July 24, 2023
The gift will fund construction and equipment for the Nursing program
The IBC Foundation has awarded St. Mary’s University a four-year gift totaling $1 million for start-up costs associated with the University’s planned Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, including constructing the new IBC Foundation Nursing Wing.
The Nursing program will be housed on the third floor of the state-of-the-art, 30,000-square-foot Blank Sheppard Innovation Center, which is under construction and slated for completion in 2024.
The Nursing major is expected to begin enrolling students in Fall 2024, pending approval by the Texas Board of Nursing and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
“Through this generous gift, the IBC Foundation will make possible many life-changing educational moments for St. Mary’s University students,” said President Thomas M. Mengler, J.D. “Students learning in this new wing will benefit from in-depth training — replicating real-life health care scenarios — which they will rely on throughout their nursing careers. At St. Mary’s, we believe this IBC Foundation gift will literally save lives.”
President Thomas M. Mengler, J.D.“Through this generous gift, the IBC Foundation will make possible many life-changing educational moments for St. Mary’s University students.”
The 10,000-foot IBC Foundation Nursing Wing will include a flexible lab space, a seven-bed clinical skills lab, four simulation suites and faculty offices.
“Education is the cornerstone of progress. We know our contribution to the St. Mary’s University Nursing program will provide the foundation upon which dreams take flight. Each investment we make to education not only nurtures minds but also shapes a brighter future for generations to come. This new nursing facility will fortify our critical need for more health care providers,” said Dennis E. Nixon, IBC Foundation President. “At IBC, we live by our mantra of doing more for projects that channel resources into education, that empower individuals with knowledge, equip them with skills, and ignite a chain reaction of transformative change through our support.”
The IBC Foundation gift will help fund:
- Construction of the Nursing wing, as well as IT and audio-visual infrastructure
- Medical mannikins and other reality-enhancing technology and equipment
- Additional equipment, furniture and start-up supplies for the program
Graduates of the Nursing program will help to close the critical gap in the regional health care system. Predictions show that Texas will need 50,000 more nurses by 2033, including 10,000 new nurses in Central and South Texas, according to the Texas Department of Health Services.
“The generosity of the IBC Foundation has enabled St. Mary’s University with the exceptional opportunity to launch a Nursing program in a space specifically designed for this specialized study,” said Donna M. Badowski, DNP, Vice Dean and Founding Director of Nursing. “We are all beyond grateful for this life-changing gift.”