Villanova Nursing's The State of the College: 2018-2023

COMING HOME Over the past five years, I have been honored and humbled to come home to Villanova University’s M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing as the fourth dean to partner with our community to continue to “spiral upwards.” Villanova offers the perfect environment, cloaked in the spirit of truth, unity and love, to educate professional nurses for a noble career of service, education and the pursuit, and application, of knowledge to support betterment for humankind. Without a doubt, it has been a pleasure to partner with our exceptional teacher-scholars, gifted staff and talented students to shape the future of health care for our nation. It has been a privilege to come home to the College of Nursing and to join in this important endeavor.

Villanova’s College of Nursing played a key role in my personal and professional development as a graduate student, and one that I am eager to repay. All Villanova faculty clearly take student mentoring seriously. My Villanova faculty mentors have remained close throughout my career, even now as I serve as the dean of this outstanding College. I thank all of them for their wisdom, guidance and friendship across the years.

A vital component of my preparation for the deanship was provided by my predecessor Dr. M. Louise Fitzpatrick—the third dean of the College of Nursing. Our College now carries her name, reflecting her impact across nearly 40 years of service.

As all who are reading this can well imagine, Dr. Fitzpatrick was always providing her special guidance and advice while promoting entrée to key leaders in the profession whom “HER” students “needed to know.” During my doctoral program, I had the good fortune to complete a “dean residency” with Dr. Fitzpatrick. Indeed, she prepared me well for my three-year journey as the Interim Dean a large R1 research university and for my homecoming to Villanova in 2018. I believe that she would be pleased by what the College has accomplished over the past five years, while remaining true to its heritage.

Part of my eagerness to return home was related to my restlessness to get on with my life journey…to work with capable and courageous groups that are rooted in important values, yet they are also restless to “become.” For me, this meant partnering with the Villanova community to build on the College’s rich foundation to promote betterment in the world. St. Augustine’s teachings and words shape our actions every day and we are intent on becoming what we are not yet. It IS GOOD to be part of a university and a college of nursing that authentically embrace Catholic Augustinian values while spiraling upward. Our new strategic plan, approved in the 2022-2023 academic year, serves as a guide for our journey and is described on the following pages.

My role as a dean centers on strategic leadership, excellence in academic programs, faculty and staff development, research and scholarship, student success and engagement, community and industry partnerships, and financial and resource management. This does not happen in isolation. Our College is blessed to have attracted faculty and staff with the minds and hearts to carry out our mission together in brave and bold ways.