Fox on the Road: John Brown University
By: Rebecca Jeffrey
Updated: January 2, 2013
John Brown University, a college known for its intimate, faith-based curriculum, is making headlines across the country.
"We've just been named the number one top value in US News and World Report," Vice President of Student Development and Facility Services, Dr. Stephen Beers said.
JBU is also ranked number 2 among similar universities in the entire southern region.
"The stature of the institution, the academic rigor has continued to grow as well and so we've done a lot of work making sure that our programs are ranked in the top in the region, but also in the United States," Beers said.
Academics isn't the only area of growth. The 2,400 student body is expanding, so for about 10 years now, construction has been constant.
"We are growing. The campus has close to a million square feet of buildings and out of the last 10 years around 60 to 65 percent of those buildings are new or significantly renovated."
The newest addition? A 17-thousand square foot banquet hall.
"We needed an additional space to both house and feed our students, but also to provide local groups to use for banquets."
They need room to eat and sleep. So construction on two new apartments are also underway. All current projects are to be complete in time for the fall semester.
But at JBU, it's not just about creating new, but sustaining the old.
"We believe we are the first college, university in the state of Arkansas to be zero landfill. And what that means, we've doubled, tripled our recycling efforts and none of the waste that leaves our campus ends up in a landfill."
Something the University can be proud of and the state will benefit from .
"It's a great academic institution but it's academic with a purpose and that's to go out and make a difference in the world."
"We've just been named the number one top value in US News and World Report," Vice President of Student Development and Facility Services, Dr. Stephen Beers said.
JBU is also ranked number 2 among similar universities in the entire southern region.
"The stature of the institution, the academic rigor has continued to grow as well and so we've done a lot of work making sure that our programs are ranked in the top in the region, but also in the United States," Beers said.
Academics isn't the only area of growth. The 2,400 student body is expanding, so for about 10 years now, construction has been constant.
"We are growing. The campus has close to a million square feet of buildings and out of the last 10 years around 60 to 65 percent of those buildings are new or significantly renovated."
The newest addition? A 17-thousand square foot banquet hall.
"We needed an additional space to both house and feed our students, but also to provide local groups to use for banquets."
They need room to eat and sleep. So construction on two new apartments are also underway. All current projects are to be complete in time for the fall semester.
But at JBU, it's not just about creating new, but sustaining the old.
"We believe we are the first college, university in the state of Arkansas to be zero landfill. And what that means, we've doubled, tripled our recycling efforts and none of the waste that leaves our campus ends up in a landfill."
Something the University can be proud of and the state will benefit from .
"It's a great academic institution but it's academic with a purpose and that's to go out and make a difference in the world."
