Representatives from Madonna University and Henry Ford College — Michael Kenney (left), Madonna vice president for Planning and Enrollment Management; Susan Shunkwiler, RN, HFC associate dean of Health Sciences; Catherine Griffin, Undergraduate Nursing Program chairwoman at Madonna; Deborah Vargo, dean, College of Nursing & Health at Madonna; HFC President Stan Jensen; Tracy Pierner, HFC vice president of Academic Affairs; and Ranae Hamama, Madonna undergraduate admissions officer — gather to celebrate a new articulation agreement that provides a pathway for HFC students to transfer into Madonna’s bachelor’s degree program for Nursing.
DEARBORN – Henry Ford College signed an articulation agreement with Madonna University on Aug. 13 that provides nursing students an opportunity to complete their bachelor’s degree at Madonna.
The agreement allows any student who has earned an associate’s degree in Nursing at HFC and has a current unencumbered Registered Nurse license in Michigan to transfer his or her credits toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Madonna. A component of this agreement is that HFC students admitted to Madonna will receive a 20 percent discount off of the non-nursing undergraduate tuition rate per semester hour at Madonna.
“We’re very excited about this agreement between HFC and Madonna,” HFC President Stan Jensen said. “It’s a logical progression that students who wish to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing can transfer to Madonna’s exceptional nursing program. This articulation agreement will make transferring from HFC to Madonna seamless.”
The agreement was signed by Jensen; Tracy Pierner, HFC vice president of Academic Affairs; Susan Shunkwiler, RN, HFC associate dean of Health Sciences; Madonna President Sister Rose Marie Kujawa, CSSF; Ernest Nolan, Madonna provost/vice president of Academic Administration; Deborah Vargo, dean, College of Nursing & Health at Madonna; and Dr. Catherine Griffin, Undergraduate Nursing Program chairwoman at Madonna.
“At Madonna, we see this articulation agreement as a remarkable opportunity and a win-win for students at HFC,” said Michael Kenney, vice president for Planning and Enrollment Management at Madonna. “This agreement helps students remain enrolled at HFC, while they progress toward a four-year degree in nursing at Madonna. We are fortunate that Madonna has an exemplary reputation that enables our graduates to secure employment throughout the metro Detroit area and beyond.”
HFC students who earn an associate’s degree in nursing may transfer up to 74 credits to Madonna. Additionally, there are no transcription fees and students can opt to dual enroll at both schools.
The requirements for HFC students who follow this articulation agreement include:
• An associate’s in Applied Science degree in Nursing with a Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars & Admissions Officers or Michigan Transfer Agreement endorsement from HFC.
• A current, unencumbered Michigan RN license.
• A grade of 2.0 or better is required to transfer credits to Madonna.
• An overall grade-point average of a 2.75 is required for admission consideration as part of this articulation agreement.
• Under this agreement, HFC nursing students must complete a minimum of 13 semester hours in general education requirements at Madonna. Students must also meet all other requirements needed for a BSN degree from Madonna.
Typically, Madonna can only accept a limited number of pre-licensure nursing students each year. However, because HFC students with associate’s degrees in nursing already have a license, they will not be subject to state-mandated program caps.
The announcement of this agreement between HFC and Madonna comes at an opportune time. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 19 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations.
“Part of the impetus for change was the Institute of Medicine’s report in 2010,” Griffin said. “This report calls for an 80 percent increase in the number of nurses with a bachelor’s degree in the workplace by 2020.”
“Hospitals are looking to hire more nurses with bachelor’s degrees,” Vargo said. “For (HFC) graduates with an associate’s degree in nursing, Madonna offers a program that provides credit for previous coursework, flexible class schedules and a rigorous curriculum that will help them advance their nursing careers.”
For further information about the HFC Nursing Program, call 313-845-6305. For more on the Madonna University Nursing Program, call 734-432-5460.