WATERLOO - Allen College and Hawkeye Community College are working together to increase the number of registered nurses in the Cedar Valley and across Iowa.

The colleges' leaders Tuesday signed an articulation agreement so HCC students can easily transfer to Allen College for nursing and radiography degrees.

"This agreement seeks to provide for the seamless transfer of Hawkeye Community College students to Allen College," said Allen Chancellor Jerry Durham.

HCC President Greg Schmitz said their goal is "to provide qualified health professionals to the Cedar Valley" and beyond. "This is really a continuation of a partnership between the two institutions."

For the past 16 years, a statewide nursing education articulation plan has been in place. As a result, nurses have been able to transfer between Hawkeye and Allen "in some fashion," said Susan Dawson, Allen's dean of academic affairs.

Tuesday's agreement formalizes those ties, providing a clearer path for students to continue their education. Nursing students at Hawkeye can earn a diploma or associate degree. Allen students can earn an associate degree in radiography and bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing.

Iowa Board of Nursing statistics show that 26 percent of nurses across the state have a diploma, 42 percent have an associate degree and 32 percent have a bachelor's degree.

The agreement will "begin to take down those mental barriers to continuing on with school," said Dawson. "We look at this agreement process as something that's important for nurses in the Cedar Valley and surrounding areas."

"This helps our students," said Linda Allen, HCC's vice president of academic affairs.

Hawkeye graduates will receive consideration for admission to Allen College's nursing and radiography programs plus transfer credit for approved courses if they earned an average grade of C or better and meet additional criteria outlined in the agreement. They may be eligible for advanced placement at Allen after earning the proper associate degree at Hawkeye.

Those who want to earn a bachelor's degree at Allen must have a grade-point average of at least 2.0. Those who want to earn a master's degree must have a GPA of at least 3.0. Both programs require that students hold a current license to practice as a registered nurse in Iowa or, if licensed in another state, be recognized for licensure in Iowa.

Applicants for the master's program will also be considered on the basis of probable success as determined by computer literacy, reference letters, a biographical sketch and a statement of personal and professional goals.

Hawkeye has agreed to adhere to Allen's transfer standards and guidelines. The agreement encourages faculty and administration from each program to meet yearly to discuss curriculum and student development. Allen will provide Hawkeye with the number of transfer students it has accepted each year.

Currently, six to 10 HCC students transfer to Allen annually, a number officials hope will increase.

Kim Cafaro has been enrolled in Allen's bachelor of science in nursing program since May. She earned an associate degree in general studies at HCC eight years ago before completing bachelor's and master's degrees in fields other than nursing.

She first looked at Hawkeye to begin her nursing education, but found a long waiting list to get into the program. Allen's programs don't generally have a waiting list. She believes the articulation agreement will help nurses finish their education and get into the work force more quickly.

"This will be nice for those who don't want to wait three years," she said.

Contact Andrew Wind at (319) 291-1507 or andrew.wind@wcfcourier.com.