November 2005
Release date: November 4, 2005
ASU Nursing Prof to Head Statewide Effort at Student Retention
Dr. Leslie M. Mayrand, who heads Angelo State University's Nursing Department, has been awarded a $39,961 grant to study nursing student retention in the region as part of a larger statewide effort that she will chair in preparation for the next session of the Texas Legislature.
Under the grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Mayrand will direct the retention study for the state's west/northwest region and will coordinate the efforts of the five regional project directors.
The statewide study is designed to identify effective strategies to increase graduation rates from the state's professional nursing programs and to make recommendations to the Texas Legislature no later than January of 2007 for implementing those strategies.
ASU Graduate Dean Carol Diminnie said Mayrand's appointment to oversee the statewide effort reflects the solid reputation ASU's nursing program has throughout Texas for addressing health care needs through innovative nursing education.
Diminnie noted that the grant is Mayrand's third this fall on various projects related to improving nursing education for Texas.
Mayrand will be assisted in the study by ASU master's degree recipient Justin Louder, who will serve as project coordinator for the west/northwest region. The region includes 15 nursing education programs in Abilene, Amarillo, Big Spring, Canyon, Cisco, El Paso, Levelland, Lubbock, Midland, Odessa, Vernon and Wichita Falls.
