Dec. 14, 2020 – Graduation is different this year at Collin College. For the first time in the college’s history students are graduating with baccalaureate degrees. While Collin College awarded more than 2,500 associate degrees and certificates this December, 17 students earned Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees.
“This marks a new chapter at Collin College,” said Dr. J. Robert Collins, founding trustee and Collin College Board of Trustees chair. “We are incredibly proud of our first bachelor’s students who are leaders serving on the frontlines of health care.”
Collin College was among certain community college districts in Texas authorized to offer selected baccalaureate degrees with the passage of Senate Bill 2118, which was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2017.
“There is a shortage of nurses, and many hospitals and health care facilities are looking for nurses with bachelor’s degrees,” said Dr. Neil Matkin, Collin College district president. “We are thrilled to help provide BSN-credentialed, professional nurses who fill a vital role in our community. Our first baccalaureate graduates will positively impact individuals’ lives during a global pandemic.”
The college’s RN-to-BSN program’s mission is to educate baccalaureate-prepared professional nurses who are life-long learners actively involved in service, who participate in the nursing community to promote quality of life, and who are members of an interdisciplinary health care team, using clinical judgment to provide safe, evidence-based patient-centered care.
“It is exciting to see these students graduate with their BSN degrees,” said Dr. Jane Leach, dean of nursing. “They have worked hard to achieve their degrees in one year by completing their clinical requirements and attending in-person classes two days a week.”
While these students earned their BSN degrees in one year, students can also attend the college’s RN-to-BSN program part time by taking classes one day a week. This program also offers students the opportunity to schedule clinical requirements at times that best suit their schedules.
The Collin College RN-to-BSN program is currently accepting applications and offering virtual information sessions. To find out more about information sessions or the BSN degree, visit www.collin.edu/nursing/bsn. For curriculum information and to download an information sheet about the program, visit www.collin.edu/academics/programs/NURS_BSN.html.
For additional information, email Dr. Betty Veasy at bveasy@collin.edu.
Collin College serves more than 58,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 100 degrees and certificates, including new Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) in Cybersecurity degrees. The only public college based in Collin County, Collin College is a partner to business, government and industry, providing customized training and workforce development. For more information, visit www.collin.edu.