President Mark Nemec of Fairfield University said that the new campus in Austin which was opened on June 5, will bring not only a quality education, but also a Jesuit education. In a press release from the university on June 7, Nemec said he is excited to open a campus where there are no other institutions of Jesuit higher education.
“Fairfield is bringing to this community a first-class clinical education,” President Nemec said. “One that brings health professionals to the highest standards of inquiry and knowledge—but it also brings with it a Jesuit way of proceeding.”
Community Impact reported the university offers a 15-month nursing program.
According to the press release, Fairfield University celebrated the completion of its new Austin, Texas campus with a grand opening ceremony. The event introduced the campus to the local community, including Texas-based alumni and community partners. Attendees toured the 21-bed simulation center, featuring various simulated rooms and facilities. This expansion establishes a nursing pathway through Fairfield University and addresses national healthcare needs. The Austin campus offers an accelerated nursing program for students with non-nursing bachelor's degrees, as nursing employment opportunities are projected to grow by 15 percent in the next decade. At the completion of the program, students are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX) to become registered nurses.
Community Impact reported the classrooms offer labs, home care suites, and a 21-bed simulation center.
According to the Austin Chamber, Fairfield University was welcomed to Austin by Charisse Bodisch of the Austin Chamber of Commerce who emphasized the growing need for nurses in the greater Austin area. She said, “What you are doing with the Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies is very important to our entire region, our residents and our companies...We need more entering these fields and the work and education you do here will have meaningful impact.”
The tuition costs $53,500.
According to the Austin Chamber, Bodisch said that the Austin metro region currently has a total of 82,300 individuals working in healthcare fields. Of these, 51,300 individuals are employed as healthcare practitioners or in technical healthcare roles. The remaining 31,000 individuals work in healthcare support occupations.
Britannica explained Jesuit is a religious order starting in 1540.
According to the press release, President Nemec said that Fairfield is a Catholic Jesuit University, and as such “seeks to be a model for others...to find broader student populations in ever more innovative ways” and “to seek those populations where the need is great, and the population is growing.”
To learn more about the university, call 203-404-1739 or email austinnursing@fairfield.edu.
According to the press release, Fairfield's Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies has earned national recognition, including being ranked among the Best Undergraduate Nursing Programs by U.S. News & World Report. The school was ranked #76 out of nearly 700 schools, placing it in the top 11% nationally. Additionally, the article said it was listed at #73 among the Best Graduate Schools for both Master's degrees and #74 among Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees. The Egan School was also in the top 5 percent for Niche's 2023 Best Colleges for Nursing in America, placing at #29.