The College of Nursing has officially welcomed students into its new home in the reimagined David A. Straz, Jr., Hall at the start of this semester. The building underwent a radical transformation after serving as home to Marquette Business since its initial construction in 1951.
This 103,000-square-foot, five-story building now houses a blend of general use classrooms, skills practice labs, health care simulation spaces, administrative offices and student study areas. Learning spaces are designed for active student learning and equipped with flexible technology to accommodate in-person and hybrid learning that can integrate students at a distance into the classroom.
The new simulation center is equipped with an operating room, several hospital inpatient rooms, clinic space and a studio apartment meant to simulate home health care.
“A boldly reimagined Straz Hall was a key next step in Marquette’s Campus Master Plan, allowing us to increase the capacity of the College of Nursing and meet a critical need for nurses in Wisconsin and beyond,” said Dr. Kimo Ah Yun, acting president, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “Marquette Nurses put courage and care into action, driving positive change for people, communities, health care and the profession. This state-of the-art facility is in the heart of campus and will be an integral part of a transformative experience for the next generation of nurses in Marquette’s Catholic, Jesuit tradition.”
Student success, access and service are at the heart of Straz Hall’s new design. The expanded student lounges allow for easier collaboration among learners, while amenities such as lockers, kitchenettes and respite rooms make the building an inviting place to spend the day. Marquette Nursing can now accommodate more students than ever while expanding its long tradition of caring, intentional community.
“Straz Hall allows us to expand the number of students we admit to the college, which is necessary to help alleviate the nursing shortage both locally and nationwide,” said Dr. Jill Guttormson, dean of the College of Nursing. “The investment of Marquette and our engaged alumni in this building is going to be transformational for the college. This state-of-the-art facility includes wraparound academic support for students and takes Marquette nursing to the next level, while providing a welcoming, inclusive environment for all.”
With its undergraduate nursing program ranked 52nd nationally by U.S. News & World Report, the College of Nursing is poised to prepare as many as 5,000 new Marquette Nurses over the next decade as part of a bold expansion initiative that calls for increased enrollment and greater diversity. Through continued innovation in nursing education, Marquette is preparing nurses for the rapidly changing health care environment, poised to help mitigate healthcare disparities and be the nurse leaders of the future.
What’s new in David A. Straz Jr. Hall
- Health care simulation spaces include an operating room, several hospital inpatient rooms, clinic space and a studio apartment meant to simulate home and community health care.
- Straz Hall now boasts ample room for study space and lounge seating in spaces that are flooded with natural light — a change from the college’s former home in Clark Hall, built in 1981, which does not have exterior-facing windows and relatively few spaces with natural lighting.
- The first, second and third floors are dedicated to student learning spaces, and the fourth and fifth floors primarily contain offices for full- and part-time faculty, yet student study spaces are integrated throughout the building.
- While it may now feel like one cohesive building, Straz Hall is built from a combination of four separate structures. The original building was constructed in the 1950s, and three separate additions were tied on in 1983, 1998 and 2024. This latest addition increased the building’s square footage by 35,000 gross square feet.
David A. Straz Jr. Hall facts
- Remediation and removal began: January 2023
- Open to students: Monday, Aug. 26, 2024
- Square footage of renovation: 103,000 GSF
- Square footage added: 35,000 GSF
- Builder: J.H. Findorff & Son Inc.
- Mechanical and Plumbing: JM Brennan
- Electrical: Staff Electric
- Designers: HGA, OTIE, Ring & Du
U.S. News and World Report ranked Marquette’s undergraduate nursing program 52nd in the nation (2023). The College of Nursing’s Master of Science program is ranked 58th (2023); its Doctor of Nursing Practice program is ranked 85th (2023); and the Nurse Midwifery program is 22nd (2024). U.S. News ranked Marquette’s online graduate nursing program 36th in 2024. Recently rankings were added, which featured the college’s online program ranked 20th nationally for veterans.
Sustainability at work
The Straz Hall renovation is one of three capital projects to come online for the start of the fall semester—with the Lemonis Center for Student Success and the renovation of Chapel of the Holy Family, the Marquette community’s primary worship space. Each of these projects, as well as the Wellness + Helfaer Recreation Center due to open in January 2025, represent an investment in an existing building, adaptively reusing an existing building in the heart of campus and transforming it into something state-of-the-art intended to elevate the student experience.
