The College of Health Sciences at California Northstate University (CNU) now has its own campus at 2910 Prospect Park Drive in Rancho Cordova.
The new undergraduate program is designed for students interested in a variety of health professions, including medicine, pharmacy and dentistry, Edward Moczydlowski, senior associate dean of academic affairs and professor in physiology, said.
“This is a great location for the CNU College of Health Sciences (CHS),” Moczydlowski told Higher Education Tribune about the property that formerly housed Heald College, which closed in April 2015. The for-profit CNU purchased the property in December 2015 for $4.9 million.
Moczydlowski said the centrally located Rancho Cordova property is between Folsom and downtown Sacramento. The business park area near Rancho Cordova City Hall also has ready access to many local amenities for faculty and staff, such as dining establishments, a hotel, rental housing for students, gyms and light rail transportation.
“The new campus is also within 30 minutes driving distance to the CNU’s Elk Grove campus that houses the College of Pharmacy and College of Medicine,” Moczydlowski said.
Not only is the location a winner, but Moczydlowski added that the faculty and students also "love the building."
“The building is spacious and nicely suited for classroom teaching and faculty offices," Moczydlowski said. "The periphery of the building receives natural light and allows viewing of the attractive landscaping and fountains. Everyone enjoys watching the neighborhood band of wild turkeys foraging around the building.”
In terms of internal improvements, Moczydlowski said CNU is working to renovate and transform several of the classrooms on the second floor into science teaching laboratories.
There are plans to expand student enrollment too.
Currently, there are four students enrolled this semester in the undergraduate program, which leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences, and 11 students in the pre-medical post-baccalaureate program who are preparing to apply to medical school.
“Several of these students have already been accepted into the CNU College of Medicine and will start their MD degree next fall," Moczydlowski said. "CHS is hoping to have about 50 new students in the fall."
Moving into the fall semester, Moczydlowski said that CHS also will continue to build its curriculum in the area of pre-med sciences, such as organic chemistry and physics.
“We are also heavily involved in recruiting new students and evaluating student applications,” Moczydlowski said.
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