 | Spring/Summer 2005 |
Letters: Janalou Blecke, Dean of the Crystal M. Lange College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Dear alumni of the Crystal M. Lange College of Nursing and Health Sciences,
I am pleased and proud to share information on recent developments in the College and its respective programs. Interest in the health professions is growing, in part due to media advertising on the nursing shortage, especially by Johnson and Johnson. We are very grateful for how that has increased our admissions.
As this trend became apparent we developed initiatives to support increased student numbers. Internal support was gained to assist faculty and new partnerships were developed with health care organizations in the area. The result has been strengthened relationships between the academic and practice communities, as well as new opportunities for SVSU students and graduates, as well as agency staff.
As we have grown, availability and use of space has changed, with much of the second floor of Wickes Hall now dedicated to the College. Expansion of simulated and computer laboratory space designated for the College means we can accommodate larger groups of students. The Nursing and Occupational Therapy programs now share the Simulated Learning Laboratory which has been upgraded with new equipment, including "Sim Man", a high-tech mannequin that has significantly enhanced our simulated learning capabilities. Occupational Therapy faculty moved to Brown Hall to be closer to the new laboratory facilities, the College of Nursing and Health Sciences offices, and colleagues in related disciplines.
You can learn more about our updated facilities and equipment during the late summer 2005 open house we are planning for alumni, colleagues, and friends of the College. Our thanks go to SVSU’s President, Eric R. Gilbertson, for the generous allocation of one-time money to support our upgrades.
Professional programs in the Crystal M. Lange College of Nursing and Health Sciences are accredited by their respective professional organizations; the Nursing program currently by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC), with approval by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and the Occupational Therapy program by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).
In April of 2005 the Nursing Department participated in an accreditation site visit by CCNE, which is affiliated with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). The decision to transition from NLNAC to CCNE accreditation was based on the following: AACN and CCNE provide significant resources for baccalaureate and master’s degree programs; these resouces guide program development and set standards against which the programs can evaluate themselves. SVSU is not alone in making the transition to this new accrediting body, as most of the baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in Michigan have also made that decision.
While we will not receive the final decision from CCNE about the Nursing program until late fall, we believe the site visit results provided a strong indication that we will have a positive outcome - certainly our alumni will be some of the first to know!
The Occupational Therapy program is due for its re-accreditation process next year; however, that time schedule may be altered because their baccalaureate degree program is in the process of transitioning to an entry-level master’s degree program. This is in keeping with the decision of the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc., that as of 2007 the minimum qualification for certification as an Occupational Therapist must change from the baccalaureate to master’s degree.
The last group of students completing the existing baccalaureate program at SVSU will graduate in 2006. New students are completing the prerequisite courses and undergraduate level Occupational Therapy courses to prepare for acceptance into the master’s level courses next year. In addition, graduates of baccalaureate programs in OT are welcome to complete the graduate level portion of the new program to transition to the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy degree.
As facilities and programs have changed, so also have the faculty. Sandra Mixer is in the process of moving to Tennessee with her family, and has accepted a teaching position. We are in the process, therefore, of recruiting full-time faculty, preferably with doctoral preparation. Also, we are proud to announce the following faculty accomplishments: Janet Nagayda, Don Earley, and Jean Prast have earned doctorates in Occupational Therapy. Ava Lewis has successfully completed Nurse Practitioner education and certification and several other nursing faculty are in the dissertation phase of their doctoral programs and will be receiving their degrees in the next few months.
Change and growth, although unsettling at times, are very good because they keep us sharp and current. They also have meaning for you, our alumni, because what is happening at SVSU today still has an impact on the value of the degree you earned here. Our goal is to keep you better informed and more involved in the College; so, if you have an interest in some particular area or need more information, please let us know. I can be reached at (989) 964-4145 or blecke(at)svsu.edu. Until next time. . .
Sincerely,
Janalou Blecke, R.N., Ph.D.,
Dean and Professor