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JU launches new era Sept. 4 with
dedication of College of Health
Sciences building
What:
Dedication of the new 30,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art
Jacksonville University College of Health Sciences building.
Invitation-only event and building tours open to media (use
hashtag #JUHealthSci for
pre-event and live tweets). General Contractor: Perry-McCall
Construction Inc.
When: 8 a.m.
Thursday, Sept. 4.
Where: Tree
canopy on the campus-side (westside) of the new CHS
building, immediately south of the Davis College of
Business, Jacksonville University, 2800 University Blvd. N.
Media parking in front row of Lot C in front of the Lazzara
Health Sciences Center, nearest to the new building. A map
is at http://www.ju.edu/images/park-walk-map.jpg.
Who:
Speakers include JU President Tim Cost; JU Health Sciences
Dean Dr. Christine Sapienza; JU Provost/Chief Academic
Officer Dr. Wenying Xu; Brooks Rehabilitation President and
CEO Doug Baer; and Baptist Health Senior Vice
President/Chief Nursing Officer Dr. Diane Raines.
Details: As
part of its $120 million ASPIRE comprehensive campaign,
Jacksonville University will dedicate its new College of
Health Sciences building. The project is a major part of a
larger, $20 million, phased plan to expand the college’s
facilities, programs, equipment and faculty to meet growing
demand. The facility houses the School of Nursing and the
School of Applied Health Sciences (Department of
Communication Sciences and Disorders; Department of
Kinesiology). Among its many amenities, it features
dedicated, reconfigurable and multipurpose learning
environments; event space and meeting rooms; a
state-of-the-art Simulation Training and Applied Research
(STAR) Center; an Advanced Novel Equipment Workspace (NEW)
speech pathology lab and Physically Active Lifestyles (PAL)
lab; an atrium with the campus’ only indoor water feature
and garden; open, clerestory lighting to bring in natural
daylight; student common areas and lounges; and wireless
technology throughout.
JU’s current College of
Health Sciences is bursting at the seams as demand for
medical professionals accelerates locally and nationally.
For example, student visits to its simulation labs have
jumped four-fold since 2008, to more than 1,200. The Fall
2014 undergraduate prelicensure nursing class will be the
largest yet, with 67 new students this fall, for a total of
260 total pre-licensure undergraduates.
There are currently about
1,650 students in the College of Health Sciences (about
1,150 of those online). With Nursing, Speech-Language
Pathology and Kinesiology program increases and new degrees,
enrollment is projected to rise as much as 30 percent over
the next several years.
To date for 2014, our Nursing
graduates had a 96.72% passing rate on the National Council
Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN® exam). The National NCLEX-RN
pass rate is 88.74% to date for 2014. The Florida NCLEX-RN
pass rate is 77.47% to date for 2014.
Background:
JU recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of the
Jacksonville University Nursing Program. Since beginning in
1983 in partnership with Baptist Memorial Hospital, now
Baptist Medical Center, this premiere nursing program has
produced more than 2,800 graduates. The vast majority of
these graduates have remained, and are working productively,
in the Jacksonville area. In the last 30 years, there have
been more than 1,000 pre-licensure BSN graduates alone from
the School of Nursing.
JU offers bachelor’s,
master’s and doctorates in Nursing. In addition to the
School of Nursing, the CHS includes the School of Applied
Health Sciences (Department of Communication Sciences and
Disorders; Department of Kinesiology) and the School of
Orthodontics. The CHS has added a Bachelor of Science in
Kinesiology, and its Master of Science in Speech-Language
Pathology (MS SLP) started this fall. It also has an MSN
Leadership in the Healthcare System program. In addition,
the College of Health Sciences is developing and offering
several new master’s degree programs that target critically
needed areas such as health informatics (anticipated fall
2015), and it is exploring other areas related to health
science, including health policy and rehabilitation
outcomes. A Masters of Kinesiology degree program is also
planned.
JU feeds high-quality job
candidates into the region, who stay in the area in high
numbers, at high-paying jobs. Its first doctoral class
(Doctor of Nursing Practice) graduated in May 2014, and its
Emergency Nurse Practitioner program is one of just five in
the United States.
The College of Health
Sciences recently announced as its new Dean national leader
Dr. Christine Sapienza, previously CHS Associate Dean. Prior
to arriving at JU in 2013, she was chair for eight years of
the University of Florida’s highly ranked department of
Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences.
More information:
Phillip Milano, Director of News and Publications,
Jacksonville University,
pmilano@ju.edu , (904) 256-7042.
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