According to the American Association of Colleges of Nurses, enrollments in entry-level baccalaureate education programs, like Southwestern's, fell 5.5 percent in the fall of 1998, the fourth consecutive decline in as many years. Meyer, who recently attended one of six regional meetings held across the United States to advise AACN staff on initiatives for returning undergraduate enrollments to sufficient levels, said Southwestern is currently accepting applications for its next 40-member class. The deadline is February 1. Headlines that have appeared the past two years about hospital downsizings and RN layoffs have caused lasting perceptions among students, according to Meyer. Southwestern's nursing program has many positive attributes.
Class sizes are relatively small which allows for individual attention by faculty members.