The 4-year degree is the first professional baccalaureate nursing program offered in Polk County

LAKELAND, Fla. (Oct. 16, 2006) — The State of Florida Board of Nursing approved a four-year baccalaureate nursing degree program to be offered at Florida Southern College, the first professional baccalaureate nursing program in Polk County. Students will be able to enroll in the program starting in the Fall 2007 semester.

“The approval of this program by the Florida Board of Nursing is an endorsement of the College’s exemplary record of providing the highest-quality nursing education through our existing RN-to-BSN and Nursing Master’s degree programs; our recruitment of very talented and committed students; our outstanding nursing faculty; and our superb facilities,” said FSC president Dr. Anne Kerr. “We are eager to begin this new program, which will help meet the burgeoning demand for nurses in Polk County, the state, and our nation.”

Lakeland Regional Health Systems has committed $500,000 to help launch the program, and Florida Southern recently received a gift of $2.5 million from Alberta Blanton, philanthropist and friend of the College, to build a new nursing facility.

Director of the FSC nursing program Dr. Mavra Kear said, “We clearly demonstrated to the Florida Board of Nursing that the College can offer an exceptional baccalaureate degree program in nursing and prepare graduates who will provide the highest level of patient care.”

For more information on the BSN program, contact Kear at mkear@flsouthern.edu.

About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1885, Florida Southern College is a private, comprehensive, United Methodist college with a liberal arts core. The college maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 39 undergraduate majors and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, and nursing. Florida Southern has a 13:1 student/faculty ratio, provides strong student/faculty mentorship programs, boasts 25 NCAA Division II national championships, and is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top ten Southern Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelor’s institutions and by the Princeton Review as a “Best Southeastern College.” Located on scenic Lake Hollingsworth, Florida Southern is the home to the world’s largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.