School of Nursing Interim Dean Susan McLennon said the demand for more nurses in the Rio Grande Valley is immediate. The Texas Legislature authorized $29.9 million for Capital Construction Assistance Projects to Texas A&M University Health Science Center (Texas A&M Health) to support growth in student enrollment. Nurses are in high demand across the United States and Texas, where vacancies for registered nurses almost tripled from about 6% in 2019 to 17% in 2022, according to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS). The program expansion to McAllen will initially focus on offering the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. “This new facility in McAllen will not only meet local demand for bachelor’s-prepared nurses, but it will also allow community-based research to address the health challenges of the Rio Grande Valley.” “Our branch campuses are crucial to reaching students statewide, delivering quality education and ensuring community outreach - integral components of our land-grant mission,” Banks said. Katherine Banks, who has committed $20 million toward the effort, said the university’s pledge to the community, industry partners and families in South Texas is to provide better access to A&M degrees while contributing solutions to employment needs. The project is part of a broad commitment made by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents and Chancellor John Sharp to offer more opportunities for Rio Grande Valley students while allowing them to remain in the area while earning their Aggie degree. Most of the 60,772-square-foot facility will be dedicated to nursing, while just under 5,600 square feet is earmarked for the School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS). Texas A&M University is planning a new building at its Higher Education Center in McAllen to house a nursing program that will help address educational and employment needs in the Rio Grande Valley.
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