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ASU Nursing Department Receives State Grant

November 16, 2011

Angelo State University’s Department of Nursing has been awarded a $117,738 grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) for increasing the number of ASU nursing graduates in the 2011 academic year.

The grant is being awarded through the THECB’s Professional Nursing Shortage Reduction Program.  For the 2011 academic year, ASU graduated 221 students through its various nursing programs, up from 176 in academic year 2010.  The 2011 academic year included the fall semester of 2010 and the spring and summer semesters of 2011. 

Earlier this year, the 82nd Texas Legislature appropriated almost $5 million to the THECB to distribute to the state’s public and private nursing education programs that showed an increase in the total number of nursing graduates at the associate, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels from academic year 2010 to academic year 2011.  Each increased graduate earned up to $11,850 for the reporting institution. 

“This award helps us with the costs of enrolling additional students,” said Dr. Susan Wilkinson, head of the ASU Nursing Department.  “Allowed expenditures can include nursing faculty enhancement and materials to aid in the retention of students.  We are currently using part of the award to fund a clinical coordinator to assist faculty with the arrangement and development of additional quality clinical sites to place the additional students.” 

“This will also help us provide enhanced communication with our clinical partners,” she added.  “We also utilize the funds to purchase computer programs and study materials that enhance retention of students.” 

Among the 40 non-health related institutions receiving awards, ASU posted the fifth-largest increase in 2011 nursing graduates behind only Lamar State College-Port Arthur, San Jacinto College-South Campus, University of Texas at Arlington and Baptist Health Systems.  In total, only Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, UT-Arlington and UT-Tyler graduated more nursing students than ASU in 2011. 

Among the four health-related institutions receiving awards, the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) posted the largest increase in 2011 nursing graduates (111) and the highest total 2011 nursing graduates (712).  Consequently, TTUHSC has been awarded a $290,420 grant from the THECB.