Partnerships in Higher Education: A Model for Joint Degree Nursing Programs FRANCES W. QUINLESS, PHD, RN,* NORBERT ELLIOT, PHD,J" AND EDWARD SAIFF, PHD$ The purpose of this article is to outline specific strategies that were employed in the design and implementation of two joint baccalaureate nursing programs developed in New Jersey. Details regarding the academic contract, decision-making committees, advisory committees, lines of authority, and practical aspects of operational management are fully de- scribed. The authors also describe the broad assump- tions and ingredients necessary to successful partner- ships in higher education. Both the advantages and disadvantages to academic partnerships are dis- cussed. (Index words: Academic collaboration; Joint programs; Partnerships) d Prof Nurs 13:300-306, 1997. Copyright © 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company ~ THE GENERAL PUBLIC and their elected representatives demand increased accountability and productivity from higher education, institutions are seeking means to deliver quality programs and to foster scholarship in cost-effective ways. Partnerships among institutions are arising as proactive means of achieving these goals. Similarly to joint ventures in business, partnerships provide strength through col- laboration and maximum utilization of diverse re- sources to achieve specific goals. In this article, the experiences of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Nursing (UMDNJ-SN) are explored relative to the design and implementation of joint baccalaureate degree programs. Through partnerships, one with Ramapo College of New Jersey (RCNJ) and another with New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), *Professorand Dean, Schoolof Nursing, University of Medi- cine and Dentistryof NewJersey, Newark, NJ. ~Chairman, Department of Humanities and Social Science, College of Science and Liberal Arts, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark,NJ. ~-Professor, School ofTheoreticaland AppliedScience, Ramapo Collegeof NewJersey, Newark, NJ. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Quinless: University of Medicineand Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Nursing, 111 Administration Complex,30 Bergen St, Newark, NJ O7107-3000. Copyright © 1997by W..B.SaundersCompany 8755-7223/97/1305-0009503.00/0 UMDNJ-SN offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program in both northern and southern New Jersey. These programs offer a joint program model easily modified based on local mission and resources between and among higher education institutions. Assumptions Underlying Successful Academic Partnerships The three most critical ingredients to successful joint degree programs include clear and unequivocal support from the institutions' presidents and boards of trustees, differentiation of institutional missions, and uniform alignment to the achievement of a common goal. The most essential assumption underlying a success- ful partnership is the absolute support of the presi- dents of the institutions involved. Presidential support must cascade publicly throughout the partnering organizations to ensure initial and continued coopera- tion of various operational units, such as admissions offices, registration offices, libraries, student services, financial offices, and others. Presidential support, in turn, emanates from strong endorsement from institu- tional boards of trustees. If boards of trustees fully promote academic partnerships as vehicles to accom- plish institutional missions cost-effectively, then cen- tral administrators can appropriately implement joint programs with confidence. An overview of the mis- sions, goals, programs, geographic locations, and student profiles of NJIT, RCNJ, and UMDNJ is shown in Table 1. As illustrated in this table, these cooperating institutions differ in significant ways; however, this diversity strengthens the common goal of providing quality baccalaureate nursing education. Interestingly, academic collaborations work most effectively when the partnering institutions differ in mission and thus bring unique strengths to the common product, that is, the joint degree program. The unique contributions of each partner must be equally integral to the success of the joint venture for it to succeed; a "joint" program cannot succeed if one 300 Journal of ProfessionaINursing, Vol 13, No 5 (September-October), 1997: pp 300-306