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News Release
July 25, 2007
Multi-Million Dollar Donations to Boise State will Help Fund
New Building for Nursing Education
Jim Kissler, CEO of Norco Inc., today presented Boise State University with
a $2 million gift on behalf of the Kissler Family Foundation. The $2 million
will be used toward construction of a new building that will house the
Department of Nursing and the Student Health Wellness and Counseling Center.
The Kissler Family Foundation gift was matched by $1 million gifts from both
Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center and St. Luke’s Health System. In
addition, generous support was given by Allen and Billie Noble, Ed and
Shirley Bews and the estate of Jody DeMeyer.
“Making the lead gift to the Nursing Building allowed our foundation and
Norco to achieve our goal of making a significant positive impact in the
state of Idaho,” Kissler said. “We hope the students that come here to learn
and later move into the field of health care will be a benefit to all of us
for many years to come.”
The four-story, $25 million building, expected to be completed in time for
the fall 2009 semester, will enhance the already strong relationship between
the College of Health Sciences and Health, Wellness and Counseling Services.
Co-locating these units will maximize opportunities to integrate classroom
learning, laboratory, clinical and internship experiences with research and
health care policy development for students, faculty and staff.
“The development of a healthy campus community recognizes the close
relationship between health and learning, focusing on the many components of
the student experience,” said Ferd Schlapper, executive director of Health,
Wellness and Counseling Services. “Integrating the Department of Nursing
with the Student Wellness Center will enhance the quality of the Boise State
learning environment for our students.”
The Kissler Family Foundation’s support will help provide additional
classrooms and laboratories for Boise State’s nursing program, allowing the
university to educate more nursing students and turn away fewer highly
qualified candidates, as well as providing additional opportunities for
research and clinical experiences. This is especially important in light the
severe nursing shortage that is predicted by the year 2020.
“This building is so critical to the nursing department,” said Pam Springer,
chair of the Nursing Department. “It will allow us the space we need to
increase admissions to the program by 30 percent. The simulation labs in the
new facility will give our students the opportunity to work with lifelike
manikins so students are well prepared when they arrive in the local health
care facilities. In addition, the synergy we will have with Health,
Wellness, and Counseling will allow us to have a larger impact on ensuring a
healthy campus.”
Norco Inc. is a Boise-based company that provides welding, safety and
homecare medical supplies.
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Contact: Jim Girvan, College of Health Sciences, (208) 426-3917,
jgirvan@boisestate.edu
Media Contact: Kathleen Craven, University Communications, (208)
426-3275, kcraven@boisestate.edu
Boise State University celebrates its 75th anniversary this fall. From its
founding on Sept. 6, 1932, the institution has evolved from a small
church-sponsored college in a downtown schoolhouse to a metropolitan
research university of distinction with about 19,000 students. Visit
boisestate.edu and click on the “75” button for more information.
The Office of Communications and Marketing - Boise State
University
1910 University Drive - Boise Idaho 83725-1030
Located in Capitol Village, 2225 W. University Drive
208-426-1577
(fax)208-426-4001
email
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Last reviewed on
Monday, August 27, 2007
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