The Rutgers School of Nursing (RSON) Strategic Plan 2023–2028 outlines a unified vision for advancing clinical excellence, educational innovation, research leadership, community partnership, and organizational strength. Developed collaboratively across faculty, staff, students, and clinical partners, the plan positions RSON as a national leader in academic nursing and a driving force for health equity in New Jersey and beyond.
The initiatives in this plan reflect RSON’s commitment to excellence, equity, innovation, and service. Through coordinated action across all University and Rutgers Health mission areas, RSON will continue to prepare exceptional nurses, advance impactful research, and improve the health and well-being of communities across New Jersey and beyond.
The RSON Strategic Plan 2023-2028 highlights five signature areas:
- Strengthen Academic Excellence, Innovation, and Reputation
- Enhance Technology and Data Infrastructure
- Expand Community and Partnership Development
- Cultivate Faculty and Staff Engagement and Collaboration
- Promote a Culture of Student-Centered Support & Success
This chart provides a transparent snapshot of our Strategic Plan progress, categorizing each objective as Completed, In Progress, or Not Yet Started. It reflects our commitment to accountability and continuous improvement, highlighting areas of strong momentum while identifying priorities that remain ahead. Together, these status indicators help us track implementation, measure impact, and ensure alignment with our overarching strategic goals.
| RUTGERS SCHOOL OF NURSING STRATEGIC PLAN 2023 – 2028 UPDATE | ||||||||||||
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| 1. Strengthen Academic Excellence, Innovation, and Reputation | ||||||||||||
| Objective | Priority | Responsible Oversight | Action Steps | Timeline | Outcome Indicators | STATUS | ||||||
| Focus Area: Clinical Care Establish New Ways of Preparing Students for Clinical Practice | High | Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs | • Evaluate clinical and simulation schedules and outcomes • Implement & evaluate A/B Model of UG clinical education • Create a Clinical Learning Advisory Committee | 2024-2026 | • Implement Exxat across clinical programs • Clinical Advisory Committee in place and providing input/feedback • Comprehensive review of clinical experiences complete with changes approved | In Progress | ||||||
| Focus Area: Education & Training Enhance Faculty Focus on the Needs of the Latest Generation of Students | Moderate | Entry to Baccalaureate Practice Committee | • Convene faculty, staff, and student committee | 2025-2026 | • Evaluate current learning resources (Evolve) • Student & faculty evaluations | In Progress | ||||||
| Focus Area: Education & Training Reframe DNP Projects to Gain Experience, Knowledge, Skills to Set Them Apart in the Marketplace | Moderate | Advanced Nurse Practice Committee | • Faculty/Academic Administration will work to examine DNP data pre and post DNP project revision and make recommendations for change | 2026–2027 | • 3 course progression implemented and evaluated | In Progress | ||||||
| Focus Area: Education & Training Prepare Graduates who Manage Complexities of Healthcare Systems with Deep Understanding of Population Health | Moderate | Associate Deans and Division Committees | • Work with community of interest on curriculum review & graduate performance • Launch Master’s task force • PhD Curriculum revision | 2025-2027 | • Competency based education integrated into all program committees | In Progress | ||||||
| Focus Area: Education & Training Explore Opportunities for Hybrid Learning Models within Graduate Programs | Moderate-High | Advanced Nursing Practice and Nursing Science Committees | • Explore highbred option with PhD program • Modalities selected for each course/program for 2026 and beyond | 2024-2027 | • Coordinated transition of courses with QualityMatters metrics •Plan for teach out of current curriculum and development of new courses | Complete | ||||||
| Focus Area: Education & Training Implement Innovation in Academic Programs and Admissions Access | High | Senior Vice Dean and Director of Admissions, Recruitment and Enrollment Analytics | •Examine qualitative data from recent recruitment events •Clarify admissions criteria across program following review by Division Committees •Explore capacity for year-round admissions in selected programs •Evaluate AI modalities for streamlining student-facing admissions information | 2026-2027 | • Clear and concise recruitment materials developed for each program •Undergraduate Graduate student rolling admission decisions made within one month • Relaunching of Community Building and Engagement initiatives | Complete | ||||||
| Focus Area: Research & Innovation Develop and Launch Center for Health Equity & Systems Research (CHESR) | High | Director of CHESR | • Submit the CHESR proposal and obtain necessary approvals • Plan the official launch of CHESR – develop and update the center’s website – plan, implement, and evaluate a national seminar – open affiliate membership opportunities – design, implement, and evaluate an internal pilot program – submit proposals | 2024-2027 | •One multi-PI NIH grant submitted annually/TT or T faculty •Annual report with progressive increase in research productivity | Complete | ||||||
| 2. Enhance Technology and Data Infrastructure | ||||||||||||
