Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,
Greetings!
Spring has finally arrived, and with it a flurry of activity as students, faculty and staff prepare for the countdown to the end of the academic year, exams and Commencement Weekend celebrations. On May 3, the Blessing and Hooding Ceremony for our Graduate program will be held and we are particularly excited because 2018 is the first year that MCCN will confer the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, along with Master’s degrees. This marks an important milestone for the College.
The next day is the Undergraduate Pinning and Recognition where BSN graduates receive their MCCN pin, an important symbol of transition from student to professional nurse. On Saturday, May 5, the 112th graduating class will assemble – along with their families and friends and faculty and staff – for Commencement. I am looking forward to all of these activities and am also honored and humbled to be your Commencement speaker this year.
With all this anticipation, let’s not forget, however, that the academic year is not over yet, and we have many items on our agenda:
- Top-of-mind for many of you is progress of the search for a new president. I have immensely enjoyed my time as your interim and am grateful for this opportunity. The Presidential Search Committee reports that they have narrowed the field to four candidates, will soon invite two of them to the College for interviews with faculty, staff, students, alumni and other key stakeholders and from there a decision will be made on who will lead the College forward into its continuing bright future. At that point my tenure will end with some overlap with the new President. I hope for the opportunity to offer personal thanks to each of you for making my time here joyful, challenging and mutually satisfying as we move the College forward.
- Get out the vote! April 9 is the deadline to vote for faculty and/or staff that you would like to see recognized with our new End of Year Academic Awards! Who has the Extra Mile? Who can Make It Happen? Who has the most Spirit or Experience? Who is the Image of MCCN or is an Energizer Bunny? And, who has Got Your Back? Winners will be announced at College Assembly on April 30. Please return your confidential nomination to Tom Newton at tnewton@mccn.edu by April 9. Click on the downloadable form and nomination information to get started.
- Our journey to transformation continues apace with the development of a comprehensive Strategic Plan focusing on Defining Vision and Strategic Direction. The Steering Committee diligently worked on the Vision Statement to assist the College posture for the future. The Steering Committee also worked on defining and examining in depth three Goals: Education -1) Prepare highly skilled, compassionate nurses who will transform health care; Research- 2) Advance evidence-based practice and nursing research through nursing scholarships; and Clinical Practice 3)To value and expand clinical practice within the Health System and the community. There are additional goals and tactics to refine and develop, as work moves forward. The next meeting is April 17 with the final meeting on May 22. We are very grateful to Todd Everett, director of Financial Aid, for taking on the role of project lead on this very important initiative. He will update the strategic planning website as updates are available: http://www.mccn.edu/about/strategic-planning.
- And, I want to remind all faculty and staff that the Mount Carmel Foundation Colleague Giving Campaign is getting underway. As you consider your participation, please keep in mind that over the past year, the Foundation has designated $1 million to the College, and $537,500 was awarded in scholarships to 228 of our deserving and talented students. Financial impact such as these examples is possible thanks not only to our generous donors who are closely connected to the College, but also to faculty and staff members like you. Alyssa Fry, our MCCN Senior Development Officer, is the point person for this project and would be happy to answer any questions you may have by contacting her at afry@mchs.com. Thank you in advance for your thoughtful generosity.
Sincerely,
Ann Marie T. Brooks, PhD, MBA, RN, FAAN, FACHE, FNAP
Interim President, Mount Carmel College of Nursing
