Heelan Hall

Led by Mother Dominica, with the support of the Sisters of St. Francis and Bishop Edmund Heelan of the Sioux City diocese, Heelan Hall was Briar Cliff’s first building established in 1930. Today, it is home to most of the academic offices and classrooms along with a variety of student support services. 

The University's academic growth has required expansion over the years and has required many renovations including adding a fourth floor in 1948. Most significantly, in 2012 the Roth Cliff Shop was revamped and a new digital media lab was built into what would become the four-story 8,150 square-foot Roth Atrium in 2013. This renovation included a three-floor 16,650 square feet expansion with clerestory windows to bring in natural light, seven new classrooms, one business case room, two state-of-the-art science labs, and more. 

In 2017, part of Heelan Hall was renamed and dedicated to Briar Cliff’s longest-serving president. The Beverley A. Wharton Learning Center serves as the main academic hub in the atrium and features the latest in technology, state-of-the-art labs, and expanded classrooms.

Learn and Grow Here. 

This building houses courses for many of our in-person and hybrid programs. Choose the program that is right for you and apply today.

Explore our Programs

Services in Heelan Hall:

  • Academic Advising
  • Academic Peer Mentors
  • Compass
  • Career Services
  • Multicultural Center
  • Meis Recital Hall
  • Roth Cliff Shop
  • Campus Ministry
  • IT Help Center
  • Charged
  • Anatomy Dissection Lab: Since the 1980s, students at Briar Cliff University have had the opportunity to get hands-on learning experience studying human anatomy. Briar Cliff is proud to offer these opportunities to students at such an early stage of their education journey, preparing them as future doctors, physical and occupational therapists, physician assistants, and more. 100% of students in the Kinesiology major experience anatomy dissection in the donor lab working in small groups. Many students then go on to study anatomy with these donors in our Doctor of Physical Therapy program, easing the stress of the transition to graduate school. Pre-medicine students are also encouraged to take the anatomy dissection lab class before graduating. The Donor Memorial Ceremony is held annually to honor anatomical donors who graciously donated their bodies to science to provide educational opportunities for our students.