BVU, Sunrise Retirement Community Join In Strategic Partnership
Through a collaboration with Buena Vista University, Sunrise Retirement Community offers educational benefits to its employees and their eligible family members.
Buena Vista University (BVU) and Sunrise Retirement Community have aligned as Strategic Partners, providing new opportunities to transform the communities both entities serve.
This partnership allows for employees of Sunrise Retirement Community, as well as eligible family members of full-time employees, to receive grant funding to lower the overall cost per credit hour while enrolled in BVU’s convenient online undergraduate programs or the organizational leadership graduate program. Partner grant funding also lowers the cost of education for students enrolled in classes at BVU’s Storm Lake campus.
“We view this Strategic Partnership as an excellent opportunity for our employees to advance their education,” says Anna Heller, Director of Fund Development and Marketing. “At Sunrise, we are proud to provide a wide range of educational opportunities for our team members. Our offerings include a CNA apprenticeship program, a nurse education loan program, and partnerships with local high schools and colleges to host clinicals. We also have a partnership with Grand Canyon University. Some of our students have been BVU students, and we look forward to growing that number through this partnership.”
Sunrise is a stand-alone, non-profit retirement community serving seniors in Sioux City since 1959, with a dedicated team of 230 employees. Sunrise offers a complete continuum of care, including independent living, affordable senior housing, Medicare-certified skilled nursing and rehabilitation, long-term nursing care, memory care, assisted living, and assisted living with memory support.
BVU has long enjoyed strong educational ties in and around Sioux City, home to Western Iowa Tech Community College, a campus that has collaborated with BVU for decades. Students enrolled in a program through Western Iowa Tech can seamlessly transfer their credits toward their bachelor’s degree at BVU. Students receive personalized support including admissions and enrollment counseling and academic advising right in Sioux City through BVU’s office on the Western Iowa Tech campus.
“We are incredibly excited to be adding this educational benefit to Sunrise Community Retirement,” says BVU Director of Strategic Partnerships Laura Todd. “Through tuition discounts for full-time employees and their eligible family members, we’re removing barriers to higher education and making it more attainable. This Strategic Partnership empowers their career advancement while nurturing personal growth, ultimately benefiting the wider community.”
For more information about BVU’s Strategic Partnerships and partner opportunities, please visit the BVU website at bvu.edu/strategic-partnerships or contact Strategic Partnerships at StrategicPartnerships@bvu.edu.