JBU News & Information

SILOAM SPRINGS, Arkansas (Sept. 30, 2022) – On Thursday, Sept. 22, John Brown University held a dedication for The Schmieding Foundation Commuter Student Lounge inside Walker Student Center.

The dedication featured presentations from the Coordinator of Student Success Rob Rostoni, former Coordinator for Commuter Life Yamilet Lopez, current Coordinator for Commuter Life Maribel Santillan, Vice President for University Advancement Jim Krall and a closing prayer by the Vice President of Student Development Steve Beers.

”The commuter lounge is a wonderful space for our current, and future, commuters to relax, fellowship, study and have a home away from home," Rostoni said. "We desire our commuters to thrive at JBU, and this space is an important part of our overall Commuter Life initiatives”

The space, made possible in part by The Schmieding Foundation, is available to the 405 commuters that attend JBU. The new space includes new furniture, a large group table, a charging station, lockers for students and a full kitchen area.

To learn more about the lounge and commuter life on campus, please visit jbu.edu/student-life/commuters/.

John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Arkansas’ top-ranked university (The Wall Street Journal) and top-ranked regional university (U.S. News), JBU enrolls more than 2,200 students from 36 states and 38 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers 50 undergraduate majors, with top programs including nursing, psychology, kinesiology, engineering, construction management, family and human services, and graphic design. Eighteen graduate programs are available in business, counseling, cybersecurity, education and higher education.

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SILOAM SPRINGS, Arkansas (Sept. 26, 2022) – John Brown University announces the creation of the Intellectual Virtues Program, housed at JBU's Center for Faith and Flourishing, thanks to a $390,000 grant award from the John Templeton Foundation.

Intellectual virtues are qualities and character strengths required for good thinking and learning, such as curiosity, fairmindedness, honesty and courage.

The program provides resources to form communities of practice among faculty, revise curriculum, and provide training and resources that promote the cultivation of intellectual virtues among the university's undergraduate student body. The IVP aims to positively change the culture among students and faculty at JBU, so that intellectual virtue education is enthusiastically embraced at the university.

“I am excited about how this program will extend the intellectual virtues education begun in our new student Gateway seminar to other parts of the university," said Matt Wilson, assistant professor of philosophy and program director. "Our faculty are enthusiastic about forming communities of practice to explore how we can improve our curriculum and pedagogy together. The program’s other activities will support those curricular efforts and further embed the intellectual virtues into our institutional culture.”

According to their mission, "the John Templeton Foundation funds research and catalyzes conversations that inspire people with awe and wonder.”

”We are very grateful to the John Templeton Foundation for this grant," said Jay Bruce, director of the Center for Faith and Flourishing. "I’m confident this program will enhance the lives of JBU faculty and students and help us flourish.”

The Intellectual Virtues Program will kick off its first community of practice on Oct. 3 with JBU honors program faculty. More information can be found at www.jbuvirtue.org.

John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Arkansas’ top-ranked university (The Wall Street Journal) and top-ranked regional university (U.S. News), JBU enrolls more than 2,200 students from 36 states and 38 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers 50 undergraduate majors, with top programs including nursing, psychology, kinesiology, engineering, construction management, family and human services, and graphic design. Eighteen graduate programs are available in business, counseling, cybersecurity, education and higher education.

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SILOAM SPRINGS, Arkansas (Sept. 12, 2022) –U.S. News named John Brown University the top-ranked regional university in Arkansas for the seventh consecutive year.

In the 2023 U.S. News Best College Rankings, JBU ranked No. 16 out of 135 regional universities in the South. Other Arkansas schools on the list included Arkansas Tech University (No. 70), Southern Arkansas University (No. 94) and Henderson State University.

“It’s gratifying to have JBU’s commitment to academic excellence recognized by national rankings such as U.S. News,” said Dr. Ed Ericson, JBU vice president for academic affairs. “For over 100 years, JBU has focused on preparing well-rounded, Christ-centered leaders that are ready to impact the world for Christ.”

