Administrators at Dickinson Law School are considering moving roughly 60 students to University Park next year to accommodate construction at its Carlisle campus.

In an e-mail message to students, Dickinson Dean Philip McConnaughay said about 60 first-year law students would be allowed to take classes at the University Park campus of the law school during the 2006-07 academic year.

McConnaughay added that some second- and third-year students might be able to take classes at the University Park campus, depending on how much faculty the school would have available at University Park and whether the law program would be able to accommodate the needs of students.

"In all events, we anticipate serving most of our student body in Carlisle during this transition period," McConnaughay wrote.

The school expects to know by early next semester whether second- and third-year students could take classes at University Park, McConnaughay added.

The law school will decide within the next few weeks where to hold classes during construction of its Carlisle campus.

The construction is a result of Penn State's decision to invest $100 million in
new and renovated law school facilities
in Carlisle and also at University Park.

Holding all classes at a separate location is one possibility while construction takes place, though Dickinson will continue to enroll students for the 2008-09 academic year.

Dickinson spokeswoman Kelly Jones said no decision has been made yet, but the school is considering moving into the Bellaire Elementary School in Carlisle. The elementary school is moving into a new building in Carlisle.

"We're still in the planning processes as to when they'll do construction," Jones said. "But Bellaire is a fairly preferable location."

She said Bellaire is currently the primary choice for the school because it is located in Carlisle and has facilities that can accommodate students.

"It's in close proximity to where many of the students will be living," Jones said.

Jones said if an agreement is reached to move classes there, it would undergo extensive renovations to accommodate the students and faculty. The renovations would occur over the summer, and classes would begin there for the fall 2006 semester.

Jones said the cost to renovate the elementary school buildings is already included in the overall Dickinson renovation budget.

McConnaughay said a committee composed of students, faculty and staff would be created to study how other law schools have accommodated students during similar renovation processes.

"Happily, as of now, our alternative operating sites would not appear to involve significant disadvantages during our temporary operations," he wrote.

If Bellaire is chosen as the location, the law school would use other off-site properties as a library and student study space, Jones said.

"We would have some modular units at that site for faculty and staff offices," Jones said.

Jones said she did not think students would feel inconvenienced by the proposed relocation.

"I think our students are excited about the plans for the future of the law school," she said.