Invoking the spirit of Gannon University’s founder, President Keith Taylor, Ph.D. announced a dramatic step into the University’s future: the opening of a campus in Ruskin, Fla.
"Seventy years after we received permission from the Commonwealth to offer degrees in Pennsylvania, we are moving forward in the spirit of our founder, Archbishop John Mark Gannon, by offering graduate degrees in Florida," Taylor told a large gathering in the Yehl Room on Oct. 30.
Gannon will offer graduate health professional programs at the new campus, which is located halfway between Tampa and Bradenton, Fla.
"The Ruskin campus leverages Gannon’s program strengths and capacity to deliver high-quality education"
The Florida site is an innovative response to the increasing demand for high-quality graduate education in disciplines that serve the rapidly expanding healthcare sector of the Florida economy. The additional site increases the opportunity for Gannon University students, prospective students and faculty to help meet the need for health professionals in a state where the population of both older persons and school-age persons is growing.
Watch the press conference announcing the new campus.
The additional site was also chosen for its congruence with Gannon University’s Mission and Catholic Identity. The University was encouraged to find open and eager partners within the Ruskin community, the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg and at potential sites for clinical and field placements.
"The Ruskin campus leverages Gannon’s program strengths and capacity to deliver high-quality education," said Taylor. "This initiative speaks to the academic, financial and organizational health of Gannon and our Erie campus into which we have invested $60 million in the last six years and intend to invest an additional $20-$25 million in the next three years."
"This investment is about our students and ensuring their access to exceptional education," Taylor said.