As Indiana State University continues to expand its programs to prepare future health care providers, changes are in the works for the college housing those programs.
The university’s Board of Trustees on Friday approved renaming the College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services to the College of Health and Human Services, effective July 1. Also, a School of Nursing will be established within the college to continue ISU’s more than 50-year history of nurse education.
“This name change eliminates redundancy and aligns Indiana State with other peer institutions that house a school of nursing within a college structure,” said Jack Maynard, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs.
The college was established in 2007 by combining the former College of Nursing and College of Health and Human Performance, Maynard noted.
“In recent years, the college has launched several new programs in nursing, physician assistant studies, occupational therapy, social work and other allied health fields, all with the goal of addressing the needs of medically underserved communities. Inter-professional education is at the heart of these programs and faculty and staff throughout the college will continue that commitment,” Maynard said.
Lea Hall, who has been directing nursing programs at Indiana State for nearly three years, will continue to serve as executive director in the new School of Nursing. In that capacity, she will oversee all nursing education programs and the Sycamore Nursing Center.
Also, trustees approved a new master’s degree program in genetic counseling. The new, interdisciplinary program will include courses from biology, psychology, philosophy and counseling. The majority of the curriculum will be delivered through the department of biology. The program must also be approved by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.
“Genetic counseling is evolving as one of the most important medical programs of the post genomic era,” Maynard said. “This program will prepare graduates to help patients comprehend complex information related to the genetics of their diseases and associated risks. It will be a vital addition to our health care education offerings.”
The degree calls for a $2,000 program fee attached to one of the classes, a clinical rotation, that students must take four semesters for a total cost of $8,000 in addition to tuition. “It is an expensive program,” Maynard said.
Fees will be used for consumable items, special laboratory equipment, software upgrades, limited criminal background checks, service and maintenance contracts, clinical supervision, student research, animal care and processing fees and student travel.
In other action, ISU trustees:
• Approved parking permit fees for 2015-16 that reflect increases of between $1 and $4 per year. Under the changes, effective in Aug. 16, a permit including the parking garage and all campus surface lots will be $260, while a permit for all campus surface lots will be $130. A permit for all remote surface lots will be $72.
• Approved honorary doctor of humanities degrees for 1961 graduate Eston “Bud” Perry and his wife, Alice “Annie” Perry, longtime philanthropic supporters of the university through their family-operated organization, the Oakley Foundation.
• Learned that 2016-17 and 2017-18 academic calendars will provide for fall classes to start one week later than in the past, spring classes to begin the Tuesday after Martin Luther King Day, restore a one-day fall break in October while maintaining a weeklong Thanksgiving break and providing three weeks between Thanksgiving break and the end of the fall semester.