Nursing Program to Receive $517,328 for Increased Nursing Enrollment

Texas Woman’s University will receive an additional $517,328 in state funding – more than any other university – for increasing its undergraduate nursing enrollment by 5.9 percent last fall.

TWU will receive the additional funds, 63 percent of the total awarded statewide, through Senate Bill 572, sponsored by state Sen. Mike Moncrief (D-Fort Worth). SB 572 offers several incentives to undergraduate nursing programs for retaining and enrolling more students. Among its provisions is one making available additional formula funding to programs that increased enrollment by more than 3 percent from fall 2000 to fall 2001.

TWU enrolled a total of 190 new undergraduate nursing students last fall. Total enrollment in TWU’s nursing program is 1,013 students.

Prior to adding four faculty last fall, enrollment in TWU’s nursing program was at capacity and many prospective students were on a waiting list. Months before knowing how much additional funding the university would qualify for, TWU Chancellor and President Dr. Ann Stuart made the decision to hire additional faculty to accommodate students on the waiting list.

"We were confident from the beginning that new enrollment in the nursing program would exceed 3 percent," Chancellor Stuart said. "Long before there was any guarantee of additional funds, we made a commitment to create additional faculty positions to accommodate nursing students who want to attend TWU."

"Texas needs more nurses, and initiatives such as this are an important first step in achieving that goal," Dr. Stuart added.

The additional students were juniors who had already completed two years of core class instruction and were ready to begin intensive nursing instruction and clinicals, said Dr. Carolyn Gunning, dean of the TWU College of Nursing. They should complete their nursing degrees in about two years.

"I’m excited about the additional funding," Dr. Gunning said. "Senate Bill 572 will make a difference in nursing education and in helping alleviate the nursing shortage."

E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu
URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/05_01_02/page_22.html