Belmont University Receives Its Largest Donation In History
Nashville’s Belmont University announced it has received its largest donation in the school’s history: $15 million. The gift comes from the Ayers Foundation, established by Janet Ayers with her husband and FirstBank chairman Jim Ayers. It aims to sustain or significantly improve the quality of life in Tennessee through a variety of philanthropic initiatives, including college scholarships, medical services for children, pre-cancer detection and diagnosis research, and more. The donation is part of Belmont’s larges fundraising campaign in history, with the goal of raising $300 million by 2020, writes Nashville Public Radio.
Concordia University Ties Into The Economic Future of Milwaukee Region
Concordia University has developed a focus on producing a work force ready to build businesses and enhance the economy of the Milwaukee region, particularly through its CULaunch program. It mentors students on the basics of starting and building a business, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, including workshops, networking events and competitions. Students learn to write business plans, follow “lean start-up” principles, and prepare investor pitches, among other skills. The University also offers an MBA in Innovation and Entrepreneurship and is a member of The Commons, a collaboration between colleges in the area to provide students with opportunities to work with businesses in real-world settings.
Andrews University Gets Top Marks for Promoting Physical Activity
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has awarded Andrews University gold-level status for the emphasis it has put on the importance of physical exercise within its campus community, The Adventist Review reports. The first private university to receive the honor, Andrews was evaluated based on several criteria, including: making movement a part of daily campus culture, assessing physical activity at every student health visit, providing students with tools necessary to develop lifelong physical activity habits, and connecting university healthcare providers with university health fitness specialists to provide a referral system for exercise prescription.
President Starr Announces Appointment of L. Gregory Jones as Executive Vice President and Provost
Baylor University has announced L. Gregory Jones, Ph.D. will be its new Executive Vice President and Provost, appointed by President and Chancellor Ken Starr. He currently serves as senior strategist for leadership education at Duke Divinity School and the Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams Jr. Professor of Theology and Christian Ministry and has authored or edited 16 books. Jones’ wife, Susan Pendleton Jones will be joining the university as well as fellow in the Institute for Faith and Learning. She previously served as associate dean for ministerial formation at Duke Divinity School.
Why These US Christian Colleges Want Exemption From Transgender Anti-Discrimination Rules
There are approximately 70 Christian colleges and universities around the country that have applied to be exempted from Title IX, a statute which forbids discrimination on the grounds of sex, since 2009. The U.S. Dept. of Education has released a list of all the institutions because of “exceptional public demand for more information on this topic,” according to Christianity Today. Among them was Liberty University, which applied in light of a complaint about its Honor Code being discriminatory because it disciplined students who had abortions, which can only apply to women. Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary took issue with not being allowed to set rules regarding divisions traditionally based on birth-sex, such as housing, restrooms and locker rooms, and Louisiana College says it believes a person cannot change his/her birth sex and those individuals must be treated accordingly.
