MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING 

BETWEEN TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY AND
THE BOARD OF REGENTS REGARDING THE MSN-RODP PROGRAM
 

 

 

WHEREAS:     The Tennessee Board of Regents (“TBR”) and Tennessee State University (“TSU”) (collectively “Parties”) acknowledge that there is a significant shortage of trained nurses in Tennessee; and

 

WHEREAS:     The Parties acknowledge that the TBR system has an obligation to remediate, to the extent possible, the shortage of trained nurses through its educational institutions; and

 

WHEREAS:     The shortage of nursing faculty and other advanced practice nurses prepared at the masters level limits the ability of Tennessee to meet its nursing requirements; and

 

WHEREAS:     The TBR has determined to meet the shortage of nurses prepared at the masters level through the development of a Masters of Science in Nursing delivered through the Regents On-Line Decree Program (“MSN-RODP”); and,

 

WHEREAS:     Tennessee State University has the only TBR existing on-ground Masters of Science in Nursing program in Middle Tennessee; and

 

WHEREAS:     The Parties’ intent is to ensure that the new MSN-RODP is consistent with the requirements of the Geier Consent Decree in that the MSN-RODP does not adversely affect TSU’s existing on-ground graduate nursing program; and

 

WHEREAS:     Tennessee State University desires to be a full and active participant in the new MSN-RODP; and

 

WHEREAS:     The Parties desire that decisions concerning MSN-RODP be based upon the principle of fair and equitable collaboration and the need to maximize and fairly distribute available resources;

 

NOW THEREFORE BE IT AGREED THAT:

 

1.         Tennessee State University will participate together with Middle Tennessee State University (“MTSU”), Austin Peay State University (“APSU”), and other TBR institutions in the MSN-RODP.

 

2.         To avoid potential confusion and misunderstanding, it is agreed that the Associate Vice President for the Avon Williams Campus (“TSU Coordinator”) will be the individual on the TSU campus charged with coordinating and facilitating TSU’s participation in RODP generally and with respect to the MSN-RODP program in particular. The TSU Coordinator and the TBR Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs responsible for RODP (“TBR Coordinator”) shall meet within seven (7) days of the execution of this Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate this requirement.  The TSU Coordinator shall remain the person responsible for coordinating TSU’s participation in RODP until such time as the President of TSU informs the Chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents in writing that the president has designated another individual. 

 

3.         The TSU Coordinator shall work with the TBR Coordinator to ensure that Tennessee State’s operating procedures, IT systems, and academic calendars are appropriate and in place so as to facilitate the full participation of TSU in the MSN-RODP program on terms generally applicable to all other TBR institutions.

 

4.         As applications are received for the MSN-RODP they will be evaluated by the MSN Executive Committee for admission recommendation and home campus assignment.  The MSN-RODP application shall reflect that for students applying from Middle Tennessee, that they will be randomly assigned by the MSN Executive Committee to one of three Middle Tennessee home campuses: APSU, MTSU, or TSU.  

5.         Assignment to a home campus for  students residing in Middle Tennessee shall occur in the following fashion: (A) the MSN Executive Committee shall review the MSN-RODP applications on the previously agreed to schedule to determine which applicants meet or exceed the minimum standards; (B) for those who meet the MSN-RODP standards, the MSN Executive Committee shall group the applicants on the basis of academic ability.  It is for the MSN Executive Committee to determine how to group similarly prepared students.^[1]  (C) Once grouped on the basis of academic ability, the MSN Executive Committee will then designate on an equal basis the students’ home campuses among APSU, MTSU, and TSU.  (D) The only criterion for assigning students to a home campus shall be the equitable division of students based on undergraduate academic achievement.^[2]  (E) If any one of the three schools is unable to accommodate new students during an admission cycle, then the students will be assigned on an equal basis to the remaining schools.

 

6.         Middle Tennessee MSN-RODP students will not have a choice as to the designation of a home campus. 

 

7.         Once assigned to a home campus by the MSN Executive Committee, the student must then meet the regular graduate admissions requirements of the designated home campus.

 

8.         The TSU Coordinator will ensure that TSU’s procedures for admitting MSN-RODP students to the TSU graduate nursing program is closely coordinated with the RODP schedule used by other TBR institutions.  It is also agreed that to the maximum extent possible, and consistent with the practice of RODP and the TBR’s other universities, that the application process to the TSU graduate nursing program for RODP students will be done on-line and on a coordinated schedule with APSU and MTSU.   The TSU Coordinator and the TBR Coordinator shall meet within seven (7) days of the execution of this Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate this requirement.

 

9.         A student who lives in Middle Tennessee and is assigned to a home campus but chooses not to attend that home campus shall not otherwise be eligible to attend a different home campus at a later date.  The TBR Coordinator shall maintain the records necessary to ensure compliance with this requirement.