JBU Receives Schmieding Foundation Grant for Academic Success Center
John Brown University received a $500,000 grant from the Schmieding Foundation to support the second Learning Resource Center renovation project, which includes revamping the university library and bringing together multiple student services in a new academic center.
Upon completion of the project, JBU will name the new center the Schmieding Foundation Academic Success Center in recognition of the gift, paid over three years.
“We are deeply grateful for the Schmieding Foundation’s support of student success at JBU,” said Chip Pollard, president of JBU. “Their ongoing partnership has been instrumental in advancing our mission, and we are honored to name our new Academic Success Center in recognition of their commitment.”
LRC Project Two, a $10.6 million renovation that began May 12, will condense the library and move it to the second floor to better reflect the shift to digital resources. The first floor will become the new Schmieding Foundation Academic Success Center, a centralized hub for student services— including the ITS help desk, academic support, tutoring and writing labs, and intercultural engagement spaces.
The updated facility will also include a new location for Ground Floor Coffee, JBU’s student-run coffee shop, and replace outdated mechanical systems to improve building efficiency.
Renovations are scheduled to be completed by summer 2026, and the new center will open to students in August of that year.
The Schmieding Foundation has also supported past JBU projects, including the Schmieding Foundation Finance & Data Analytics Lab in the Soderquist College of Business and the Schmieding Foundation Commuter Lounge for JBU students who do not live in on-campus housing.
To learn more about the project, visit jbu.edu/steadfast-faith/lrc.
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 42 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers over 50 undergraduate majors, with top programs including nursing, psychology, business, computer science, construction management, graphic design, family and human services, and engineering. Eighteen graduate degrees are available in business, counseling, cybersecurity, and education.
