UNMC Notes

Medical Center teams with five historically black schools

Five Historically Black Colleges and Universities and a leading Virginia community college signed an agreement to partner with the University of Nebraska and Virginia Commonwealth University to create a special program to provide a multitude of academic and research opportunities for minority undergraduate students and faculty.

The five schools are: Hampton University, Hampton, Va.; Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Va.; St. Paul's College, Lawrenceville, Va.; Virginia State University, Petersburg, Va.; Virginia Union University, Richmond, Va. In addition, one community college, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, Richmond, Va., has also joined the partnership.

Called the Virginia-Nebraska Alliance, the ultimate goal of the unique partnership is to increase the number of minority health professionals and researchers nationwide, with the hope of promoting better health outcomes for underrepresented minorities.

"I'm always interested in initiatives that encourage more minority students to enter into the health professions as careers and this initiative helps further that goal," said Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner in a statement.

"I am very pleased to see the university is taking the lead in expanding opportunities for minority students to study and perform research here," Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns said in a statement. "Creating opportunities for undergraduates to make connections with faculty at one of the country's leading medical research programs is an important part of this exchange."

Nursing to offer accelerated bachelor's degree

The UNMC College of Nursing has received a $1.17 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The grant will provide three years of funding to launch and establish a one-year accelerated bachelor's degree in nursing program.

In January, the college will admit a class of 10 in Omaha and plans to admit 10 students in its Lincoln Division in the fall of 2005. The application deadline for the first class is Oct. 1.

Dr. Catherine Todero, Ph.D., associate dean for undergraduate programs, UNMC College of Nursing, said the program would help the college admit more students and address the nursing shortage by getting nurses into the workforce faster. The college has experienced a significant increase of applicants to its programs over the past few years.