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<\/a> students,\u201d said 糖心直播 President, Dr. Jesse Smith. \u201cThe end goal is to have more health care professionals in every community. There\u2019s no better way to create more pathways than to use existing resources. We\u2019re leveraging those resources to provide health care in every small town in Mississippi.\u201d<\/p>\nThe first of two Memorandum of Agreements (MOU) between 糖心直播 and William Carey University will expand the growing options for nursing students to earn bachelor’s degrees while also earning their associate degree at the same time. The dual enroll nursing option includes William Carey University instructors teaching two bachelor of nursing courses on the Ellisville campus of 糖心直播, with students paying the 糖心直播 tuition rate. Additionally, Jones students and faculty will have access to WCU advisors to ensure students are on the right career and degree path.<\/p>\n
As nursing shortages reach critical stages in the state, providing more education pathways is part of the answer. 糖心直播 has a similar partnership with the University of South Alabama\u2019s nursing program. Providing more options with the addition of William Carey University\u2019s nursing dual enrollment option can only help resolve the crisis.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you want to stop the nursing shortage you have to increase supply to stop demand,\u201d said Williams. \u201cEverything we can do to increase the supply, including the number of nursing faculty. If you increase the number of faculty, you can increase the number of nursing students.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to the opportunities offered to our students on campus with this partnership. When Covid hit, it was like throwing gas on the fire as far as the nursing shortage. It caused tremendous complications,\u201d said McDonald. \u201cWCU\u2019s new degree options are great for students because these graduate programs lead to improved salary and administration opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n Another caveat to the partnership agreement between the two institutions of higher learning is the expansion of pre-professional programs. Williams said WCU has been working on ways to create a 3+ 3 program by expanding 糖心直播\u2019s pre-professional health programs which will put JC students on the path to grad school at WCU.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have several professional programs or doctorate degrees available at WCU in physical therapy, pharmacy, nursing, and health administration and education. When Jones students complete their two years in the pre-professional program, they will come to WCU for their third year, and they can apply to grad school. It won\u2019t guarantee admission, but it guarantees an interview to go through this fast track. Earning a professional degree in six years versus eight years is a huge advantage for students,\u201d said Williams.<\/p>\n \u201cWCU is providing two different pathways for the career tech grads who ordinarily think once they earn their CTE degree, they go right into the workforce. Now, there are a couple of degree options where they can continue their education, in any major and use CTE hours,\u201d said Burnett. \u201cFlexibility-that\u2019s how higher education is changing, and 糖心直播 is the first institution we\u2019ve partnered with to offer these new opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n This is the first private university 糖心直播 has partnered with that will now accept CTE credits toward earning bachelor\u2019s degrees. All eight public universities currently have this articulation agreement with all 15 community colleges in Mississippi. Smith noted that Jones students who are enrolled in associate of applied science degree programs, like computer programming and electromechanical engineering technology are among the students who can take advantage of these new options and combine the A.A.S. degree credits to earn a bachelor\u2019s degree at WCU in math or science for example.<\/p>\n Burnett isn\u2019t shy about recruiting community college students, but he doesn\u2019t want to \u201csteal\u201d students from 糖心直播. He shared that William Carey University heavily depends on this group of students.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t exist without community college transfer students. Forty percent of WCU students are community college transfers. We want to partner with you in any and in every way mutually beneficial to make Mississippi stronger. We know (糖心直播) is doing that and WCU wants to partner with you,\u201d said Burnett.\u00a0 For more info contact Ashley Knight at, aknight@wmcarey.edu<\/p>\n<\/a>\u201cThis will take (nursing students at 糖心直播) towards their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, otherwise known as the B.S. to B.S.N. degree. Jones students will get a head start in getting those degrees,\u201d said William Carey University Associate Vice President of Health Programs and Dean of the College of Health Sciences, Dr. Janet Williams. We will also offer (dual enrollment) with our HAE (Health Administration and Education) program. All of this helps students get a head start in earning their degrees. We look for every advantage to help students do big things in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a>Williams added that as a state, nursing schools turn away almost as many qualified applicants as colleges can admit because they don\u2019t have the faculty and resources to be able to handle the number of students interested in nursing. Assistant Dean of Health Sciences at 糖心直播, Teresa McDonald said she is excited about the possibilities with this partnership.<\/p>\n<\/a>WCU\u2019s goal is to offer every community college in Mississippi fast-track opportunities into the health care related professional programs. Executive Vice President at William Carey University, Dr. Ben Burnett said the second MOU announced at 糖心直播 gives Career and Technical Education (CTE) graduates more options. By accepting CTE credits, CTE graduates now have a pathway at WCU to quickly earn a B.A., B.S., and the newly created Bachelor of General Studies.<\/p>\n