COD PARTNERS WITH CAL STATE IN PROGRAM FOR NURSING

Public Record, The, Jun 13, 2006 by Davis, Rick

In a collaborative effort touted as a move to help alleviate an acute shortage of registered nurses in the Coachella Valley and statewide, College of the Desert and California Slate University, San Bernardino have entered into an agreement to cooperate on a four-year program that will lead to a bachelor of science degree in nursing.

"This is a program with ramifications in the long term for nursing training in California," CSUSB President Al Karnig said during last week's signing ceremony.

COD President Maria Sheehan said the agreement, in effect, is a promise to students that "if they follow a designated plan of study, they will be admitted to the university and be able to achieve a bachelor of science in nursing."

In addition, existing registered nurses could move to the new program, allowing them to begin coursework on advanced degrees, leading to further educational and advancement opportunities and creating a stream of former nursing students who eventually could return to COD as instructors.

Rob Carlson, dean of CSUSB's College of Natural Sciences, noted challenges had to be met over several years to make the dual program a reality.

"COD made this possible by providing the freshmansophornore courses that the university's Palm Desert Campus does not offer," he said.

The program will begin this fall at COD while CSUSB breaks ground on a nursing building that is scheduled to open in September 2007.

"We hope to have 24 to 36 nurses go through this program at first," Carlson said, noting that the first students would graduate in 2010.

COD currently offers an associate degree in nursing and has about 220 students currently enrolled in the program.