Following a weekend of festivities for both new and returning students, classes began on Point Loma Nazarene University's San Diego campus September 1.

The new semester not only welcomes nearly 800 incoming students to the main campus, but also represents a time of growth in the broader university system as a result of new programs in PLNU’s Graduate and Professional Education Programs through the College of Extended Learning.

Over the past several months, PLNU has entered into partnerships with a number of San Diego County’s community colleges to offer bachelor’s degree completion programs across the region. Through each partnership, PLNU is able to serve new populations of students and further meet workforce development needs in the San Diego region and beyond.

“PLNU is a proud partner with our community college network in San Diego County to provide increased access to students across the region who wish to pursue their bachelor’s degree,” said Bob Brower, PLNU president. “These partnerships speak to the collaborative relationships that exist among San Diego’s robust and diverse higher education community and affirms our respective institutions’ commitment to educational quality for the benefit of all students.”

The flagship program offered through the innovative partnerships is the RN to BSN program, which enables community college students who earn an associate degree in registered nursing to earn their Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from PLNU within 15 months — all on their local community college campus. The RN to BSN program is available to students at the following community colleges in the region: San Diego City, Grossmont, Mira Costa, Palomar, and Southwestern colleges.

The partnership at Southwestern College in San Diego’s South Bay is the largest partnership to date, with multiple degree options for students.  Students who are accepted into PLNU partnership programs at Southwestern can earn bachelor degrees in nursing, criminal justice, management and relational development, and child and adolescent development without having to leave the community college district.

The prospect of baccalaureate degrees at community colleges in California has been a topic of discussion statewide, even sparking legislation for a limited pilot program beginning in the 2015-2016 academic year. However, only two community college campuses in the San Diego region were approved for a pilot degree program — with none of the degrees being in nursing.

“The desire for increased baccalaureate access across San Diego provided an opportunity for PLNU to meet a presently unmet need,” said Dave Phillips, dean of PLNU’s College of Extended Learning. “PLNU’s long history of collaboration and highly regarded faculty set the framework for these agreements and has led to further expansion across the region.”

According to Phillips, continued growth in PLNU’s Graduate and Professional Education Programs is anticipated during the coming academic year.

“In addition to our partnerships at community college campuses, programs at PLNU’s Mission Valley satellite campus and expanded online programming continue to provide new pathways for students to receive a PLNU education,” Phillips said. 

For more information on PLNU’s Graduate and Professional Education Programs, visit gps.pointloma.edu.

--Point Loma Nazarene University