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STR ATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS SERIES
Photo by Scott Rahe
A Commitment to Excellence in Nursing
B
oth South Central College and Minnesota State University, Mankato are respected as institutions graduating high caliber nursing students to meet critical healthcare needs throughout the state. This past June, the two entered into a partnership to increase collaboration and emphasize their commitment to education and excellence in nursing. The Maverick (Nursing) Advance (Transfer) Plan (MAP) provides a pathway for South Central College graduates with an Associate Degree in Nursing to pursue their Baccalaureate Degree with a seamless transfer to Minnesota State Mankato’s online degree completion program. The university’s BS in Nursing is unique in that it is individualized and flexible, offering rolling admission with five different start dates every year. Laura Schwarz, faculty member of the School of Nursing at Minnesota State Mankato expanded upon the individualization of the program in sharing, “Qualified SCC nursing students are guaranteed
admission to the RN-BS Program and can apply and be accepted while they are finishing out their final semester at SCC. The partnership allows for dual advisement from both institutions and for students to meet the RN-BS Program director and advisor while in the Associate Degree Nursing Program at SCC to learn more about the program and ask questions”. Obtaining a bachelor’s degree opens up a wide variety of career pathways for nurses, allowing them to work in traditional settings of hospitals, clinics, and trauma centers, but also public health. There is a natural synergy between South Central College and Minnesota State Mankato in the implementation of this official agreement- the university’s RN to BS Program has long been South Central College Nursing grads’ number one choice for completing their Baccalaureate in Nursing education. Kris Retherford, Dean of the College of Allied Health and Nursing at Minnesota State University, Mankato,
