LAYTON -- Time for summer school and a more limited schedule is over, at Weber State University Davis. On the heels of Davis District's opening last Wednesday, WSU Davis welcomed students for its fall term Monday. "I think enrollment will be up again, out here," predicted WSU Davis director Bruce Davis. While enrollment at the main campus has stayed somewhat steady, it has continued to balloon at the Layton campus, creating need for 213 new parking stalls last fall, for example. "We're just finalizing our new nursing lab here," he said late last week. "It's a great initiative. We have four new nursing faculty, a group of 30 students due to start Monday."

The program was made possible with cooperation from area hospitals, including Davis and Lakeview. Some of that has come in the form of equipment.

Arlynn Baker leads the nursing department, there, while a new nursing director for WSU's entire Ogden/Layton program was also named, recently, Kathleen Earl.

"There are a lots of demands for students, jobs for (nursing) graduates," Davis said. "One of the big challenges is to find resources and faculty to make the program larger.:"

The MBA program, meanwhile, is celebrating its five-year anniversary, has grown to about 150 students. It is housed in Layton and includes Davis as an active faculty member, regularly teaching several classes.

"I just love working with those students. They're just a delight. I get bored in the summer when they're (MBA students) not around. It's always nice to start a new school year. There's lots of excitement, new beginnings," Davis said.

Another addition students may notice is a fitness center, thanks to student affairs personnel.

"They brought in some weight equipment, elliptical trainer, a couple of stationary bikes. It will be a nice addition," Davis said.

"Then we've expanded food service on campus for lunch and dinner, through the bookstore," he said, noting that a kiosk will be stocked in the bookstore, as well as a food cart-type setup by the main entrance. "A couple of vendors are coming up with pizza, sandwiches, salads, etc."

For example, an 8-inch pizza and drink will be offered for $5 in an attempt to keep meals affordable, "convenient so they can be on their way to class," he said.

Students can continue to take advantage of a free EdPass bus pass, with UTA running a bus between the Layton and Ogden campuses about every hour. UTA's transfer station also will continue on the campus.

"We would like a more direct route, but this gets the job done," Davis said of the campus to campus bus connection. "Most of our students prefer to drive, still."

A new assistant dean of students, Jennifer Grandi, began her new assignment with the students, Monday. However, she previously was in Layton at the old building as a student affairs professional, then started the non-traditional student center in Ogden.

Grandi's duties will include overseeing student programs and activities, advising the student council, helping them plan student activities, lectures and other events, Davis explained.

The Davis campus has 30 classrooms, 40 faculty offices, about 150 faculty (including adjunct faculty as well as some from the main campus). This marks the start of its third year, with hopes by officials that a second classroom building can be built within the next few years.

tbusselberg@davisclipper.com