CONCORD UNIVERSITY CONTINUES SUCCESSFUL NURSING DEVELOPMENT
CONTACT: Nicole Smith, PR Manager
Concord University Office of Advancement
PO Box 1000, Athens, WV 24712
(304) 384-6312
nlsmith@concord.edu
www.concord.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 9, 2023
CONCORD UNIVERSITY CONTINUES SUCCESSFUL NURSING DEVELOPMENT
ATHENS, WV – For more than a decade, Concord University has been seeking and finding ways to enhance and grow the University’s overall success, which includes securing funding for new educational programs, building renovations, improved security measures on campus, and more. The new Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program at Concord is one of a number of emerging success stories at the University. The BSN program not only represents a significant milestone in Concord’s 151st year, but also serves as an example of what hard work, collaboration, and ingenuity can make happen.
The BSN program accepted and enrolled its first students in Fall 2023. The BSN program has nearly 60 students enrolled with a declared major in nursing, including five students accepted and enrolled in the BA/BS to BSN program and four students accepted and enrolled in the
online RN to BSN program. Three students have completed the BSN program pre-requisites, have been fully accepted into the program, and will be entering the traditional nursing program in January.
“Concord is grateful for the outpouring of support and assistance for the new nursing program,” stated Dr. Kendra Boggess, President. In addition to widespread encouragement and assistance, significant financial support has been provided by local, state, and federal officials to fund the program startup.
The nursing program has benefited from the collaborative efforts of faculty, staff, and alumni at the University, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (WVHEPC) and Chancellor Sarah Tucker, the Princeton Rescue Squad, area healthcare providers including Princeton Community Hospital and Appalachian Regional Healthcare, local community leaders, local government officials including the Mercer County Commission, Athens and Princeton Town Councils, Delegates Joe Ellington, Chris Toney, Doug Smith, Senator Chandler Swope and others including Governor Jim Justice and U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin and their respective staff members.
Funding received for the BSN program addressed operational startup costs, facilities and equipment costs, and scholarships. This funding has brought the dream to life and is noted in more detail below for each area of cost.
Funding for the BSN program startup costs has been received from both state and federal sources. Initial startup funding in the amount of $1.5 million was received from the State of West Virginia for the 2021-2022 year. These funds were provided as part of Governor Jim
Justice’s statewide West Virginia Nursing Expansion Program. Senator Shelley Moore Capito secured $850,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) for the University for the 2022-23 academic year. The state of West Virginia has provided another $950,000 in nursing expansion funding for the 2023-24 academic year to cover program operations as the development of the program continues.
The initial Nursing Expansion grant from the state provided funding to develop and equip campus nursing facilities, which included a fully equipped SIM Lab (Simulation Laboratory), a fully equipped Skills Lab (practice and demonstrate nursing skills), and a Virtual Reality
Immersion Lab. Other high-tech laboratory equipment secured includes three Anatomage tables for hands-on anatomy and physiology education. This technology is used to simulate life-sized patients on examination tables and allows nursing, physician assistant, and other health science students to evaluate the body for various diseases.
Senator Joe Manchin secured $1.6 million dollars in Congressionally Directed funding to develop and repurpose an area in Wooddell Hall to house the new BSN program. This funding was made available in fiscal year 2023 and may be utilized for three years. The funding will permit the university to fully renovate the ground floor of Wooddell Hall for labs, classrooms, and offices, update mechanical systems and furnish educational space for students and faculty use. Concord secured $2,742,000 for fiscal year 2024 to expand renovations of the Wooddell facility to include HVAC, electrical, and roof replacements through the West Virginia Deferred Maintenance funding grant approved by the 2023 Legislature and administered by the Office of the Governor.
Through the generous support of several alumni and friends of Concord, a number of scholarship funds specifically for nursing students have already been established through the Concord University Foundation. Additional contributions to any of these funds can be made by contacting the CU Foundation office.
In addition to the awards discussed in this release, Concord has active federal, state, and private grants spanning the University and impacting hundreds of students, faculty, and staff. For more information about any of these projects or funding initiatives, please contact Dan Fitzpatrick at 304-384-5276 or dfitzpatrick@concord.edu.
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