Quinnipiac’s North Haven campus is no longer solely dedicated to the health sciences.
Last Wednesday, the University announced a new addition to the campus: the School of Education. The move has been discussed for about two years but was officially decided in the spring semester of last year.
“The feedback from teacher candidates has been very, very positive. They love our new home,” Dean of the School of Education Cynthia Dubea said. “Among other things, they appreciate the setting, the ample space in our classrooms and the comfortable lounge area in the School of Education suite that fosters a sense of community by offering the students a place to gather and relax before class. As one student shared with me, it now feels as if our School of Education has its own identity.”
There are currently two classrooms that are solely dedicated to the School of Education. The classrooms include movable tables, chairs and sinks to create a more hands-on learning atmosphere.
The student lounge that overlooks the pond, which many are calling the “curriculum center,” is equipped with movable tables, ample whiteboards and SMART Boards, a lounge area and a small library.
For lecture-based courses, the School of Education uses some of the classrooms in the School of Health Sciences.
“The North Haven campus is much more mellow and quiet,” senior Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) student Meaghan Ames said. “One of the reasons for this is probably because we are only on the North Haven campus for classes, whereas the Hamden campus has more activities. The North Haven campus really aids in keeping the education program like a family because we have our own classrooms and our own curriculum center.”
The University does not provide shuttles to the North Haven campus, so students are expected to commute.
“At first I was a little upset because I’d be using much more gas commuting to North Haven and I was worried about parking, but it’s really not bad at all,” senior MAT student Danielle Oliveri said.
Commuting may not be a problem for upperclassmen in the MAT Program, but underclassmen classes will be held there as well.
Classes for the MAT Program will take place on both campuses for next year.
“There were some scheduling changes that we had to make so we can make sure that we can accommodate the undergraduates,” said Kevin Basmadjian, director of the MAT Program. “Some of the biggest concerns right now are parking and scheduling, and those are two of the issues that we are trying to work through with the faculty and students.”
The MAT Program offers students a chance earn their master’s degree in less than six years. With an upcoming application deadline of Dec. 1, the move provided some difficulty with the process.
“That’s probably going to be one of the trickiest pieces because in the past we were able to hold sessions and it is now hard to create a new availability over at the Mount Carmel campus,” Basmadjian said.
Photo credit: Amanda Shulman
