Black Colleges in Baltimore in Turf War Over Nursing Programs

Morgan State University, the historically black educational institution in Baltimore, has filed an application with the Maryland Higher Education Commission to establish a nursing program that will confer bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. The program is designed to help alleviate the nursing shortage in the state. There is currently a 10 percent vacancy rate for nursing jobs in Maryland and it is estimated that an additional 2,340 nurses will be needed in the near future.

But Coppin State University, another historically black educational institution in Baltimore, is crying foul. Coppin State also has a nursing program and fears that a second program will result in a large number of faculty defections. A faculty shortage already exists at the Coppin State nursing program.

Currently there are 150 nursing students at Coppin State. Morgan State hopes to enroll 30 students initially but hopes to grow the program to 150 students by 2012.

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