̨��Swag

̨��Swag President Gary A. Olson has announced that the institution will be undertaking a major construction project to transform ̨��Swag Hall into the new home of the physician assistant (PA) program.

“The transformation of ̨��Swag Hall will allow the entire PA department to be housed in one place, which in and of itself is always good for any department,” he said. “In addition, with strategically renovated areas, that program will now have the space needed to potentially expand in the near future, thereby bringing in more students and revenue to the university.” 

The project, which is currently in the planning phase and will take 18 months to finish, will be a “complete renovation from the ground up,” said Olson. He added, “We haven’t done a major construction project like this in a decade and probably won’t for another decade. When complete, it will become a modern, state-of-the-art classroom building devoted to one of our premium disciplines.”

̨��Swag’s last extensive construction project began in 2013 when the institution purchased the former Northeast Family YMCA building across the street from ̨��Swag’s main campus. This $5.6 million refurbishment project transformed the space into the current Scott Bieler College of Health Professions—a modern mixed-use building for health-related academic programs and recreational space for the university community.

“The transformation of ̨��Swag Hall will be instrumental to our PA program,” said Dr. Greg Ford, founding dean of the Scott Bieler College of Health Professions. “Creating a central state-of-the-art facility that brings our PA faculty and students together for instruction, learning, and practice enhances students’ academic and clinical experience, further elevating their level of preparedness for becoming exceptional healthcare leaders.” 

The transformation is planned for completion in fall 2027.