| Objective | Priority | Responsible Oversight | Action Steps | Timeline | Outcome Indicators | STATUS | ||||||
| Focus Area: Education & Training Update Lab Equipment, Space, Simulators | High | Dean, Senior Vice Dean, Associate Dean of Simulation and Clinical Learning | • Complete renovations in New Brunswick • Ackerson Remodel • SSB CRNA Remodel •Survey of faculty and staff needs | 2023-2024 | • Renovations and updated equipment completed • Completion of move from Paterson to Albany | Complete | ||||||
| Focus Area: Research & Innovation Enhance Infrastructure Support for Grant Writing and Resources | Moderate-High | Vice Dean of Research | • Implement pilot programs in CHESR and Research and Scholarship Committee • Improve dissemination of research resources on website •Implement research templates in TEAMS | 2026-2027 | •Updated website complete •Pilot program in place and sustainable • Library developed of research templates | In Progress | ||||||
| Focus Area: Enabling Systems & Structures Examine IT Resources and Processes | High | Senior Vice Dean, and IT Team | Assess and make recommendations for classroom technology • Assess and make recommendations for simulation technologies/software applications • Assess and make recommendations for IT support/customer service | 2026-2027 | • Clear plan on IT classroom updates | In Progress | ||||||
| Focus Area: Enabling Systems & Structures Examine Use of Student Information Portals | High | Senior Vice Dean, Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs | • Assess and make recommendations for processes for use of Data Run • Integrate Banner and Exxat to advance graduate advisement • Assess and make recommendations for admissions and enrollment data | 2025-2026 | • Implementation on use of Exxat •Clear map of data availability per system | Complete | ||||||
| Focus Area: Enabling Systems & Structures Enhance Technology and Data Infrastructure | High | Office of Institutional Research, Evaluation Committee | • Evaluate integration of student databases •Build streamlined system for accreditation documents •Examine use of TEAMS for data accessibility | 2026-2027 | • Clear processes articulated by each division and department in the SON on data accessibility, extraction and reporting •Streamlined database created for accreditation •Universal use of TEAMS for faculty and staff facing needs | In Progress | ||||||
| 3. Expand Community and Partnership Development | ||||||||||||
| Objective | Priority | Responsible Oversight | Action Steps | Timeline | Outcome Indicators | STATUS | ||||||
| Focus Area: Clinical Care Build Clinical Partnerships Providing a Variety of Experiences | High | Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs | • Develop new relationship with Parker Life • Explore partnerships with Atlantic Health • Evaluate DEUs • Expand partnership opportunities with UH-Newark • Develop grad student allocation algorithm (SAW) | 2024-2027 | • Clinical placement contracts established with plan for regular review • DNP and UG placements are sufficient • Increase in UG and grad placements • Requests for placements are made at least 3 months in advance | Complete | ||||||
| Focus Area: Clinical Care Collaborate to Create APRN Fellowship Opportunities | Moderate | Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs | • APP fellowship launched • Explore fellowship opportunity with Parker Life • Explore fellowship opportunity with UH | 2023-2027 | Number of APP fellowship launched | Not Started | ||||||
| Focus Area: Clinical Care Create Joint Appointments with Clinical Partner Facilities | Low | Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs | • Examine current contracts • Explore opportunities with faculty interested in joint appointments | 2025-2028 | • Number of joint appointments compared to baseline | In Progress | ||||||
| Focus Area: Research & Innovation Develop Collaborative Research Agenda with Clinical Partners | Moderate-High | Vice Dean of Research | • Implement Clinical Partner Research Program • Identify opportunities for collaborative research • Explore research fellowship for clinical nurses | 2026-2027 | •Two collaborative projects developed with academic practice partners | In Progress | ||||||
| Focus Area: Community Engagement Facilitate School Leadership and Participation in Health Issues Unique to the NJ Population | High | Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Specialty Director, Nurse Midwifery | • Implement state-funded reproductive justice and maternal mortality reduction efforts • Lead a consumer-facing campaign to support the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative | 2023-2028 | • Maternal-infant grants supporting midwifery program and community clinic | Complete | ||||||
| Focus Area: Community Engagement Engage in Public Schools and Community Organizations to Promote Nursing as a Career Choice | High | Senior Vice Dean | • Collaborate with identified Newark Public Schools | 2023-2028 | • Increased engagement between SON and Newark Public Schools | Complete | ||||||
| Focus Area: Community Engagement Engage with Community Organizations Regarding Health Education and Community Needs | Moderate | Senior Vice Dean | • Initiate and engage with community advisory boards | 2023-2028 | • Regular meetings with Community Advisory Board with strategic plan in place | Not Started | ||||||
