Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1503231
16 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JULY 10, 2023 Fairfield University is now trying to attract students in Texas after opening a new nursing school in Austin, Texas in May. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Crossing Borders Colleges branch out beyond state footprints to reach more students By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo msullo@hartfordbusiness.com W hile many colleges are using online learning to attract students from distant places, some are opting to expand their physical campuses beyond their home states. Fairfield University recently debuted a new nursing-focused campus in Texas, while the Arizona College of Nursing is pursuing a new Connecticut campus in East Hartford. Rob Schnieders, Fairfield Univer- sity's vice president of online strategy and innovation, said the Texas campus is the school's first expansion outside of Connecticut from a brick-and-mortar standpoint, though it has been providing online courses to reach more students for years. "Nursing is a critical need, and it is hard to meet the demand without expanding to different geographies," Schnieders said. There is an ongoing high national demand for nurses — a field where hands-on learning can be key. Factors such as an aging U.S. population, combined with a wave of nurses reaching retirement age or pursuing different career paths, have fueled that demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates about 203,200 openings for registered nurses each year through 2031, with the RN workforce expected to grow by 6% between 2021 and 2031. In early June, the Catholic Fair- field University formally celebrated the grand opening of its new, nurs- ing-focused satellite campus in Austin, Texas. The campus represents an expan- sion of Fairfield's Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies and features a full-time, accelerated second-degree baccalau- reate nursing program. Students started attending classes there in May. It features classrooms and simulation labs, including a simulated intensive care unit and surgical suite. Schnieders said the university may add additional programming at the Texas campus over time, particularly healthcare-related classes. When asked why Fairfield picked Texas, Schnieders said, "Texas had the need, and a high number of individuals hoping to get a bachelor's degree in nursing." "When we did research, we found there were about 5,300 open nursing positions in the Texas county region alone," Schnieders said. "Health systems are looking for nurses. We thought it was a good fit." Another key factor was the presence of local hospitals, which Fairfield University determined would make "great clinical partners," Schnieders said. The university, in Texas, has partnered with Baylor Scott & White Health, Ascension Seton, and Central Texas Veterans Health Care Systems. Students who complete the program are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Exam to become registered nurses. New CT competition While Fairfield University recently opted to expand outside of Connecticut, another university is doing the opposite by bringing a brick-and-mortar location to Connecticut. Arizona College of Nursing, which is based in Arizona but has locations around the country, plans to have a 30,000-square-foot location at 99 East River Drive in East Hartford. It currently has 16 campuses for students to pursue bachelor of science degrees in nursing throughout the country, including in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Texas, Utah and Virginia. The college indicated in January that it wanted to begin enrollment for students for the new Connecticut campus by the fall of 2023. The college has been working to secure various required regulatory and accreditation approvals. The Accrediting Bureau of Health Educa- tion Schools, for example, granted the Arizona College of Nursing's East Hartford campus accreditation in March of this year, with the accredita- tion valid through Feb. 28, 2027. Melany Stroupe, director of communications for Arizona College of Nursing, said in late June the school is still involved in the regulatory approval and accreditation process. Stroupe declined to comment on a potential opening date before every- thing is finalized. The college, which was founded in 1991, offers a mixture of class- room learning and hands-on training through simulation labs and clinical rotations. When the college first began pursuing plans to have a brick-and- mortar school in Connecticut, its leadership cited the nursing shortage here as a factor. Virtual classroom expansion Brick-and-mortar expansion across state lines is less common, as most universities, including in Connecticut, are using online learning to expand their reach and grow their student population, especially as the pool of college-age individuals shrinks. Waterbury-based Post University, for example, has offered online learning for about two decades, and Rob Schnieders