Gift to be matched through Johnson Academic Challenge, creating interdisciplinary position focused on character formation
Belmont University announced today that President Dr. Greg Jones and his wife Rev. Susan Pendleton Jones are investing even more deeply into the institution they lead, pledging $1.5 million to establish an endowed chair in formative education. The gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar through the Johnson Academic Challenge, creating a $3 million investment in faculty excellence focused on whole-person formation and character development. This morning's announcement comes as Belmont prepares for a special concert event tonight featuring Andrea Bocelli, Trisha Yearwood, CeCe Winans, Michael W. Smith, student musicians and special guests in a once-in-a-lifetime performance to launch the public phase of a historic new multi-year, comprehensive fundraising campaign.
“Greg and Susan are leading by example in the most powerful way –– investing in faculty excellence that directly serves our students,” said Milton Johnson, chairman of Belmont’s Board of Trustees. “Their gift, matched through the Johnson Academic Challenge, creates a $3 million investment in the kind of teaching and mentoring that will strengthen Belmont's mission for generations to come.”
The Susan Pendleton and L. Gregory Jones Chair in Formative Education will be an interdisciplinary position spanning the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and the College of Education, reflecting Belmont's commitment to integrating character formation across all facets of the student experience.
"The most important question in education isn't just 'What do students learn?' but 'Who do they become?'" said Dr. Greg Jones. "Character is at the heart of a Belmont education, and this endowed chair will ensure we continue to develop students who lead with wisdom, integrity and purpose. Susan and I believe that academic excellence and character formation go hand in hand — that's the kind of education that transforms lives and communities."
The endowed chair will enable a faculty member to pioneer innovative approaches to character formation across the university, drawing especially from the liberal arts and education. The position will advance teaching and mentoring practices that help students develop the virtues, wisdom and imagination needed to lead with integrity in an increasingly complex world.
"Forming students as people of character and purpose is sacred work," said Rev. Susan Pendleton Jones. "Belmont faculty do this beautifully, helping students discover not just what they can do, but who they're called to be. This chair strengthens that commitment and to our Christ-centered mission, and we're proud to invest in sustaining this mission for generations to come."
The gift is part of the Johnson Academic Challenge, a historic $30 million matching fund established by retired HCA Healthcare Chairman and CEO Milton Johnson and his wife Denice to create up to 20 endowed professorships across Belmont's 12 colleges. The Challenge matches donor commitments of $1.5 million to $3 million, creating a potential $60 million investment in faculty when fully realized.
The Jones' gift is among several major commitments recently secured during the quiet phase of a fundraising campaign that’s being publicly launched at this evening’s special concert event. Titled “Hope Transforms,” the campaign represents Belmont's bold vision for the future: to become the leading Christ-centered university in the world by forming leaders of character, unleashing transformational creativity and inspiring innovation that serves the common good.
Additional details on the campaign and other significant gifts will be announced in the days to come.
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