The University of Tennessee Chattanooga’s School of Nursing receives grant from Unum Group
Unum Group has granted $500,000 to the School of Nursing and has become the School of Nursing’s Premier Mental Health Partner.
The University of Tennessee Chattanooga has received a $500,000 grant from workplace benefit provider Unum Group. Alongside the grant, Unum Group has become the Premier Mental Health Partner to the School of Nursing, which will provide the School of Nursing with a number of benefits.
According to an article on The University of Tennessee Chattanooga’s website, Chancellor Steven R. Angle was quoted as saying of the grant, “As our community, like the rest of the country, suffers from a severe nursing shortage, we are thankful that Unum is investing in our campus and nursing program so we can meet this critical community need and grow our nursing program enrollment by more than 150% with this new facility.”
The partnership between The University of Tennessee Chattanooga and Unum Group will allow for the School of Nursing to make use of Unum Clinical team members as adjunct faculty members and Unum Group will contribute to mental health curriculum and training and support groups for nursing students.
The School of Nursing will soon begin operating within the Dorothy and Jim Kennedy Health Sciences Building, of which construction will begin later in 2024. Moving into the larger building will help the School of Nursing accommodate larger nursing class sizes, which means The University of Tennessee Chattanooga can have a larger impact in the community by providing additional qualified healthcare workers to the local communities. The building is expected to be completed in 2026.
With the combination of the partnership and grant from Unum Group and the larger building on its way to help gear up the output of the school’s nursing program, The University of Tennessee Chattanooga expects the community will feel the impact. Dr. Chris Smith, the director of the UTC School of Nursing, said, “The majority of our BSN graduates, 71%, remain in the Chattanooga area to work once they complete their degree, and this number jumps to 83% for our Family Nurse Practitioner graduates. This gift is a vital investment in our University, students and the quality of care our entire community needs.”
Liz Ahmed, who serves as Unum Group’s executive vice president of People and Communications, said of the partnership, “At Unum, we see the critical role nurses play in our customers’ journeys every day. Whether they are supporting patients through cancer treatments or helping new parents welcome their child into the world, nurses are vital to the health and wellbeing of our communities. Our investment in UTC’s nursing program ensures that the next generation of nursing students has the tools and resources they need to succeed now and into the future.”
For more information about The University of Tennessee Chattanooga, visit the school’s website.