UT Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications

Regents Allocate $35 Million for New UT Tyler Nursing Facility

November 14, 2019

Media Contact: Beverley Golden
Senior Director of Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.566.7303

Chairman Kevin P. Eltife and the University of Texas System Board of Regents approved $35 million in funding for a new state-of-the-art facility for The University of Texas at Tyler’s School of Nursing at this week’s Regents meeting in Austin.

“An upgraded nursing facility is essential as UT Tyler works to increase capacity to meet the demand for highly qualified nurses in East Texas and around the country,” said Dr. Michael Tidwell, UT Tyler president. “We are grateful to the Regents for providing resources that will help future students of our School of Nursing.”

The University is considering all building options to maximize the funding, accommodating the School of Nursing’s growth and assuring that UT Tyler nursing students have continued access to the latest in simulation lab and other nursing technology.

Earlier this year, the School of Nursing announced that it would be moving from a semester system to a trimester system to offer more opportunities for students to attend the high-demand program.

“We have excellent faculty, the best clinical partners, engaged alumni and bright students,” said Dr. Barbara Haas, executive director of the UT Tyler School of Nursing. “We’ve pushed our current facilities to the limit and the new facility will help keep us at the forefront of nursing education.”

No timetable has been set for the completion of the facility, but site evaluation and architectural design will begin immediately.

The UT Tyler School of Nursing enrolls 2,000 students in 15 programs. Undergraduate courses of study include Bachelor of Science in Nursing and RN-to-BSN programs. Graduate options include several Master of Science in Nursing programs, a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program and a Ph.D. in Nursing program. Classes are offered in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and online. Nine thousand nurses are alumni of UT Tyler.

The School of Nursing is housed in UT Tyler’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences. In addition to nursing, the College offers programs in occupational therapy, communication sciences and disorders, health sciences, and kinesiology and wellness.

A member of the prestigious UT System, The University of Texas at Tyler focuses on student success and innovative research in the more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered to nearly 10,000 students. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News and World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.