A three-phase Health Sciences Initiative that could cost up to $110 million and take nine years to complete was approved by Indiana Wesleyan University Trustees at their April 1 meeting. A primary focus of the initiative would be the establishment of a School of Osteopathic Medicine.
“We propose that Indiana Wesleyan University will become the major evangelical Christian provider of health sciences education in the nation,” IWU President Henry Smith said.
Trustees approved $45 million for the first phase of the program, primarily for a new science and nursing facility that would connect by walkways to the current Burns Hall of Science and Nursing. The former College Wesleyan Church would be razed to provide a site for the new facility.
Phase one also would include three new health-related doctoral programs: a Doctor of Nursing Practice, a Doctor of Physical Therapy and an Occupational Therapy Doctorate. There also would be two new master’s degrees: a Master of Public Health/Global and Rural Health and a Master of Biomedical Science.
The College of Osteopathic Medicine could be launched in 2013 to 2016 as part of phase two, but Smith emphasized that is not guaranteed. “We can’t really say with confidence at this point that we will have school of medicine,” he said.
Looking further down the road, phase three could include doctoral programs in pharmacy and psychology and a master’s program in vocational rehabilitation counseling.
Smith said if IWU is able to complete the total project by 2020, it could mean an additional 700 undergraduate students for the residential campus in Marion and an additional $130 million in revenue for the University.