Anonymous Donor Gifts JBU $6 Million

by Paul Gatling ([email protected]) 110 views 

John Brown University announced Thursday a lead gift of $6 million from an anonymous donor for a 20,000-SF education facility and endowment for its new nursing program.

JBU was approved lin September by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing to begin recruiting students into the pre-nursing phase of the program to start in the fall of 2014. Completing the pre-nursing phase and the nursing program is expected to take, on average, about four years.

“We are immeasurably grateful for this gift that will enable JBU to train nurses to serve as critical caregivers and healers,” Dr. Chip Pollard, JBU president, said in a news release. “The profession of nursing aligns neatly with our core Christian value of serving our neighbors.”

Launching the nursing program is expected to cost about $10 million, according to the release.

Design work for the nursing facility will begin next year with construction beginning in 2015. The building will open for the fall semester of 2016 to welcome the first cohort of nursing majors.

Graduates of the program will hold a BSN (bachelor of science in nursing) degree.