Strategic Directions

College of Nursing Commitments to Excellence

1. Dynamic Learning Organization

Faculty and Staff work as a team to support student learning by:

• 1a. Facilitating an inclusive, collaborative and respectful learning environment;
• 1b. Modeling continuous growth, improvement, and reflection;
• 1c. Inviting and incorporating diverse perspectives and experiences;
• 1d. Demonstrating and documenting accountability to the mission;
• 1e. Being accountable for the impact of our words and actions;
• 1f. Repairing unintentional harm through learning, growth, and change.

2. Health, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

We honor the dignity and worth of all by:

• 2a. Seeking to understand before being understood and using discernment to guide our actions;
• 2b. Inviting meaningful discourse about oppression/privilege/intersectionality, exclusion/equity, and isolation/belonging;
• 2c. Demonstrating courage through continued work to understand the struggles of those who experience oppression (e.g. racism, sexism, heterosexism, xenophobia, ableism, classism, religious discrimination, transphobia and other forms of bigotry);
• 2d. Recognizing that ignoring or minimizing the requests and concerns of people who are disenfranchised increases suffering and adds to trauma;
• 2e. Promoting just paths towards health equity.

3. Innovative and Integrative Scholarship

Our scholarship celebrates all ways of evaluating, translating, and creating knowledge through:

• 3a. Exploring the intersections among discovery, learning, healing, care delivery and the determinants of health;
• 3b. Generating and incorporating empirical, interpretive, and critical-social theory research;
• 3c. Considering our responsibility to contribute to the transformation of health care for a just and humane world;
• 3d. Promoting scholarship that addresses health inequities, explores the social and political determinants of health, contributes to healthy communities, and nurtures caring health professionals.

4. Academic Excellence

Members of the College of Nursing commit to:

• 4a. Nurturing a supportive and inclusive learning environment;
• 4b. Facilitating active learning using a variety of pedagogical approaches;
• 4c. Demonstrating professionalism, accountability and humility in all interactions;
• 4d. Fostering civility, curiosity, creativity, and joy in learning;
• 4e. Ensuring continuous quality improvement of the academic experience.

5. Leadership Formation

We graduate health care leaders who:

• 5a. Move purposefully to care for humanity and intentionally act with compassion and humility;
• 5b. Feel empowered and courageous to become reflective change agents to advance social justice, increase health equity, and improve care delivery;
• 5c. Take ownership of their expertise through networking, continuing education, and positively contributing to the communities in which  they serve;
• 5d. Actively listen in order to effectively communicate and collaborate;
• 5e. Promote and respect diversity.