The Dean’s Desk | Thoughts from Rutgers Nursing Leadership
Looking Back, Remembering Our Future
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
William L. Holzemer, RN, PhD, FAAN
Rutgers University School of Nursing
This time, moving into a new year is an especially appropriate time to reflect on the accomplishments of the past 12 months – and the challenges lying ahead – for the Rutgers University School of Nursing. After all, 2015 was our first full calendar year of operation since the landmark merger of Rutgers’ nursing education programs with those of The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
Where do I begin my list of the astounding progress that faculty and staff have made in a very short time?
We spent the past six months conducting our CCNE self-study and writing the accreditation report under the leadership of Executive Vice-Dean Sue Salmond – a report of over 100 pages to prepare us for our site visit in February 2016.
Our enhanced Web site – nursing.rutgers.edu – was launched, offering more accurate information about our programs and a shining a spotlight on faculty and academic initiatives.
Under the leadership of Dean Emeritus Dorothy DeMaio, we held the opening reception to view our new history wall, tracing nursing at Rutgers University through 2010, at the 110 Paterson building.
We began a series of regular town hall meetings with student leadership to build closer collaboration among faculty, administration, and students.
Thanks to the leadership of Dr. Cindy Sickora and many others, we received HRSA grant funding (labeled 330 status) for the Rutgers Community Health Center, which has now confirmed our status and designation of our community wellness practice, Rutgers Community Health Center, as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).
Our Center for Global Health under the leadership of Dr. Sue Willard held its first international conference on nursing research, drawing 40 participants from 6 countries. (For more information, go to nursing.rutgers.edu/global-health/ ) The Center has also launched two international education programs for faculty and students in Tanzania and Mexico.
Under the leadership of our faculty chair, Dr. Charlotte Thomas-Hawkins, we are perfecting the new faculty Bylaws, faculty committee structure, and faculty governance.
A Registrar was hired for the School of Nursing.
As for the challenges ahead:
We are implementing new appointment, reappointment, and promotion procedures for all faculty based upon our divisional structure.
We must continue to learn about and work with a new budgeting model, Resource Centered Management, which requires a much closer accounting of all income and expenses.
With commercial space now leased close to our 110 Patterson building, we can admit another cohort of Second Degree students into our generic BSN program.
We are struggling to articulate an equitable and fair work load document that meets the expectations of faculty and the administration’s fiscal constraints.
A successful CCNE site visit is needed for us to receive full accreditation!
Wishing you and yours a Happy and Healthy New Year!
