About the School
Institutional Commitment to Inclusive Excellence, Belonging, and Sustainability
Berea College, a mission-driven school in rural Appalachia, was founded by Rev. John G. Fee, an outspoken anti-slavery advocate whose ideal became the motto, "God has made of one blood all peoples of the earth," adapted from Acts 17:26. Berea College is the most economically diverse college in the U.S. (Leonardt & Wu, 2023). Since 1892, Berea College has not charged tuition to any enrolled student. Putting students first is part of our strategic plan.
At Berea College, a federally designated work college, each student is required to work at least ten hours a week. Nursing students work as Teaching Assistants in the Skills Laboratory and Simulation Center, as Nurse Techs at CHI Saint Joseph Berea Hospital, and as Clinical Drivers transporting classmates to clinical sites.
Mission Strategies
Creating Change, Influencing Others, Sustaining Outcomes
The Nursing Department supports a diverse group of underrepresented racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, primarily from Appalachia, toward program completion and first-time NCLEX-RN passage by implementing the following multimodal data-driven strategies:
- Substantive curriculum change
- Admission requirements revision
- Student Success Contract
- Required test remediation for at-risk students
- Structured reflective writing clinical assignments
- Caring Connections coaching program
- Equal interval grading scale
- Community partnership for labor positions
- Five-year Collaborative Online International Learning program
Implementing these changes is a stable, diverse nursing faculty devoted to high academic standards and extraordinary support. "…This stability and sense of pride in belonging to our beloved Berea that propels us to advance with confidence and gusto" (Kennison, M. in Nursing Magazine 2024. Destined for Greatness (p. 3). The sustained result of this commitment is graduates' first-time NCLEX-RN passage of 96.5% on average for the past 11 years from 2014-2024, and graduation rates per CCNE standards of 80% to 100% for the past several years. Most importantly, the sustained changes and resources fostered students' success in becoming Registered Nurses who enrich the workforce, an opportunity they may not have otherwise.