ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – Bay College is teaming up with a Lower Michigan university to help nursing students pursue their education.
In March of 2023, Bay College and Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) partnered to create a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) pathway. On Monday, Bay President Dr. Nerita Hughes and SVSU President Dr. George Grant Jr. met to sign an agreement between the two institutions.
Now, a student who earns an Associate Degree of Nursing (ADN) at Bay College can transfer into SVSU’s fully accredited program to complete their bachelor’s degree. In addition to providing a simple transfer opportunity for students, both institutions say the partnership will help fill critical roles in the healthcare workforce.
“The need is great,” Dr. Grant said. “We have people that have reached retirement age, we have people who have burnt out, we have people that had to deal with a lot during COVID, working ridiculous hours to provide help. We now have a gap, and working with Bay College is the opportunity to help fill that gap. We’re excited about the commitment, and we’re excited about working with Bay.”
“They were probably the best fit for us to be able to say, ‘Hey, students, if you’re interested in moving forward, then here’s the opportunity for you,'” said Dr. Hughes. “Nursing is just one piece of it, so then what’s next? What other partnerships can we form to make sure that we are allowing students to have a seamless transfer from our institution and then down there to their institution?”
For students like Amanda Roe, the transfer pathway makes a Bachelor of Science in Nursing more easily accessible.
“The ADN program here is local to me, so I can drive easily to either campus and get all of my education needs here,” Roe said. “The BSN program sounds like it would be very beneficial because then I can stay local and I can continue to do my education here easily.”
This semester marks the first cohort of students set to benefit from the Bay College and SVSU agreement. Dr. Hughes says creating strategic partnerships is one of the most important factors contributing to Bay College’s growth.
“We can’t do it in our own cylinders of excellence, if you will,” she said. “We have to be able to make sure that we’re adhering to what the community’s needs are, but then what are the students’ needs? Is it workforce partnerships? Is it economic development partnerships? Is it other nonprofit partnerships? Partnerships are really going to be the key for us to exude what we talk about—student success, culture of success, and community success.”
Dr. Grant added, “As [students] are working with the representatives at Bay College, Bay is doing an excellent job of providing the information and sharing what students need to know in order to move from that associate’s degree to that bachelor’s degree.”
To learn more about the partnership and nursing programs offered through Bay College and Saginaw Valley State University, click here.
