Judson University has acquired Ambria College of Nursing in Hoffman Estates with plans to expand the Elgin-based school’s academic offerings to include associate and bachelor’s degrees in nursing.
Judson, a private, 4-year university located at 1151 N. State St., doesn’t currently have a nursing program, although it does offer a pre-medicine track under its mathematics and natural sciences departments, spokesman Christ Duffy said.
Purchasing the school will allow Judson to meet the increasing demand for a nursing program from prospective students and the need for more nurses by local employers, according to a news release. A sales prices was not disclosed.
“Through the Ambria College of Nursing at Judson University, we are pioneering a pathway for students to excel in health care and beyond, embodying values of our Christian faith through compassion, service and excellence,” Judson President Gene Crume said in the release.
Ambria is located at 5210 Trillium Blvd. in Hoffman Estates, about eight miles from Judson’s Elgin campus.
Judson also has a campus in Rockford, and currently offers 60 academic programs with a total enrollment of about 1,300 students. Ambria has already been incorporated into Judson’s website, www.judsonu.edu/ambria-college-of-nursing.
Ambria was founded in 2006 by Jon and Nicole Oliveros, who will continue to lead the program with its current faculty and staff when it becomes part of Judson, according to the release.
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With an enrollment of about 200 students, it produces 60 to 70 graduates from its registered nurse and licensed practical nurse programs annually.
“This acquisition is driven by shared values and proximity,” Jon Oliveros said in the release. “Through this partnership with Judson, we are passing the baton to a reputable university that will grow our mission of developing dedicated nurses who can make an immediate contribution to our community.”
Pending final regulatory approval, Ambria’s class of 2025 will earn degrees from Judson University, Duffy said. The U.S. Department of Education has not provided a timeline on when the regulatory approval will be finalized, he said.
Judson University, a nonprofit evangelical Christian school founded as Judson College in 1963, is named after American Baptist missionary Adoniram Judson, who became the first Protestant missionary sent from North America to preach in Burma, the school’s website said. It was renamed Judson University in 2007.
The 90-acre main campus in Elgin includes a chapel, athletic programs and the Demoss Center for Worship in the Performing Arts, the site said. There are four residence halls, each offering dorm suite-style housing options.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.