Aiken Tech, Grand Canyon University sign partnership for enrollment program

Stephanie Hill, Aiken Standard, S.C.
·4 min read

Sep. 28—Aiken Technical College has a new partnership.

The college signed papers Wednesday to partner with Grand Canyon University for concurrent enrollment for students, said Aiken Tech President Dr. Forest Mahan. This partnership will allow students to receive their bachelor's degree in a quicker time frame.

"One of the things we know is our mission is to fulfill the workforce needs for our region and one of the highest demand fields is nursing. We've always worked to create pathways for students who may start as patient care technicians to go to the LPN level and the LPN go to the ADN level," Mahan said. "...but this is a great partnership for Aiken Technical College because it helps us further fulfill our mission... this is a great inflection point for us to move forward in a much more proactive direction to further open up the pipeline for future nurses, because we know we will need them in greater numbers for years to come."

Grand Canyon University is a university in Phoenix, Arizona, with a large online program, which Jason Tantrum, the university development manager, said is what can help Aiken Tech students. The students will be able to complete some of their coursework online as they finish the ADN with Aiken Tech, and then after graduating with the ADN they can complete their bachelor's degree in around nine months. One of the benefits of this partnership will be the cost.

"This will be at a significant discount, which will allow them to hopefully save money," Tantrum said. "One of the biggest problems in education right now, especially higher education as you move through it is the cost of going back to school. You guys have seen this all over, and hopefully this will help put a dent into the debt that your students will incur as they continue on to complete their professional studies."

Dr. Hannah Williams, the dean of the School of Nursing at Aiken Tech, said the partnership will set the school apart from other nursing programs because it will not only fast track the students and save them money, but will look good to future employers.

"Our future employers benefit from this because it will also allow for additional nurses to fulfill management, supervisory, community health, public health positions that are out there that are in need of fulfilling," Williams said. "As you all know we're in a great nursing shortage, so this opportunity, again we're extremely excited about it as it will again, set Aiken Technical College apart from others as well as give our students the opportunity to go out and obtain their dreams and their colleges, as well as helping our community meet our surrounding needs."

Williams said the concurrent enrollment will be introduced to students for the spring 2023 semester.

During the signing Tantrum said that Aiken Tech is the first college in South Carolina to sign with Grand Canyon for the concurrent enrollment program because not every school meets the qualifications.

"This is due to the excelling of your NCLEX scores over the past few years," Tantrum said. "Even through COVID and everything else you guys have done such an awesome job, really one of the top in the country as you look through the entire program of NCLEX outcomes. So you guys are one of three that qualify here in South Carolina and you're the first to sign this concurrent enrollment program. So we're excited about that and you guys are well deserved of this opportunity and your students have proven, and obviously this is a testament to your faculty and leadership here that shows this is an opportunity that your students have well deserved as well."

Mahan agreed with Tantrum about the great work the faculty and students have done.

"I would also like to echo that, great faculty make great programs which produce great students that make great nurses," Mahan said. "So we do appreciate all that you've done."

Tantrum added Grand Canyon is excited for the partnership between the two schools.

"It's our extreme pleasure to welcome the partnership with Aiken Technical College and we sure appreciate the opportunity of helping out your students in pursuing their bachelor's degree," Tantrum said.