MEQUON, Wis. – Concordia University Wisconsin officials today announced a “lead gift” of $1 million from Shopko for their new School of Pharmacy scheduled to begin with the 2010-2011 academic year.

Mike MacDonald, the chairman and CEO of Shopko and Mike Bettiga, executive vice president of the Retail Health Services for Shopko, presented the donation to the University.

“Shopko is proud to be giving the first gift for the creation of Concordia’s new Pharmacy School, said Mike Bettiga, Executive Vice President of Retail Health Services. Shopko was founded by a pharmacist over 46 years ago, and pharmacy has been pivotal to our business ever since.”

“We understand the vital role pharmacists play in their communities, which is why we are making this investment in both a future generation of pharmacists, and a long-term contribution to the health and well-being of the communities they will serve.”

According to former State Representative Curt Gielow, the new executive dean for Concordia’s new school of Pharmacy, “We are profoundly thankful to Shopko for this lead gift.  Their interest in growing the pharmacists’ pool for their many store locations matches the CUW mission to provide a practitioner pharmacist for urban and rural Wisconsin.  We applaud them for their foresights in assisting us accomplish this mutual goal.”

“We are hopeful that the Shopko lead gift will attract others to further assist us in reaching the goal of starting this pharmacy school by the 2010-2011 academic year.”

Concordia’s preliminary plan for the new Pharmacy program is to have it be based on a two/four model with students taking a minimum of two years of pre-pharmacy courses before being accepted and entering into the four year professional Pharmacy program. Students who complete the preliminary two years of pre-pharmacy and first two years of the four year professional pharmacy program would receive a Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Those who complete the entire program will graduate with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

Concordia is planning to accept approximately 50-75 students per class. Admission requirements and tuition rates are still being finalized. Currently, the state’s only pharmacy school is located at the University of Wisconsin Madison. Annually, the school graduates approximately 130 students; however, between 300 and 400 applicants apply to the program each year.

Nationally, there are just over 100 accredited pharmacy schools.

According to Concordia’s President Rev. Dr. Patrick T. Ferry, the next steps for the school include continuing to garner community and corporate interest, taking the first steps in the national accreditation process, assembling the Pharmacy School Administrative and Faculty team and finalizing building plans for the school.