On the Hilltop, one thing is not quite like the others… at least, not yet. While construction on

Grappone Hall is not expected to be completed until Summer 2025, the building already catches

attention. The striking Anselmian-blue structure stands out among the traditional mauve brick

buildings that are ubiquitous to Saint Anselm College’s campus but, once completed, the 45,000-

square-foot facility will blend right in.

Soon, Grappone will replace Gadbois as the new home for the Jean School of Nursing and

Health Sciences, promising to bring state-of-the-art resources to one of the College’s most

distinguished programs. The excitement surrounding the new building is palpable, with both

current and prospective students citing the project as a large reason behind their college

decision.

“Construction is coming along nicely,” said Dean Uzarski, Dean of Nursing. With plans for construction to end in Summer 2025, “our estimated date of completion is August, 2025,” said Uzarski. After leveling Poisson last year to begin construction of the new facility, builders have been working on the building’s interior, and the “builders are working to complete the exterior of the building before winter,” Uzarski said.  

Though the Class of 2025 will no longer be students on campus when construction of the facility is completed, the other classes of the college will be able to enjoy and utilize the facility next school year, because “the project is right on schedule,” said Uzarski. 

    Freshman Charlie Dupuis conveyed his excitement for what the new facility has to

offer, calling Grappone Hall “a blessing to us… [that] would improve the quality of the nursing

program.” Similarly, a prospective health sciences student, when asked while touring the

campus with her family, cited the building as “part of why I wanted to see the campus.” She

continued, “it’s nice to see that they care about the program this much… No other school that

I’m applying to has something brand new like this.”

As the Dean of Nursing, Uzarski said she is “so excited that our building will enable us to create additional learning opportunities for students. Grappone Hall will also allow us to position ourselves as a health professions education hub in our region, and elevate our presence here in the state of New Hampshire.”

   While the building is new, Saint Anselm College has a long history of producing some of the

nation’s most well-prepared nurses, boasting an impressive NCLEX (National Council Licensure

Examination) pass rate of 97.4%, compared to the national average of just 88%. With the

addition of Grappone Hall, the College will be able to expand its nursing program from 500

students to 800 and begin to offer graduate degrees in nursing and health science-related fields.

Currently, more than $40 million has been invested in Grappone Hall, however, as Dr. Diane

Uzarski, Dean of School of Nursing, explains, the benefits will far outweigh the costs. 

The new home for the Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences, housing facilities for “our nursing, public health, and health sciences,” Uzarski said, “are growing to address our healthcare workforce challenges.”  

In her remarks at the structure’s groundbreaking ceremony in October 2023, Uzarski highlighted that the new building is more than just a building; it offers students a chance to “address our society’s needs in a uniquely Anselmian way.” The facility will provide Saint Anselm students with dozens of specialized spaces to support the demands of healthcare education, including a 150-seat auditorium, a 7-lab simulation center, and collaborative learning spaces. These features will have a long-term impact on the success of graduates from the program and, as the population rapidly ages and the nursing shortage escalates, this project couldn’t come at a more critical time.

Uzarski said, “this new and increased space will allow us to more comfortably educate students in our growing programs, especially online graduate students who visit campus in the future.”

And, while the Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences will no longer be calling Gadbois

Hall home, the building will continue to serve our campus community. After the move to

Grappone, Gadbois is expected to be converted into dorms.

In true Anselmian fashion, the new building will be open to students beyond the nursing and health sciences majors. “We welcome all students to enjoy our building to learn and study, and new programming will encourage interprofessional learning across majors,” Uzarski said. 

In addition to supporting nursing, Grappone Hall will benefit Saint Anselm’s relatively-new Public

Health program, which was introduced in 2022. With more space and resources, the program is

even better suited to prepare future healthcare professionals to address a number of public

health challenges in years to come. Saint Anselm nursing and public health students are certain

to change the world when they enter the workforce, and Grappone Hall will provide them with

the tools they need to get there