Within the Regional Universities (South) rankings, JBU was named No. 19 Best Value, No. 32 Best Colleges for Veterans and No. 49 for Social Mobility.

JBU’s engineering program was ranked No. 110 among U.S. universities without a doctoral engineering program.

U.S. News & World Report is widely recognized as a leader in higher education rankings and a key resource for a student’s college search. To determine its rankings, U.S. News evaluates graduation and student retention rates, class size, student-to-faculty ratio, SAT and ACT scores, alumni giving rate and peer assessment.

John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Arkansas’ top-ranked university (The Wall Street Journal) and top-ranked regional university (U.S. News), JBU enrolls more than 2,200 students from 36 states and 38 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers 50 undergraduate majors, with top programs including nursing, psychology, kinesiology, engineering, construction management, family and human services, and graphic design. Eighteen graduate programs are available in business, counseling, cybersecurity, education and higher education.

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SILOAM SPRINGS, Arkansas (June 7, 2022) – John Brown University announced today the appointment of Rosemary Flaaten as executive director of the university’s Center for Healthy Relationships (CHR).

Flaaten, who begins her role Sept. 26, has spent two decades helping people build healthy marriages and interpersonal relationships through pastoral, teaching and consultancy work with churches, colleges and universities, government agencies and nonprofit organizations.

An international speaker on the topics of healthy relationships, marriage, spiritual formation, pastoral approaches, leadership development, sexuality and cultural issues, Flaaten has ministered in Haiti, India, South Africa, Mali, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, Cuba, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S.

“I am grateful and excited that Rosemary Flaaten will be the new executive director,” JBU President Chip Pollard said. “She has written books and spoken around the world about the importance of a biblical-informed understanding and practice of healthy relationships. She has also led workshops for a wide variety of audiences – including couples, singles, students and women’s groups on how to live out these values in day-to-day life. Rosemary will bring vision, energy and a deep love of Christ to her leadership of CHR. We look forward to her joining JBU.”

Since 2012, Flaaten has held adjunct faculty roles at a variety of institutions including Ambrose University, Alberta Bible College, Rocky Mountain College and Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute. While teaching classes in spiritual formation, biblical leadership, the practice of prayer and healthy sexuality, Flaaten has mentored and counseled students and spoken in chapel services.

“I am so excited to be moving to Northwest Arkansas to join the team at CHR,” says Flaaten. “It is an honor to be selected to build on its strong heritage and take the Center to the next stage of servicing JBU, NWA and beyond. I see the Center as a hub where everyone in the community has access to biblically-based resources that will help them build strong and healthy relationships. Whether it is thriving as a single person, developing robust marriages that can flourish at every stage or cultivating families that are full of grace and love, my vision is that the CHR will make a difference in God’s kingdom through each person we impact. I look forward to serving God through the CHR in this community.”

Flaaten is completing a Doctor of Ministry from Denver Seminary and holds a Master of Arts in Christian Counseling from American Christian College & Seminary and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Calgary. She is a member of the Christian Pastoral Caregivers Association and a licensed minister with the Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada.

Flaaten has been published in a variety of mediums. Her first book, “A Woman and Her Relationships: Transforming the Way We Connect,” won a Word Guild Award and is a Canadian bestseller while her second, “A Woman and Her Workplace”, went on to be published in Spanish as “La  Mujer en su Lugar de Trabajo”.

Flaaten and her husband Norlee have three adult children. They are looking forward to enjoying all that NWA has to offer, especially building new friendships and the outdoor pursuits of cycling, kayaking and hiking.

The Center for Healthy Relationships was founded in 1998 by Gary Oliver, Ph.D., to educate, equip and enrich people for developing healthy relationships through consulting, education, enrichment, resources, research and assessment. CHR serves college students, churches and the public with its relationship skills services that are directed toward singleness, marriage preparation, marriage enrichment and family and parenting skills. Oliver, who has served as executive director since its inception, is exiting the role but will continue to serve JBU as the Dr. Gary J. Oliver Endowed Chair.

