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Update: Students react to WMU's $100 million donation

Western Michigan University campus in Kalamazoo
(photo by Steve Carmody/Michigan Radio)
Western Michigan University campus in Kalamazoo

Students of Western Michigan University are reacting to the donation of $100 million dollars to Western Michigan University for their medical school. MLive reports:

A few hours after the announcement of a $100 million cash gift to jump-start Western Michigan University’s medical school, the event was replayed on a video kiosk inside the Bernhard Center and caught the attention of several students. “I think this is super awesome and I think it’s great for our university,” said sophomore Christina Newman, 20, of Clio. “I think it just really shows the support that our university has. It’s something to be really proud of.” Newman, along with sophomore Drew Everett, 19, of Portage, said they had tried to watch online Tuesday morning through a website set up by WMU but weren’t able to get a connection. They said computers at the Bernhard Center all were in use as students tried to watch an event the university had deemed “Operation Historic Moment.”Duvall, a communications major, said the new medical school will help WMU compete with more established medical programs at schools like the University of Michigan.

The new medical school is slated to open in either 2013 or 2014.

The gift was announced yesterday.

 

Original story:

Western Michigan University announced today that it has received $100 million in donation to start a new private medical school.  

John Dunn is Western Michigan’s president.   He says the new med school will work well with planned expansions of university medical schools in Michigan.

 “There is room there.  There is need there.  And we’re just very proud to be part of it.”

Dunn says WMU has been working on  plans to develop a new medical school for four years.   WMU hopes to open its School of Medicine in the fall of either 20-13 or 20-14.  The private hospital will be a joint partnership between Borgess HealthBronson Healthcare and the Western Michigan Foundation.    

 The  $100 million donation is one of the largest ever given to a public university in Michigan.  The anonymous donation is equal to the amount financier Stephen Ross gave to the University of Michigan to endow itsRoss School of Business.   

Steve Carmody has been a reporter for Michigan Public since 2005. Steve previously worked at public radio and television stations in Florida, Oklahoma and Kentucky, and also has extensive experience in commercial broadcasting.