Bay College Receives $300,000 Nursing Pathways Grant
News
Bay College is one of ten colleges across the country receiving a $300,000 grant focused on accelerating and diversifying nursing pathways to support the need for more healthcare graduates across our region. The grant is funded through Achieving the Dream and being a Leader College of Distinction with Achieving the Dream, Bay College was eligible to apply for the grant.
Cindy Carter, Vice President of Business, Technology, Allied Health and Workforce Development was made aware of the grant in early December and prepared the application. “The focus of the grant aligned perfectly with the work we are doing not only within Bay College’s Allied Health Division but across the College and the timing could not be better for us to receive the funding,” states Carter. “Bay College’s commitment to diversity, equity and belonging, as well as a re-organization happening with our Allied Health Division aligned perfectly with the mission of the grant and we are thrilled to have the financial support to help us move our strategies forward”.
An area of focus within Allied Health has been to scale up the work of Bay College’s co-advising model. Every student at Bay College receives an assigned faculty advisor based on their area of study to assist them with proper course selection to guide them to completion. Starting in 2019, Bay College implemented a co-advising model to further support student success. In addition to a faculty advisor, each student receives an assigned co-advisor to support additional needs the students may have. Over 40% of Bay College students are the first in their family to attend college. Many are lacking the support and knowledge to navigate the college system. Additionally, a growing number of students on campus are working with food insecurities, mental health concerns, and childcare issues. Bay College provides students with access to many resources that can assist and support them with these challenges. Bay College’s mission of student success, community success and culture of success, drives the College’s strategic agenda and the co-advisors are instrumental in all parts of the college mission.
With the Achieving the Dream grant, Bay College has organized a team consisting of both faculty and staff to lead the work associated with this grant over the course of three years. This will include a dedicated full-time co-advisor within the Allied Health Division, access to professional development opportunities to support student completion within the Allied Health programs, and continuous quality improvement to processes and procedures to support student success.
Bay College’s Allied Health Division consists of certificates and degrees in these areas: Practical Nursing (PN), Nursing (RN), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Paramedic, Certified Medical Assistant, and Certified Nursing Assistant.
Bay College’s 2021 RN-NCLEX licensure exam pass rates were 88.89%, well above the national average. Additionally, Bay College has over 25 healthcare providers serving on our Allied Health Program Advisory Boards providing input and guidance into Bay College’s programs and curriculum to make sure we align with local and regional healthcare needs. “Bay College is grateful for the support we receive from our healthcare partners to advance and improve our programs and to provide our students with the clinical space to advance their skills,” adds Carter. “As a community college, we rely heavily on healthcare partners to provide students with the clinical rotation spaces to master their skills. Together, we have an incredible opportunity to utilize this grant to support our healthcare ecosystem across the Upper Peninsula.”
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