John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Arkansas’ top-ranked university (The Wall Street Journal) and top-ranked regional university (U.S. News), JBU enrolls more than 2,200 students from 37 states and 48 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers more than 40 undergraduate majors, with top programs including nursing, psychology, kinesiology, engineering, biology, family and human services, and graphic design. Eighteen graduate programs are available in business, counseling, cybersecurity, education and higher education.

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SILOAM SPRINGS, Arkansas (April 14, 2022) – On Tuesday, April 13, John Brown University's Soderquist College of Business revealed The Togami Center for Innovation to the public. The center, named after longtime JBU professor Kai Togami and his wife Wendy Soderquist-Togami, is now open to students on the JBU campus.

The space features brand-new movable whiteboards, a focus group room and spaces for business students to conduct interviews with potential clients. The center, while open to all students, focuses on giving business students an area for entrepreneurship and innovation.

The dedication featured presentations from Togami and Soderquist-Togami; Ryan Ladner, dean of the Soderquist College of Business; Eva Fast, assistant professor of entrepreneurship and marketing; and some former students who shared stories and experiences from their time at JBU.

"The benefit of having a space where the whole campus can come and work together is really special," Togami said. "Whether it's ENACTUS or the business students I've seen grow up giving back, that's the power when we stop thinking about ourselves."

Attendants then toured the inside of The Togami Center for Innovation on the second floor of the Soderquist Business Center.

"In my time at JBU I've followed a very simple equation," Soderquist-Togami said. "If I can get JBU students to think critically and I can get them in a room together, I can throw any problem at them and they will find a solution, and that's what we hope will happen here."

John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Arkansas’ top-ranked university (The Wall Street Journal) and top-ranked regional university (U.S. News), JBU enrolls more than 2,200 students from 37 states and 48 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers more than 40 undergraduate majors, with top programs including nursing, psychology, kinesiology, engineering, biology, family and human services, and graphic design. Eighteen graduate programs are available in business, counseling, cybersecurity, education and higher education.

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SILOAM SPRINGS, Arkansas (March 9, 2022) – Ted Song, chief diversity officer and associate professor of engineering at John Brown University, has been selected as a Leading with Excellence award honoree by the Black Action Collective. 

Song was recognized as the winner of the Dr. David & Pattie Williams Ally Award, an award that recognizes the work to uplift and build a better future for African American and underserved communities.

“We are so grateful for Dr. Ted Song’s leadership at JBU and throughout Northwest Arkansas because he calls us to a biblical understanding of diversity and to strive to achieve it through our actions," said JBU President Chip Pollard. "Ted is well-deserving of this award for bringing together and supporting people from 'every nation, tribe, people and language' to help us better reflect the Kingdom of God.”

The Black Action Collective was founded in 2014 and works to educate and connect a multicultural collective of people to mobilize resources, ideas and projects to strengthen opportunities for the black community in Fayetteville, Northwest Arkansas and beyond. 

"I am deeply grateful to be recognized by the Black Action Collective," Song said. "I look forward to working with others to make our community even more hospitable, where all people can thrive by God’s grace."

The third annual Leading with Excellence awards gala took place on February 26, celebrating Black citizens and allies making a positive change in NWA.

Song joined JBU in 2012 and was promoted to chief diversity officer in 2021.

John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Arkansas’ top-ranked university (The Wall Street Journal) and top-ranked regional university (U.S. News), JBU enrolls more than 2,200 students from 37 states and 48 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers more than 40 undergraduate majors, with top programs including nursing, psychology, kinesiology, engineering, biology, family and human services, and graphic design. Eighteen graduate programs are available in business, counseling, cybersecurity, education and higher education.

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