| Focus Area: Enabling Systems & Structures Examine Process for Onsite, Community, and Hospital-Based Clinical Placements | High | Associate Dean for Simulation & Clinical Learning | Integrate scheduling and assignments between on-campus and off-campus clinicals | 2026-2027 | Evaluate scheduling and assignments | In Progress | ||||||
| 4. Cultivate Faculty and Staff Engagement and Collaboration | ||||||||||||
| Objective | Priority | Responsible Oversight | Action Steps | Timeline | Outcome Indicators | STATUS | ||||||
| Focus Area: People & Workforce Enhance Communications with and Among Faculty and Staff | High | Dean, Senior Vice Dean, and Director of Communication and Marketing | • Implement mechanisms for frequent, targeted communication • Examine newsletter/announcement communications across school and make recommendations for improvement | 2026-2027 | • Increase in communication metrics | Complete | ||||||
| Focus Area: People & Workforce Create More Opportunities for Faculty–Staff Interactions and Social Forums | High | Dean | Implement a joint retreat annually with guest speakers | 2026-2027 | • Evaluations of joint retreats | Complete | ||||||
| Focus Area: Inclusive, Respectful Culture Facilitate an Engaged, Respectful Organizational Climate Where All Feel Welcome, Valued, and Safe | High | Dean and School Leadership | • Create electronic suggestion box • Examine current data and gather additional data from faculty, staff, and students | 2024-2028 | • Clear follow up on suggestions | Not Started | ||||||
| Focus Area: Inclusive, Respectful Culture Build an Inclusive, Diverse Faculty and Staff That Mirrors Its Student Body and NJ Population | High | Dean, Senior Vice Dean | • Actively update and communicate the SON Community Building and Engagement plan • Review language in mission and other | 2026-2027 | • Activities implemented throughout the academic year with excellent attendance | Complete | ||||||
| Focus Area: Team-Based Approaches Cultivate Faculty and Staff Engagement and Collaboration | High | Dean, Senior Vice Dean, Faculty and Staff Councils, Director of Marketing, and Asst. Dean for Faculty & Staff Resources | • Improve onboarding experiences for new faculty and staff •Develop and articulate the School’s values •Improve internal communication •Evaluate retention strategies •Reinstate the annual picnic •Evaluate meetings for team communication (implementation teams) | 2026-2027 | • Evaluate onboarding annually •School values approved and on website •Evaluate internal communication plan •Retention evaluated annually •Annual picnic implemented and sustainable •Evaluate success of team meetings | In Progress | ||||||
| Focus Area: Enabling Systems & Structures Examine HR Practices | High | Dean, Senior Vice Dean, and Human Resources | Determine effective search committee process: timeframe, tasks, responsibilities, education support for | 2026-2027 | • Search committee evaluations | Not Started | ||||||
| Focus Area: Enabling Systems & Structures Examine Internal Communication | High | Director of Communication and Marketing | Evaluate best methods of communication | 2026-2027 | • Listservs are accurate and updated •Continuous communication provided reliably on weekly and monthly basis •Clear process in place for website updates | Complete | ||||||
| 5. Promote a Culture of Student-Centered Support & Success | ||||||||||||
| Objective | Priority | Responsible Oversight | Action Steps | Timeline | Outcome Indicators | STATUS | ||||||
| Focus Area: Education & Training Enact Early Identification and Support for Students at Risk | High | Associate and Assistant Deans, Evaluation Committee | A2 exam used as admission screen for all 2+2 students • Evaluate A2 exams as a screening tool for at risk students in Traditional and 2nd Degree program • Involve students in planning remediation and support | 2024-2026 | • Evaluation of A2 implementation complete | Complete | ||||||
| Focus Area: Education & Training Assess and Remove Barriers to Student Progression | Moderate | Associate Deans and Division Committees | • Evaluate progression policies in Division Committees | 2024-2026 | • Policies, process in place for progression transparency and efficiency | In Progress | ||||||
| Focus Area: Education & Training Review School Structures and Policies to Create Environments Where All Students Have the Opportunity, Resources, and Support They Need to Learn and Grow | High | Dean, Senior Vice Dean, Associate Deans and Assistant Dean for Student Engagement and Well-being | • Gather data on failure to progress through curriculum and analyze whether policies in place support quality academic progression • Review student policies for currency on inclusivity and student‐centricity | 2023-2027 | • Undergraduate advising model implemented and evaluated • Evaluate resource use of student services • Evaluate use of Exxat as a universal tracking system for students | In Progress | ||||||
| Focus Area: Education & Training Promote a Culture of Student-Centered Support & Success | High | Senior Vice Dean and Assistant Dean for Student Engagement and Well-being | •Create taskforce for review of student engagement and service utilization •Evaluate advising model for upper level undergraduate and second-degree nursing students •Evaluate advisement for graduate students | 2026-2027 | • Undergraduate advising model implemented and evaluated • Evaluate resource use of student services • Evaluate use of Exxat as a universal tracking system for students | In Progress | ||||||