Nursing Program Partnership
Academic Affairs

A partnership between Fort Lewis College and the University of Colorado College of Nursing at Anschutz Medical Campus

Fort Lewis College and the University of Colorado College of Nursing at Anschutz Medical Campus have partnered to launch a four-year undergraduate degree in nursing.

The state’s flagship medical institute of higher education comes to FLC’s rural and Indigenous-serving campus in Southwest Colorado to create the CU Nursing Fort Lewis College Collaborative.

The CU Nursing Fort Lewis College Collaborative is a new cross-state resource and knowledge sharing model that will optimize how two educational institutions can impact the students in the program and communities across rural Colorado.

Using a health and collaboration model new to higher education, FLC and CU College of Nursing at Anschutz Medical Campus combine their strengths to create an integrated and robust partnership with a hands-on, culturally sensitive, and patient-centered healthcare curriculum.  

The CU Nursing Fort Lewis College Collaborative welcomes the first cohort of students in the fall of 2023. This Durango-based program will fuse FLC’s liberal arts core with the CU College of Nursing curriculum. Students will have FLC's close-knit, personalized, and high-touch undergraduate experience while experiencing the prestigious curriculum and research prowess of the CU College of Nursing.

This program will support students with a creative and critical thinking foundation in STEM-focused general education courses and nursing courses uniquely aligned to rural, Indigenous healthcare perspectives.

Fast Facts

• This four-year nursing program features community-based, rural, and Indigenous perspectives woven into each course.
• Students will complete their four-year degrees on the Fort Lewis College campus. Students will receive their final degree from CU. Degrees will be jointly branded and list the B.S.N degree awarded from CU College of Nursing, referencing the Rural & Indigenous Health Program from FLC.
• Both institutions are committed to serving underrepresented and Indigenous students. When applicable, the Native American Tuition Waiver covers tuition costs, while scholarships and other funding sources can supplement the waiver once students begin the CU College of Nursing program.

Admission

• The first cohort of 24 students will start as FLC students in Fall 2023. Each fall, 24 new students will be admitted to the program.
• Students will be admitted to FLC as “pre-nursing track” students. After completing one year (or 30 credits) of general courses, students can be admitted to the CU Nursing program.
• The admission process will be holistic and will focus on a student’s interview and course performance. This program is designed for students interested in rural and community-based nursing practices.

Coursework

• Courses will be primarily in-person with some hybrid options.
• The CU College of Nursing courses will be available in 2025. Students will take general courses the first two years.
• This program is not available to transfer students.

Why Our Program is Important

This community-facing program will not only prepare students for their future careers but will also address gaps in regional healthcare services:

• According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 46% of employers require new nursing hires to have a bachelor’s degree while 88% strongly prefer baccalaureate-prepared nurses.
• Historically, a lack of training facilities and teaching personnel has led to nursing shortages, especially in rural areas. According to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, Colorado had the fourth lowest concentration of nursing professionals by state in the U.S. in 2020.
• In 2018, the U.S. Government Accountability Office studied employment data from Indian Health Service, concluding that there are not enough healthcare providers in the IHS service area to provide quality and timely healthcare to Indigenous people—the average vacancy rate for physicians, nurses, and other care providers was 25%.