MCC gets go-ahead for nursing program (with video) 4-year degrees will be offered in 2010

Sara Kennedy

Mar. 19, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- The state Board of Education Tuesday unanimously approved Manatee Community College's plan to offer a four-year nursing program slated to begin in 2010, officials said.

The board, meeting in Tallahassee, found that MCC's proposal met all requirements, and gave the go-ahead after a presentation by MCC President Lars A. Hafner.

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The community college currently only offers two-year degree programs. Its first four-year bachelor of science in nursing degree program is expected to debut in January 2010 with an inaugural class of 75. The college expects 150 additional students in each academic year through 2013, officials said.

The college's delegation was accompanied by a group of local hospital administrators and nursing educators who supported its proposal. The group drew praise from the board, which was impressed by the strong community support MCC enjoyed, said Kathy Walker, a spokeswoman for the college.

Part of the presentation during the meeting came from a report written by a team of educators that evaluated MCC's plan. They concluded that MCC's program would address "issues of quality care and workforce demand" by increasing the supply of nurses for the local job market; promote advancement within health care organizations; provide more career pathways for employees in the health care industry; and potentially reduce a "critical shortage of nursing faculty."

The report found that each of MCC's two full-service campuses at Bradenton and Venice offer an academic resource center that can aid students with access to general education and nursing classes, and lab facilities large enough to support both the two-year and four-year programs.

Hafner, reached after the meeting, said buoyantly, "We're excited." He called local support for the plan "absolutely critical in this process."

"It showed we responded to the community's needs," he said.

Asked what the board's decision will mean in the long run, Hafner replied that it changes the scope of higher education in the area.

"Now that we can offer a four-year degree, it will allow us to meet the workforce demands in our area," he said.

"Our job is to do what's right for our community."

He said money to launch the new nursing program will come from state appropriations, tuition and private money from hospitals, health care providers and individuals. He declined to state a figure, saying the amount depends upon how fast the program grows.

The inaugural class of nursing students will number about 50-75, he said.

Sara Kennedy, Herald reporter, can be reached at (941) 708-7908 or at skennedy@bradenton.com.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0027-33188385