Pharmacy School Announces New Valley Campus Location

CLOVIS, Calif. – California Health Sciences University (CHSU) announced this week that the site for its permanent campus will be in the Clovis Research and Technology Park. CHSU has been holding classes for its College of Pharmacy students at its interim campus at 120 N. Clovis Avenue since August 2014.

Permanent Campus for CHSU

The new Clovis campus for California Health Sciences University is planned at a site near Temperance Avenue and Highway 168, just north of Clovis Community Medical Center, providing space for decades of expansion.

“We are proud to announce that the new campus for California Health Sciences University will be located right here in Clovis, one of the most attractive cities in California,” stated Florence T. Dunn, university president. “With the support we’ve received from the City of Clovis and the community – from medical professionals to educational and business leaders – our beautiful new campus will provide a state-of-the-art learning environment that attracts top caliber local and national students.”

The approximately 70,000 s.f. College of Pharmacy building will be the first constructed and the permanent campus can accommodate up to 10 health sciences related colleges at full build-out. The new campus will also include a library, on-campus academic and student housing, student center, auditorium, quad, and an administrative building.

“Clovis is very excited to have California Health Sciences University’s permanent campus located in the Research and Technology Park. The CHSU Campus will not only complement our beautiful Clovis Community Medical Center, it is very fitting to the cutting-edge technology that has been developed throughout the last eighteen years,” stated Nathan Magsig, Mayor of Clovis.

With construction on the new College of Pharmacy building planned to start in 2017, the university hopes to have the first building at the new campus completed in fall 2019.
Development of the new campus will occur in multiple phases as each new health science related college is established. The entire development and construction process for CHSU will likely take up to 20 years.

“The positive economic impact from the establishment of California Health Sciences University will benefit the City of Clovis, Fresno and the County of Fresno for decades to come,” stated Mayor Magsig. “The creation of high paying jobs, as well as the local higher education opportunities for students that CHSU will provide our region is something for which we can all be very proud.”

Officials from the university conducted a comprehensive study to identify potential, qualified sites for the permanent campus. Several sites throughout the County of Fresno were evaluated and considered, including several locations within the cities of Fresno, Clovis, and Madera.
One of the leading prospects for California Health Sciences University’s permanent campus had been a 179 +/- acre site near Millerton and Winchell Cove Roads. The official application process for the site was submitted in June 2013 and work on conducting a complete Environment Impact Report (EIR) and assessment was required as part of the entitlement process.

“During the application process, it became clear that the timeline for the Millerton site would not meet the university’s needs. While the Clovis site includes all of the facilities required and has many other advantages,” stated Dunn.  “Time is of the essence to ensure our students have the necessary campus resources to be successful and to avoid delays in the growth of the university and start of future colleges. Our partners at the City of Clovis have been instrumental in helping to expedite the planning.”

Locating the permanent campus in the Clovis Research and Technology Park provides for proximity to Clovis Community Medical Center and other collaborative health and higher education professionals via major arterial streets and Highway 168, allowing for connectivity from Clovis to Downtown Fresno, Central and North Fresno, Madera and other neighboring communities throughout Fresno County. The updated infrastructure and amenities – pedestrian-friendly trails, restaurants and other local businesses – are ideal for serving the students and faculty, stated Dunn.

Interim Campus for CHSU

Since fall 2014, CHSU has been holding classes for its College of Pharmacy students at its interim campus, located near the southwest corner of Clovis and Herndon Avenues.
The 32,000 s.f. building on CHSU’s interim campus includes, two large classrooms; library; student lounge; faculty and staff offices; and pharmacy practice, compounding, and research labs.
The College of Pharmacy was the first program offered at CHSU in this interim location and will employ more than 50, mostly faculty, and intends to train over 300 student pharmacists within the 4-year program at full capacity. The first two classes of students began in fall 2014 and 2015. The College will admit its third class of pharmacy students this coming August.

“With every new class of students for the first four years of the program, CHSU will need to hire additional faculty and staff and we are currently expanding our interim campus to accommodate our incoming class of 2020,” said Dunn.

The interim campus is currently undergoing an expansion that includes two new buildings with parking area to be constructed on the east side of Clovis Avenue, across the street from the current location.
With a target completion date of this July, the first new building in the expansion will be 17,000 s.f. and include a third large classroom, two smaller classrooms for electives, student lounge, study spaces, conference rooms, and offices.
The second new building in the expansion will be 9,400 s.f. and include exam rooms for a clinic, small pharmacy and offices.
CHSU will likely continue utilizing its interim campus on Clovis Avenue to assess the facility requirements as it launches each future program.

About California Health Sciences University

California Health Sciences University was founded in 2012 and is the first university of its kind in the Central Valley. Envisioned by the Assemi family, CHSU offers a local option for health care professionals seeking doctoral and post-graduate education programs and to help remedy the shortage of health care services offered in the Valley. Students can enjoy the unique combination of high quality of life, affordable cost of living and impactful career opportunities that the Valley provides.
The College of Pharmacy was the first program offered because of the demand for pharmacists in the region. CHSU plans to open up to 10 post-graduate colleges to train health care professionals in the coming years and is considering Allied Health, Dentistry, Podiatry, Optometry, and a Medical school. The timing and specific discipline for each new school will be determined based on the need and opportunity for job placement within the region.
The fall 2016 admission cycle for the CHSU College of Pharmacy began in July and applications for the Doctor of Pharmacy program are now being accepted. Visit the Admissions page on the university website for details.
For more information about CHSU and the Doctor of Pharmacy program, visit www.chsu.edu, call 559-325-3600 or find them on facebook, twitter and Linkedin.