centers but extend to satellite clinics and hospitals in rural towns, ensuring a wide reach and diverse opportunities for students. The collaborations address a significant challenge: staffing healthcare facilities in rural areas. “They are looking to ‘grow their own,’” Smith states, referring to the efforts to train local students who will hopefully return to their communities to work. The strategy benefits not only the students, who gain valuable hands-on experience, but also the rural healthcare providers, who struggle to attract qualified professionals. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES Dr. Flanigan emphasizes the importance of clearly articulating the college’s competitive advantages to prospective students, especially as the number of traditional college-age students continues to decline. “The more we can demonstrate our competitive advantage, the easier it will be for us to recruit those students,” he states. NDSCS maintains strong connections with industry partners through mandatory advisory council meetings for each program, held twice a year. These meetings ensure that the curriculum remains relevant and aligned with industry needs. Smith highlights the unique aspects of the allied health programs. “Our students have been in the industry since the first semester,” she explains. This early hands-on training, often missing from other Terry Marohl Debra Smith 63 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 07 NORTH DAKOTA STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
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