"Teaching, therefore, asks first of all the creation of a space where students and teachers can enter into a fearless communication with each other and allow their respective life experiences to be their primary and most valuable source of growth and maturation. It asks for a mutual trust in which those who teach and those who want to learn can be present to each other, not as opponents, but as those who share in the same struggle and search for the same truth."1
This quote embodies the existential-humanistic philosophy held by the faculty of the Decker School of Nursing and speaks to the unique faculty-student relationship that is the foundation for learning. We, the faculty, are committed to an educational process in which students have the freedom and opportunity to develop the requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes for professional nursing and to simultaneously experience personal growth and development. We stand firmly in the belief that the educational process is grounded in respect for the learner and their quest for knowledge. We honor the inherent dignity, worth and uniqueness of each student. We fully affirm students rights and wholly support their endeavors to pursue their academic goals. We believe that the faculty's primary commitment is to the student and that our fundamental responsibility is to create an environment in which the spirit of inquiry and discovery is consciously and constantly nurtured. Furthermore, we acknowledge our concomitant academic duty to uphold the scholarly ideals of the discipline and the ethical standards of the profession. We support the mission of the university to evaluate educational structures and processes, and to revise them as needed to uncompromisingly protect the academic rights of students and to enhance the quality and effectiveness of educational programs.
For over 35 years, the Decker School of Nursing has faithfully executed its mission to provide a quality public education that prepares caring and competent nurses for a variety of professional roles. The Decker School of Nursing has a long tradition of excellence in this regard sustaining one of the highest pass-rates in the state on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) and exceptional performance on advanced nursing certification examinations. Our national reputation as a center for academic excellence is the result of a diverse and gifted student body, a dedicated and caring faculty, a skilled and supportive staff, and a committed administration sensitive to changing workforce needs. With an incoming grade point average of 3.3, students in the Decker School of Nursing are among the best and brightest in the state. Over the past few years, the Decker School of Nursing has experienced a significant increase in undergraduate enrollments and a growing diversity across age, gender, racial/ethnic categories and experiential backgrounds. While many colleges and universities have closed undergraduate nursing programs, the Decker School of Nursing has continued to serve the public interest and meet the healthcare needs of the state and local community by establishing a doctoral degree in nursing as well as receiving a federal expansion grant for the community health masters program and a second federal grant to expand the baccalaureate accelerated track program. These successes have been achieved at a time when the number of support staff and full-time faculty has declined and the student-to-faculty ratios have increased. Recognizing that "the most effective way to ensure the value of the future is to confront the present courageously and constructively,"2 we, the faculty of the Decker School of Nursing, wish to reaffirm our shared commitment to the academic success and achievement of our students.
1Nouwen, H.J.M. (1975). Reaching out: The three movements of the spiritual life. New York:Doubleday.
2May, R. (1953). Man's search for himself. New York: Dell Publisher.
Statement prepared by Yvonne Johnston, MS, RN, FNP, March 16, 2005
