National University, among the largest private, nonprofit universities in California joins John F. Kennedy University at the Pleasant Hill campus to expand academic offerings for regional economic growth and student success; Both institutions are part of the National University System
Pleasant Hill, CA – National University, which is among the largest private, nonprofit universities in California, and John F. Kennedy University, which has been serving the East Bay community for more than 50 years, are pleased to announce the launch of the East Bay NU campus in Pleasant Hill. The introduction of NU East Bay will significantly expand academic offerings in the region, providing access to more than 120 programs through National University. Both private, nonprofit institutions are dedicated to serving the needs of diverse students, including working adults, and they are part of the San Diego-based National University System.
Through a unique co-location arrangement in Pleasant Hill, the two Universities will offer a wide array of programs ranging from bachelor’s and master’s degrees in specialties such as nursing and criminal justice administration to law degrees and a doctorate in Psychology, with the aim of better serving the East Bay region’s workforce needs. Both universities have a tradition serving students of diverse backgrounds, and are recognized as Hispanic Serving Institutions. As part of the National University System, each one is complementing and aligning programs that emphasize academic pathways, while accommodating the needs of working adults through a combination of online, on-site and hybrid programs.
“The National University System is dedicated to creating seamless, academic pathways and offering innovative approaches to support student success,” said National University System Chancellor Dr. Michael R. Cunningham. “Through the creation of NU East Bay, the National University System is leveraging our collective strengths to expand access to educational programs that are critical to the region’s long-term success.”
The new NU East Bay campus expands on earlier collaborative efforts between the two universities. To address a need for teachers in the East Bay, teacher education programs were made available this Spring at the Pleasant Hill campus by National University’s Sanford College of Education – which prepares more teachers for credentials in California than any other university.
“We are very pleased to be able to serve the East Bay community in new and exciting ways through the launch of the NU East Bay campus in Pleasant Hill,” said National University President David Andrews. “We welcome the partnership of John F. Kennedy University as we work even closer together to identify ways we can offer the most progressive and relevant programs to better serve the region’s educational needs.”
“John F. Kennedy University is excited to build on the effective collaborations that are already making a meaningful impact in supporting the region’s teachers, and to welcome National University to the East Bay,” said John F. Kennedy President Debra Bean. “We look forward to expanding on our programmatic strengths while working together to create even more educational opportunities that support student academic and professional advancement in innovative ways that fit with our region’s goals and needs.”
Both universities share similar roots and missions. National University was established in 1971 to serve the meets of adult learners and it now has more than twenty campuses, primarily in California – including one in nearby San Jose and Sacramento. The University offers students the opportunity to take classes at its locations or online, or through a hybrid combination, in a unique “one class per month” format through its four schools and two colleges. The University, a pioneer in online education, is now leading efforts to pilot new approaches to personalize higher education through an initiative called Precision Education—led by the Precision Institute at National University—that aims to utilize advanced technologies to create an integrated system that adapts to individual student learning styles, needs and interests.
John F. Kennedy University also traces its founding to serving the needs of diverse students and working adults, offering innovative and nationally-recognized programs, a collaborative learning environment and personalized attention to student needs. The University is highly regarded for strong psychology specialties, which include a PsyD program that is APA approved and a new Holistic Research Center, as well as its College of Law and is identifying other areas to expand on, such as its newly launched master’s degree in Innovation and Creative Technology.
Through the co-location, the NU East Bay campus will have a dedicated and prominent space at the Pleasant Hill location shared with John F. Kennedy University, with opportunities to build synergies that benefit faculty, staff, and students. The two universities will also combine resources to comprehensively support student success in such areas as career center offerings, library resources, and other focus areas already offered by John F. Kennedy University, such as its Veteran’s Center, Undergraduate Success Center, and the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at JFK University, which is an initiative that spans the National University System.
National University will offer educational programs that have been identified to fit with regional needs, with a special focus on strengthening the creation of academic degree pathways in collaboration with John F. Kennedy University. In addition to expanding the current teacher education programs being offered by National University in the East Bay, additional programs may serve the following specialties: nursing and health; law enforcement-related fields, such as criminal justice; finance; information systems; human resources; nonprofit leadership and public administration.
About the National University System
The National University System is a network of accredited nonprofit education institutions serving higher education and K-12 students that includes National University, John F. Kennedy University, City University of Seattle, and the Division of Pre-College Programs. Established in 2001 to meet the emerging challenges and demands of education in the 21st Century, the network’s complementary universities offer pathways for students to attain professional and terminal degrees through quality and innovative programs delivered in a format that is flexible to the needs of adult learners. The anchor institution, National University, was founded in in 1971 and is among the largest private, nonprofit institutions of higher education in California with more than 230,000 alumni.