Morgan State University Department of Nursing Awarded $1M Grant from Bedford Falls Foundation

Transformational Funding to Advance Need-Based Scholarships, Faculty Development, and Student Success Initiatives

BALTIMORE – Morgan State University’s (MSU) School of Community Health and Policy (SCHP) Department of Nursing has been awarded a $1 million grant from the Bedford Falls Foundation DAF to support nursing scholarships for students and enhance faculty professional development opportunities. Over the next three years, the Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarship will benefit 75 students a year pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, providing need-based funding and improving individualized guidance, academic coaching, and career mentoring within the nursing department. Additionally, it will support various networking events and mentoring opportunities designed to improve student retention and engagement.

This generous gift comes at a crucial time, as the United States is facing a significant shortage of nurses, with demand for their services continually increasing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Projections for 2022-2032, the workforce for Registered Nurses (RNs) is expected to grow by 6% over the next decade, leading to an estimated 193,100 job openings for RNs annually through 2032. This estimate considers retirements and workforce exits, highlighting the urgent need for more nurses in the U.S.

The commitment of support from the Bedford Falls Foundation aims to improve access to high-quality nursing education while addressing the critical shortage of nursing professionals. The foundation will fund the Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarship through 2027.

“Our goal is to help lift the financial barriers and invest in the development of our nation’s nurses,” said Bill Conway, Jr. co-founder and trustee of the Bedford Falls Foundation. “We are proud to partner with Morgan State University’s Department of Nursing to support future nurses as they enter into the workforce throughout Baltimore and beyond.”

Additionally, the grant will fund continuing education and professional development for faculty, focusing on excellence in teaching and learning. This will particularly benefit nursing faculty who are new to academia. The funding will cover attendance at nursing education conferences and workshops focused on curriculum development, pedagogy, and student engagement. It will also support certification or training in simulation to achieve Sim Center Accreditation, thereby enhancing the quality, consistency, and impact of simulation-based education while aligning with national nursing education standards.

“This initiative further amplifies the School of Community Health and Policy’s commitment to excellence in teaching and learning,” said Kim Sydnor, Ph.D., dean of the school. “Our students have an outstanding record of achievement in the nursing program, and efforts like these support the continued elevation of their academic and professional trajectories.”

During the fiscal year 2024, Morgan's nursing program graduates achieved an impressive first-time pass rate of 90.3% on the NCLEX-RN national licensure examination. This accomplishment builds on the success of the nursing program’s performance, especially considering that Morgan nursing graduates achieved a 100% first-time pass rate in 2018. The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) is the standard test to evaluate a nurse's knowledge and ability to provide patient care upon graduation from an accredited nursing program.

“This funding sets our Conway Scholars on a path to continued success,” said Maija Anderson, DNP, APRN, chair of the Department of Nursing at Morgan. “Students will no longer have to worry about financial barriers, and they will benefit from a comprehensive academic experience that provides opportunities to learn beyond the classroom.”

Established in 2008, the School of Community Health and Policy’s Department of Nursing baccalaureate degree program was created in response to the national nursing shortage, the underrepresentation of minorities in health care, and the healthcare disparities between Baltimore's residents and the larger society. The Department of Nursing baccalaureate degree program is accredited until 2033 by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the foremost authority in accrediting the country’s various nursing education programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, doctoral, and certificate levels.

About Bedford Falls Foundation

The Bedford Falls Foundation, a private foundation, and Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF, a donor advised fund advised by the foundation, were each established by Bill Conway Jr., co-founder and co-chairman of the global investment firm the Carlyle Group, and his late wife Joanne Barkett Conway. The shared mission of their nursing philanthropy is to remove financial barriers to a high-quality nursing education and supporting educational partners in addressing the critical nursing workforce shortage. To learn more about Bedford Falls and the areas that it supports, please visit www.bedfordfallsfoundation.org.

About Morgan

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering more than 150 baccalaureate, master’s degree, doctorate and certificate programs. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.

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Media Contacts:

Cheryl Stewart or Larry Jones,  for Morgan State University PR
443-885-3022