DANBURY, CONN. — Southern and Western Connecticut State universities soon could become host to one of only three Ed.D. (Doctor of Education) programs in nursing education across the country.

The Connecticut State University System Board of Trustees gave its consent Wednesday to a proposal that would enable SCSU and WCSU to jointly offer the advanced nursing degree. The plan now goes to the Board of Governors for Higher Education for final approval.

If the proposal clears that last hurdle, students could begin applying for entrance into the program in January and the first group of 25 students selected for it would begin taking classes next fall.

Selase Williams, SCSU provost and vice president for academic affairs, said the Ed.D. is one of several types of doctoral degrees offered in nursing. The degrees most commonly offered are the Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) and the D.N.P. (Doctor of Nursing Practice). While the Ph.D. focuses on research and the D.N.P. centers on clinical skills, the Ed.D. is designed for those who wish to prepare students to become nursing educators. He said that only Columbia University and the University of Alabama currently offer an Ed.D. in nursing education.

“In addition to a well-documented shortage of nurses in Connecticut and throughout the nation, there is also a shortage of nursing faculty,” Williams said. He added that the faculty shortage makes it more difficult for schools to increase the number of nursing students they can enroll, despite an ever increasing demand. An increase in the number of nursing teachers is critical in the effort to expand the number of nursing students, and ultimately, in addressing the shortage of nurses.

Lisa Rebeschi, chairwoman of the SCSU nursing department, noted that nationally about 55,000 qualified students have been rejected each year when applying for acceptance into nursing programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

“And these are students who are qualified and would likely become very good nurses,” Rebeschi said. “With the shortage of nurses, we could really use their skills and abilities right now. The number one reason for so many rejections is that the schools just don’t have enough nursing faculty to teach more students.”

At SCSU, entrance into the B.S.N. program is quite competitive with only about 50 percent of the 180 applicants being accepted each year. To even be considered, applicants must prove themselves by meeting various academic standards. Acceptance into the university’s Accelerated Career Entry (A.C.E.) program is even more competitive. A.C.E. enables students with a bachelor’s degree in another field to obtain their undergraduate nursing degree in one year. Only about one of every four applicants is accepted, according to Rebeschi.

“There is such a need for future nurses, and schools really want to increase the number of qualified students they can accept,” she said. “Expanding the pool of nursing faculty will help schools in that regard.”

Karen Crouse, chairwoman of the WCSU nursing department, agreed. “This proposal is an attempt by the faculty to develop a solution to the complex issues of the nursing faculty shortage and the inability to accept all qualified students into our programs,” Crouse said.

She noted that faculty members from SCSU and WCSU have collaborated on the development of the proposal and that the project has fostered a stronger bond between the two nursing programs.

Selection for the proposed Ed.D. program also would be very competitive, according to Williams. “About 85 percent of it would be conducted online, which could attract students from anywhere in the country.”

In fact, Rebeschi said students would only have to be onsite for several days during successive summers. The first group of students, for example, would be required to be on site at either SCSU or WCSU for several days during the summer of 2011 and again in 2012.

Williams also noted that the Ed.D. program would be designed for part-time students, so that nurses could continue working while they pursue their degree. It would typically take students three years to complete the required 51 credits.

For more information, call the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.