Goshen College received a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. The college says the funding will allow it to renovate historic Westlawn Hall, triple the size of its nursing facilities and increase enrollment.

Approximately 18,000 square feet on the second and third floors of Westlawn Hall will be renovated to create a nursing education center. The renovated facilities will include three inpatient simulation rooms and six exam rooms for simulation training, as well as a 10-bed skills lab, central teaching area, flexible classrooms, student lounges , study areas and offices.

With the additional space, the college says it will be able to quadruple the number of nursing students, which will help address the shortage of nurses in Elkhart County and the surrounding area.

“Goshen College is pleased and grateful for this investment from EDA, which will support the expansion of our highly regarded nursing program and address a critical shortage of skilled nursing labor in the region,” said the President Rebecca Stoltzfus. “The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of trained nurses and healthcare professionals in an emergency. As a regional workforce training provider for the health sector, we are well placed to help prepare the region’s workforce for future health emergencies, which will increase the resilience of the region in the face of future health-related crises.

In total, the renovation is estimated at $5.7 million, and the EDA’s investment will be matched by the college’s $1.7 million.

The college plans to begin renovations in 2023.