The University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved a letter of intent today which satisfies the first of three conditions for a proposal to establish a University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing Northern Division in Norfolk. The letter is signed by the university, Northeast Community College and Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk.
In January, the Regents adopted a resolution which required three binding agreements before the board could give its approval to the establishment of a division. The letter of intent approved by the board meets one of the three conditions and spells out guidelines for the partnership, including governance and authority, financial commitments, curricula, clinical training, student quotas and research and clinical practice.
The two remaining conditions — a joint operating agreement and an academic affiliation agreement — are expected to be completed in 2008.
The new division would offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in nursing. A new facility would be constructed to house the division as well as Northeast Community College’s two-year nursing program and would be funded with public and private sources. Currently UNMC has divisions in four Nebraska cities: Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney and Scottsbluff.
“The spirit of cooperation among the partners is evident and will prove rewarding as the partnership moves forward,” said University of Nebraska President James B. Milliken. “A major component of the university’s mission is to ensure that all of Nebraska’s citizens have access to the benefits of higher education, and this partnership will help the university achieve that.”
UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., said, “Leaders in northeast and north central Nebraska communities are committed to making this public-private partnership succeed. We appreciate the enthusiasm they’ve shown to launch this effort and work with us to increase the numbers of nurses with bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in the state.”
Benefits of the division, officials say, would include: a growing regional demand for health services, especially acute care; favorable population demographics showing growth and a strong economy; and easing a significant workforce shortage in the region. A local program also would mean retaining students and community members upon graduation.
University of Nebraska Board of Regents Chairman Charles Wilson, M.D., said the letter of intent is another milestone reached in a venture that will benefit Nebraska. “The partnership is making good progress toward the goal of establishing this new division which will be a resource for quality nursing education.”
Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc., dean of the UNMC College of Nursing, said the college is pleased with the Regents’ vote of approval. “I’m delighted the Regents have approved the letter of intent. It allows us to move ahead to work on the joint operating and academic affiliation agreements.”
The proposed Norfolk division was prompted by an inquiry in April 2006 from Nebraska State Sen. Michael Flood of Norfolk to help address the growing demand for acute care in north and northeast Nebraska, and the associated need to increase the number of nurses with bachelor’s and graduate degrees. Last October, Milliken asked the Regents to review and make recommendations of a feasibility study for the proposed division. The study was presented to the Regents last November.
Once fully operational, the nursing division could admit 48 students each year to its bachelor’s degree in nursing program, 10 to 20 in its master’s degree in nursing program, and some doctoral students. UNMC officials say the first class of students graduating from the new division could boost the workforce in the region by about 13 percent.
Initially, the division would need to recruit 10 faculty and an assistant dean. Once the program reached student capacity of students, an additional five faculty would be needed for a total of 15 full-time faculty. Projected costs of a 35,000-square-foot-facility are $10.8 million.
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