By Stephanie DeSantis
Staff Reporter
From the new diner opening, to the expansion of the campus, Sacred Heart University is always finding new ways to stand-out.
The newest addition to campus is a trolley that will be used for admissions’ tours.
This gives prospective students the opportunity to visit the new Center for Healthcare Education (CHE).
The CHE, located approximately a mile away from its main campus, offers a space for an array of different healthcare majors.
It currently houses the College of Nursing and the College of Health Professions.
Since the campus has expanded to different locations, Sacred Heart’s admissions department wanted to find a way for potential students to visit all aspects of the university. Thus, the idea of a trolley came about.
Robert Gilmore, Director of Campus Experience, said that the trolley has been in the works for about two years now.
“With the growth of the campus over the past few years, we wanted to provide an opportunity for visitors of Sacred Heart to be able to see all of our campus, not just our main location,” said Gilmore.
Because parking is reserved for students and faculty at the CHE, admissions wanted to provide transportation for families touring the facility.
“We decided that we needed to provide some type of transportation to see the CHE facility, in so that we didn’t take away parking from our current students,” said Gilmore.
Although geared toward students pursuing healthcare professions, anyone can take a visit to the CHE building. Prospective students can visit on the designated CHE tour days, which are Tuesdays and Thursdays, from the hours of 9 a.m., to 1 p.m.
Tours of the CHE building are given by Student Ambassadors, of whom were specificially chosen to show visitors around the CHE building.
Senior, Haily Reatherford, one of the ambassadors doing the trolley tours, is particularly glad she was chosen to show families around the new building.
“I get to speak about what I am truly passionate about- ‘academics,’ from the perspective of a health science major. The trolley is just the beginning for families seeing all of the new technology and equipment that is being used in the health professions,” said Reatherford.
Other students find that the trolley sets Sacred Heart apart from other universities.
“I think the trolley is a unique experience that we provide for our prospective students. It is definitely something that they are going to remember when they think of Sacred Heart,” said junior, Tyler Trzcinski, a Student Ambassador who gives tours of the CHE.
A few trolley tours have already been given prospective students and their families. The feedback has been positive thus far.
“Families love the traditional, old-fashioned feel of the trolley. They like that we have the opportunity to guide them towards campus facilities that are off the premise [of the main campus],” said Rob Gilmore.
Although the trolley has been enjoyable for visitors, current Sacred Heart students have had conflicting opinions on the matter.
“The discussion of the trolley tends to be a sensitive topic for many students, due to the expense, and belief that it its use is unnecessary. However, the trolley prevents prospective students from taking up additional parking spaces at the CHE building, which is already an issue,” said student ambassador, senior, Gabriella Iadevaia.
So far, prospective families have loved their experience with the trolley, and it has given them a lasting impression of Sacred Heart.
“It is better that students have the positive experience of being driven by the trolley, than having memories of our campus parking,” said Iadevaia.
The trolley’s main goal is to showcase Sacred Heart’s growth to its potential students.
The campus has expanded quickly over the years, and people now have the opportunity to see more than just the main campus.
“The trolley is a positive step for the university in the way that we showcase our school to prospective students,” said Gilmore.
