$750,000 grant received from MJ Murdock Charitable Trust

The MJ Murdock Charitable Trust has awarded NNU a $750,000 grant that is designated specifically for technology development in NNU’s new Learning Commons.

Partnering with the University to provide the most innovative and up-to-date technology for the new Learning Commons, the MJ Murdock Charitable Trust continues its legacy of investing in the educational well-being of the future. The Trust seeks to enrich the quality of life in the Pacific Northwest by providing grants and enrichment programs to non-profit organizations that seek to strengthen the region’s educational, spiritual and cultural base in creative and sustainable ways.

“We are pleased that the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust has chosen to partner with us by providing this top-off grant toward the funding of the  Learning Commons,” said NNU’s Vice President for University Advancement Joel Pearsall.  “With this commitment, NNU has 65 percent of the total cost of the Learning Commons project in-hand or committed.”

Initial planning for the Learning Commons began spring 2008, and since that time  a design for a comprehensive, tech-savvy facility that will meet the growing demand of students and faculty as well as the community as a whole has been developed.  Building the Commons is in response to the way technology has dramatically reshaped how students and faculty learn and teach.

Additionally, the new facility will provide joint service desks, an increased number of computer workstations and dedicated student lab space, extended service hours and integration of learning resource units that includes the Library staff, Technology and Media Resources, Information Technology, E-Learning Services, the Academic Support Center, and Advising and Testing.

With a focus on technology, the Learning Commons is intended to become the intellectual hub of the campus by supporting and enhancing both student and faculty learning year-round.