New programs expand curriculums
A
s part of its overall mission to best serve its students, Avila University always strives to remain on the cutting edge with its course and degree offerings. To that end, the university will offer two new degrees and a new concentration that will enhance Avila’s already stellar reputation for fully preparing its students for a 21st-century workforce.
RN to BSN Program This new degree offering, which will operate through Avila’s Advantage adult education program, will allow registered nurses to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing. “We’re creating this RN to BSN program in response to the future of nursing initiatives to advance nursing education,” said Susan Fetsch, RN, Ph.D., dean of Avila University’s School of Nursing. The program, scheduled to start with the fall 2012 semester, will feature two tracks. A management track puts students on the path to increase career opportunities in health care management. A clinical track allows students to focus on the clinical aspects of nursing, promoting growth and movement within clinical areas. “Research demonstrates that when you have more BSN nurses providing direct patient care, there are better patient outcomes,” said Cheri Hunt, RN, MHA, NEA-BC, vice president for patient care services/chief nursing officer at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. “The acuity of patients and associated technology requirements mean that nurses need to have not only good clinical skills and knowledge, but also an ability to think and reason at a high level. “Health care has to have nurses prepared at the bachelor’s level. Children’s Mercy is looking at aggressively moving in that direction.” “We’re being responsive to the need to greater educate the nursing workforce,” Fetsch said. “And, by making the program part of Avila Advantage, we’re combining the quality of Avila’s nursing education with the flexibility that our accelerated adult education program offers.”
Software Engineering Avila’s School of Science & Health is adding a degree in software engineering, created to meet expanding needs for highly-qualified professionals in today’s workforce. A recent major study on job growth from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which projected job growth for all occupations for the period of 2008-18, indicated a significant growth in career opportunities for software engineers in the coming decade. While the study projected a little more than a 10 percent increase in all jobs during the period, the growth for computer-related occupations projected to be 22 percent. A further breakout of computer-related occu-
Accent SPRING 2012
pations showed that the number of software engineering jobs projected to grow by 32 percent. Many of the fastest-expanding software companies in the U.S. – namely medical records software company Cerner and Perceptive Software - are headquartered in the Kansas City area. “With the projected increase in job opportunities in software engineering, this new major is just what our community needs,” said Patrick Kopp, assistant professor and chair of computer science in the School of Science & Health. “Software engineering is for the person who relishes a good challenge – constructing software systems is creative and stimulating work. And, you’ll find few people prouder than someone who has worked on the design and implementation of a major system.”
Sports Communication Concentration Communication majors in the School of Visual and Communication Arts who want to pursue a career in sports media will be able to elect a concentration in sports communication. “The sports communication program is designed to give students hands-on experience with sports industry clients,” said Dotty Hamilton, Ph.D., dean of the School of Visual and Communication Arts. “Building a portfolio of real client work will showcase student skills and enhance their ability to land jobs in the growing field of sports media.” Avila’s communications department already has a history of success in the field of sports communication. Alumni have found success in the sports media field: Zac Choate ‘07 is a sports anchor with KTTC-TV in Minnesota; Emily Hoskins ‘09 is the director of promotions for the Kansas City T-Bones baseball team; Max Thompson ‘06 writes for ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine; Ben Digman ‘07 produces “The Post Game” for Yahoo Sports.
31