School of Nursing at Concordia University Ann Arbor getting upgrades and a name change, along with additional scholarship opportunities

Ronald and Marvel Jones first became involved with Concordia University Ann Arbor in 2018, after touring the university at the invitation of fellow church member, and Dean of Students at CUAA, Rev. John Rathje. Shortly after that first visit, the Joneses made their first gift to the university. This year, the couple builds on their history of giving by funding programs to provide financial support to students, as well as helping to launch the Center for Simulation & Innovation, a learning environment that will house advanced medical training systems.

The Joneses met Dr. Cindy Fenske that first day they toured CUAA. Dr. Fenske is the assistant vice president of academics at the university. In a release from CUAA announcing the name change, Ronald Jones spoke about Dr. Fenske and the advancement of the nursing program, and why he feels compelled to donate, "Marvel and I have been very blessed over the years and we pray daily that we can be a blessing to others. Dr. Fenske and her team have been amazing in growing Concordia's nursing program and developing a Christ-centered education for the students."

Dr. Fenske is eager to increase the university's capacity to provide advanced technologies in support of student learning. One tool the university wants to incorporate is an augmented reality (AR) system which can be used to enhance patient care simulation exercises performed by students in their training. As Dr. Fenske explained, "Our current simulation center already sets our nursing program apart. Ron and Marvel's generous gift will help us expand our experiential learning offerings and create opportunities for more interprofessional collaborations to take place."

Speaking about the decision to rename the building that houses the nursing program at CUAA, Rev. Dr. Ryan Peterson, vice president of administration, said, "Our university is deeply grateful for the transformational gifts of the Joneses that will continue to make a difference in our students lives, and prepare them for uncommon lives of service, compassion, integrity and excellence, which are the core values of the Ronald and Marvel Jones School of Nursing."

When it opens, the Center for Simulation & Innovation will serve the entire student body. The technology is expected to be incorporated into the curricula of multiple departments. The AR system is expected to provide useful for many other simulated activities as well, such as interactive anatomy and physiology models, active crime scene models, and classroom emergency scenarios.