USF education, nursing programs experience growth
In
response to community need for teachers and nurses,
University of St. Francis programs have experienced
growth this fall. More than 150 new students in
graduate education programs and 50 new students
in nursing and allied health programs will contribute
to professions that are in need of an educated
and caring workforce, said Jean Norris, vice president
for Admissions and Enrollment Services at the
University of St. Francis.
Enrollment
increases are seen in graduate education programs,
which have 159 more students than last year and
in the College of Nursing and Allied Health, which
has 50 more students.
Both
of these areas are experiencing a shortage of
educated personnel, explained Norris. "It
is part of our mission at the University of St.
Francis to serve unmet needs and we are particularly
pleased to see enrollments grow in the areas of
education and health care, areas that are so important
to the quality of life for our community and country."
The
university's College of Education has designed
graduate programs that can be tailored to individual
school districts. "The strong graduate enrollments
reflect the College of Education's ability to
be responsive to the needs of teachers and school
districts. Our USF faculty offers courses that
allow teachers to put theory into practice immediately
in their own classrooms. Teachers experience exactly
the hands-on learning experiences that they find
work best in their own classrooms," said
Norris.
USF
graduate certification education programs are
offered in the areas of elementary education,
secondary education, science/biology, English/language
arts, social science and mathematics. Graduate
programs are offered in Educational Leadership
(Type 75) and Teaching & Learning.
The
nursing shortage is a major concern with 2,500
vacant full-time registered nursing positions
in metropolitan Chicago area hospitals, according
to Norris. "But, it is a golden time for
career opportunities in the nursing and health
care professions," she said.
A
recent study has shown that hospitals have lower
patient mortality rates when employing nurses
that are prepared with bachelor of nursing degrees,
said Norris. "USF's faculty has also taken
the initiative to incorporate geriatric studies
into coursework at both the undergraduate and
graduate levels of nursing so that the professionals
of tomorrow will be prepared for the aging baby
boomers population," Norris added.
USF
is also one of only two universities in the state
that offers a four-year degree program in radiation
therapy. The university offers undergraduate and
graduate nursing programs, B.S.N. fast track option,
radiography, radiation therapy, medical technology
and nuclear medicine technology as well as pre-professional
programs for those interested in attending medical,
dental, physical therapy or veterinary school.
USF also has a graduate program in physician assistant
studies offered at its Albuquerque, N.M. center.
"USF
has been a national leader in offering educational
programs to health care professionals since the
early 1970s," said Norris. "USF's innovative
delivery systems, responsive programming and personal
attention have resulted in more than 25,000 alumni
working in the health care fields."
Another area of growth at USF is the 2004 freshman
class, which increased by more than 28 percent
and is one of the largest classes of the past
decade. "This year's freshman class is very
strong academically with increased grade point
averages, high school rankings and ACT scores.
It's the best class academically that we've had,"
said Norris.
"This
year's freshman class also includes one of the
largest minority populations of the past decade,"
Norris added. "USF is committed to diversifying
its student population to reflect the makeup of
our community," she said. "We are working
to provide more services so that our campus will
be welcoming and feel like home to all students."
The University of St. Francis is a Catholic, Franciscan institution, founded in 1920 and sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate. USF serves more than 4,300 students nationwide, including 1,800 at its Joliet campus. USF offers more than 60 areas of undergraduate study in arts and science, business, education, nursing and social work. Degree completion programs are offered along with graduate programs in education, health care and business.