MOU to benefit nursing students

Upper Iowa University and Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) will sign a Memorandum of Understanding Friday, November 4, to create a new Nursing Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP) for students. The agreement is the first of its kind in the state of Iowa.

The Nursing CEP agreement allows NICC students to complete a four-year degree in nursing from UIU. While completing a two-year associate degree in nursing at the NICC Calmar or Peosta campus, students in the CEP cohort are concurrently enrolled in Upper Iowa courses toward their bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree. Concurrent enrollment means that students in this program who graduate with their associate degree from NICC need only attend UIU for 6-8 additional months to complete their BSN degree.

Benefits of the Nursing CEP agreement are:

• Flexibility. CEP cohort students may earn a BSN from Upper Iowa University without having to leave the local area of the Calmar or Peosta campus; the final year of the program through Upper Iowa University is 100 percent online.
• Meets workforce need. Because many nurses are nearing retirement in northeast Iowa, healthcare providers – hospitals, clinics and medical offices – are desperate for licensed, highly skilled Registered Nurses to fill current and projected employment openings.
• Innovation. The Nursing CEP agreement between Upper Iowa University and Northeast Iowa Community College is the first of its kind in the state of Iowa, and the joint program supports hands-on learning and clinical experiences for students, which increase the career placement rate for graduates.
• Affordable. A consortium agreement of this nature maximizes financial aid to the student’s benefit. The overall cost of education for CEP students tends to be less than that of 2+2 programs. Upper Iowa University tuition for this program is also free of extra fees, such as technology, health or lab fees.
• Quality. Upper Iowa University’s educational programs merge today’s workforce needs, technology and trends into an advanced curriculum that provides graduates with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful and stay current in their career. Specifically, BSN nursing graduates will absorb new ideas and discover best practices they can then take back to their employer to the benefit of patients and fellow nursing staff. The RN-BSN program at Upper Iowa University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

UIU and NICC administrative officials will sign the Memorandum of Understanding during a special ceremony on Friday, November 4. The event will be held in the Darwin Schrage Administration Building, Administrative Boardroom at 11 a.m. on the NICC-Calmar campus. Additional details on the agreement will be released in the near future.