ceremony. New students, alumni, and staff celebrated the start of a new school year, as well as a few new changes to campus.
Bushnell is set to acquire two former PeaceHealth University District hospital buildings on Alder Street and 11th Avenue. The addition will expand Bushnell campus by 125,000 square feet, and is planned to house new facilities for the College of Health Professions.
PeaceHealth closed its University District hospital in phases, with the Emergency Room shutting down in December 2023. Portions of the former campus have been listed for sale.
University president Dr. Joseph Womack said the initiative is aimed at increasing the amount of graduate students they can admit into their nursing programs.
“We are already the largest producer of masters degrees in clinical mental health counseling in the state of Oregon. This will allow us to expand that almost immediately,” Womack said. “It gives us, I believe, 10+ years of our future development.”
Womack also noted the expansion can help address the need for healthcare workers in Lane County.
“75% of our nursing graduates in the last six years have stayed in Lane County,” he said. “The need is so great here that they’re hired before they graduate.”
There is no set date for the finalization of the acquisition, though Womack estimates it will be before the end of September. “We’re going to get in and start beginning all of those things as quickly as we get to it,” he said.
The recommissioning of Goodrich Hall and dedication of a new bell tower were also announced during Tuesday’s convocation.
