Lackawanna College, opening in the fall of 2010 on the third floor of the Hawley Silk Mill, recently completed the layout and design work on the 16,000 square foot third floor educational facility.  The space will offer science labs, physical therapy rooms, nursing training labs, computer, and standard classrooms as well as offices and other administrative areas which are included in the design.  

Lackawanna College, which plans to offer all of its degree programs at the Lake Region Center, is launching 3 additional areas of study including Hospitality and Tourism Management, Physical Therapy Assistant, and Environmental Science degrees.

"It's an opportunity for us, and for students," college President Raymond Angeli said. "It's based on what is happening here in Northeast Pennsylvania.  "The school has been working to create a "niche" at each of the college's five centers - Scranton, New Milford, Hawley, Towanda and Hazleton, and officials have assessed what the area needs in terms of degrees and skill-sets, said Jill Murray, Ph.D., vice president of academic affairs.  Though the programs will be unveiled at once, they have been in the works for several years, she added.  

The new degrees will require hiring an additional 20 full-time and part-time faculty members, and could enroll about 400 students in coming years, Dr. Murray said. Lackawanna's enrollment is now approaching 2,000 students, she added.

College officials are also working to expand online options from only classes to full degrees, Dr. Murray said.

As the college moves its Honesdale center to the site of the former Hawley Silk Mill, it also plans to expand its program with Misericordia University. The program allows students to earn an associate degree from Lackawanna and then gives them an option to graduate with a bachelor's degree from Misericordia two years later.

"We're kind of a hidden gem in many ways," Dr. Murray said.