CC, WTAMU to sign nursing degree agreement

Clarendon College and West Texas A&M University will sign confirmation of an articulation agreement to streamline the transfer process of nursing graduates at Clarendon College at 3:15 p.m. Thursday, October 18, at the Barfield Activity Center in Clarendon.

“WT’s nursing program is very highly regarded in the Texas Panhandle, and this partnership is outstanding for us,” Clarendon College President Dr. Robert Riza said.

The agreement will allow associate’s degree receiving students with up to 90 credit hours to automatically initiate the transfer process for a bachelor’s degree at WTAMU even before enrolling. Formalizing the transition will allow aspiring RN licensed nurses opportunity to scholarships, academic support and advising resources at WTAMU.

“At its core, this articulation agreement between Clarendon College and WT’s RN-BSN program will facilitate a seamless transition for students with an associate’s degree in nursing to pursue a baccalaureate in nursing at WT,” Dr. J. Dirk Nelson, dean of the college of nursing and health sciences, said.

“This is a win, win, win. Students will benefit by earning a BSN; both Clarendon College as well as WT will benefit; and the public will benefit from healthcare being provided by additional baccalaureate educated nurses in our region,” Nelson said.

With the convenience of online courses, the nursing program at WTAMU serves hundreds of transfer colleges across the country and has received nearly 50 national rankings since 2014. Students are able to apply up to 56 credits for core and prerequisite courses from their community colleges and 34 hours of nursing course credits toward an RN license.

“This agreement provides a great opportunity for our residents working in healthcare fields,” Riza said. “It allows us to be a vehicle to help them in achieving their goals and furthering their education without leaving their jobs and families.”

This is the second articulation agreement for students in the Allied Health Department at Clarendon College. In 2016, CC partnered with Texas Tech University Health Science Center on a “3+1” Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences degree.