The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing is proud to offer the advantage of incredible resources to our students and the community, however, our success would not be possible without the support of our friends and alumni whose kindness is paving the way for future OU nurses. Through giving to the OU College of Nursing, you’re not just making a donation to an educational institution, you’re investing in the future of health care. Your donation enables the College to provide a wide-range of resources to our students and faculty, such as scholarships, research funds, faculty support, hands-on clinical experience, classroom improvements and leadership opportunities outside the classroom.

Charitable support from our donors becomes more important each year as the financial needs of our students grow along with the need to update facilities, technology, and other classroom equipment. Friends of the College can support our mission through various forms of giving.

Established in 2011 to mark the OU College of Nursing’s Centennial, the Dean’s Leadership Circle is a select group of friends and passionate alumni whose participation makes a tremendous difference in the success of our college. To join, participants must pledge an annual donation of $1,000 or more. Members of the Dean’s Leadership Circle will receive invitations to special events at the College and semi-annual briefs of College achievements. Click here for more information about the Dean's Leadership Circle program.

Contributions to the College of Nursing Enrichment Fund allow the Dean to address critical issues and pursue opportunities to enrich the College’s academic mission. Annual contributions to the OU College of Nursing help deserving students meet the financial challenges of funding their education. The availability of student scholarships and fellowships helps ensure the College remains competitive in attracting the best and brightest students each year.

The Annual Giving Fund also provides support for:

• Leadership development activities for students and faculty
• Instructional materials and equipment for the professional practice areas and simulation labs
• Student travel funds for state and national conferences
• Guest speakers
• Student scholarships
• Faculty development and pilot grants
• Support for special projects and programs
• Global Learning initiatives

Scholarships remain a top priority for the college of Nursing. As tuition continues to rise, the College must increase its support of students with both merit and need based awards. Scholarships allow us to attract the best and brightest students at all levels of our program. By contributing to an established scholarship, or starting one of your own, you're making a lasting investment in future nursing leaders.

Scholarship endowments can be created with a gift of at least $10,000 - which will support one $500 award each year. A fully funded endowed scholarship typically begins with an endowment of $25,000 - and these gifts toward endowments can be made over a period of five years. Endowed scholarships can be restricted to a particular program or type of student - or left unrestricted to be used in the area with the greatest need. 

In order to remain a top nursing school, we must have adequate funds to support our faculty. Support for faculty includes leadership development opportunities, as well as funds for research projects aimed at improving healthcare in our community. The quality of our faculty is the foundation upon which academic excellence is built. Private gifts to establish endowed faculty chairs and professorships are key to recruiting, retaining and rewarding outstanding faculty.

Endowed Professorships can be established with a gift of $500,000 - while an Endowed Chair can be established with gifts of $1,000,000 or greater. These gifts can be paid over a five year pledge period. To find out more about supporting faculty at the OU College of Nursing through an endowed faculty position, or other opportunities to provide support, please click here to contact the Development Office.