BRIDGEPORT, Connecticut -Sacred Heart University (SHU) and St. Vincent’s College (SVC) have agreed to enter into a management agreement that will merge valuable resources of two of the region’s longstanding venerable learning institutions. This agreement, mutually beneficial to both, will support the goal of increasing academic excellence and distinctiveness. It will also afford an opportunity for Sacred Heart’s College of Nursing, St. Vincent’s College and St. Vincent’s Medical Center to work together to create new models for student transfer and greater access to clinical education.
The partnership will expand the opportunity for SHU and SVC students and faculty to develop and participate in interdisciplinary education that connects team-based education, self-directed learning and face-to-face instruction. It will provide the development of a pathway for St. Vincent’s students to pursue a baccalaureate or master’s degree at Sacred Heart University in a seamless transition, while providing Sacred Heart students expanded access to inpatient clinical sites that are essential to the success of their program. The agreement also anticipates a transfer of the College to Sacred Heart as either a division of the University or a subsidiary. This transfer will be part of a master agreement that requires accreditation and regulatory approvals.
The educational pathway for nursing has experienced quite a bit of change in the past years. Initially, nursing was based on experience and tradition. Now, with the evolution of nursing science, nursing education is heavily based on evidence-based practices and research. Combining the strengths of Sacred Heart and St. Vincent’s will provide the best of experience, traditions and science of nursing education.
“We are very excited about this venture with St. Vincent’s College as it will create new opportunities for the students and will strengthen both programs,” said Rupendra Paliwal, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at SHU.
“Our goal is to serve the students at Sacred Heart University and St. Vincent’s College with an opportunity to work together to create new models for clinical education and honor the shared Catholic legacy, mission and core values,” said Vince Caponi, President/CEO, St. Vincent’s Medical Center.
PHOTO: From left, Sacred Heart University College of Nursing students Kristopher Wehner and Karina Suszynski work with Nursing Simulation & Clinical Laboratories Director Beth Boyd, D.N.P., in one of the labs. Photo by Tracy Deer-Mirek
St. Vincent’s College provides associate degree programs in Nursing, Radiography, and General Studies as well as three online bachelor’s degree completion programs in Nursing, Radiologic Sciences and Healthcare Administration. Through its continuing and professional studies department, the College also offers a wide range of certificate programs leading to immediate employment in the healthcare field. Opportunities are offered for full- and part-time study with financial aid available to eligible students. For information on enrolling in St. Vincent’s College, call (800) 873-1013 or visit www.stvincentscollege.edu.
About Sacred Heart University
Sacred Heart University, the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, offers more than 70 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs on its main campus in Fairfield, Conn., and satellites in Connecticut, Luxembourg and Ireland. More than 8,500 students attend the University’s five colleges: Arts & Sciences; Health Professions; Nursing; the Jack Welch College of Business; and the Isabelle Farrington College of Education. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its guides Best 381 Colleges—2017 Edition, “Best in the Northeast” and Best 294 Business School—2017 Edition. U.S. News & World Report ranks SHU among the best master’s universities in the North in its “Best Colleges 2017” publication. The Chronicle of Higher Education also names SHU one of the fastest-growing Roman Catholic universities in its 2016 almanac. SHU fields 32 division I athletic teams and has an award-winning program of community service. www.sacredheart.edu
For additional Sacred Heart University news, please visit http://www.sacredheart.edu/aboutshu/news/.