Alabama Community College System

Nursing Deans and Director Meeting Minutes
March 7, 2013

Present: Reitha Cabaniss, Brenda O’Neal, Gladys Hill, Kim I. Smith, Cindy Jones, Susan Tucker, Connie Meloun, Annitta Love, Gwyn n. Galloway, Veronica Brown, Jamila Grace, Jackie Spivey, Nancy Barnett, Linda North, Resa Lord, Joy Kiracofe, Kim Rawson, Deborah Milling, Sheila Marable, Rebecca Ephraim, Katrina C. Swain, Deborah Hoover, Brenda Pruitt, Amy Langley, Dee Fuller, Jean Graham, Penne Mott, Dale Alexander, Karen Caudle, Lynn Hogan, Shelia Smith, Rhonda Davis, Susan Mack, Cindy Danley, Cristy Daffron, Anita Naramore, Trish Hawood, Becky Casey

TOPIC /ISSUES / DISCUSSION / DECISION/ACTIONS PLANNED
Welcome / Linda Cater welcomed everyone to the meeting. / None
Center for Nursing Research / Auburn University at Montgomery has agreed to provide a new Center for Nursing Research. Alison Terry will be responsible for Research at AUM. This will be located in Montgomery. She provided contact information for attendees. She asked for input from the Deans and Directors as to what we need from the center. There will be a charge for this process. Dale Alexander asked for data to support student success in high school. Dr. Allison Terry’s contact information is 334-309-6855,.
She is developing a menu of services and designing a survey to see what is needed.
Health Advisory Committee Update / Linda North provided an update for the Health Advisory Committee. She talked about the items listed below.
  • Progression changes- take effect fall 2013. Existing students are still under the OLD policy. D, W, F are all ONE non-progression.
  • Admission criteria- what are the right tools for success? Considering the ACT vs. TEAS. ACT will be HS exit exam in 2014.
  • Minutes - all meeting minutes exist under WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, including subcommittee minutes.
  • Curriculum sub-committee reported that they would table issues for now.
  • Professional Development - Looking for ideas for fall 2013. Over 200 attended ACCA in November.
  • N200 - course is "broken" and needs some work. April 17, 3-5p.m.
  • N111 - partnership program. Anyone interested is welcome April 17, 1-3 p.m.
  • Next meeting April 17. 10-12 noon.
  • Any changes in program curriculum must go through this committee.
/ None required
NLNAC Site Visitor Helpful Hints / Kim Rawson from Bishop State talked about her experience with NLNAC. The two areas the visiting team focused on were:
  • Consistency between nursing philosophy and school mission
  • SEP – SEP did not have to include all areas
  • Recommendations
  • assign MORE responsibility to the faculty for evaluation of the program.
  • don't forget budget planning in preparation for site visit
  • ink, jump drives, food, mailing, FedEx, notebooks,
Deborah Hoover, Wallace State Hanceville, talked about her experience and complimented her assistance from across the state. She gave pointers on:
  • Health Records and SEP (be sure and put month it is due).
  • Faculty minutes reflect NLNAC standards. She suggested doing an update.
  • Make a report of how things have changed. For example, place new clinical schedules and identify faculty changes as well as any typos or mistakes in the report. Faculty members need to help. They are going to ask the same questions of everyone.
  • Involvement of community and all stakeholders.
  • Student learning outcomes could be an issue. Make sure you have strategies in place when you find an issue.
Resa Lord from Chattahoochee Valley State Community College said the following about her experiences with NLNAC.
  • It is important that all general education be sure everyone is aware of required core classes.
  • Have Educational Plans for all part-time faculty.
  • Professional Development needs to be more than continuing education.
  • Make sure you have three years of data.
  • All ELAS need to be measurable.
  • Match survey tools with student learning outcomes.
Susan Tucker from Gadsden State Community College applied for initial accreditation for practical nursing program. She suggested the following.
  • Take faculty to self-study forum.
  • Your self-study looks good.
  • Resource room should be labeled.
  • Color coding is a good thing to do.
  • Make sure you have letters sent to NLNAC stating support for your program. (Gadsden had five letters.)
  • A talking point in class each day was a strategy used by faculty to talk to students about the upcoming NLNAC visit.
  • Make sure you have the snacks they like.
Amy Langley is a new visitor. She visited a huge mobility program. She has had a practice person with her for visits.
  • Make sure web site is correct
  • Isolate some areas in the program that demonstrate progression.

Annita Love is a visitor for Practical Nursing Programs. She is a team chair. She suggested the following.
  • Important that all faculty members know about the curriculum.
  • All programs can be put in one SEP.
  • Three and Five have been simplified and duplication removed.
  • Use web site resources.
Veronica Brown suggested the following.
  • Make sure that 80 % of the work is done in the self-study because it helps you understand the process.
  • Set up campuses as best you can.
  • Be hospitable.
  • Have a working space for evaluators.
  • Address each one of the criteria.
Penne Mott spoke about issues related to Standard VI and aggregated trended data. She passed out a template for minutes. Organization is the keyto a successful visit. She suggested the following.
  • Advisory board – documentation in minutes
  • Communities of interest – document involvement
  • PT faculty minimum of BSN – changed to 50% from 51%
  • Curriculum documented in minutes for review and documentation of faculty to meetings
  • Format for standard 6 handout – tying into SEP
  • Std 2 – PN change minimum of 50% with MSN

Gladys Hill has had training for team chair and suggested the following.
  • They use words like verify, clarify and amplify.
  • They are not there to get you.
  • The process is for improvement.
  • Tell them what you found and what you are going to do about it.
  • Fill out your evaluation forms and send to NLNAC.
  • Student Learning outcomes are different from program outcomes.
  • If you use a course management system, then talk about it.
  • She suggested for review to have agenda for visit.
  • Try to preload on the front end.
  • It is good to have faculty talk to them the first day.
  • Be open and friendly. Do not talk them to death.
  • Be organized with your reading room.
  • Do not make your visitors hunt for things.
  • Use the tools that you have and make things available to faculty.
  • Curriculum is a large piece of the puzzle.
  • Put all of your documents on a thumb drive.
  • It is a good idea to use hyperlinks to things in your program.
  • The team chair should speak to you every day.
  • There are checks and balances in the system.
  • SLO need to be seen throughout the curriculum.
  • Review Std 2 preceptor statements.
Kim Smith From Shelton State suggested the following:
  • Review the glossary - defines SLO and partnerships
  • Team members do not know each other
  • Serves on the ERP
  • 3 reviewers/readers on ERP for each program
  • Follow up report or visit.
  • Seeing a lot of private and for-profit schools
  • The new standards are out; be sure and pay attention to new glossary.
  • They are trying to send a practice person on the team.
  • The new glossary came out in late January; be sure and review these definitions.
  • Do not publish accreditation status until you see the official letter.
  • Make sure you do both clinical and class observations.
Cindy Jones has completed four visits and had the following helpful hints.
  • Please make life as easy as possible for visitors.
  • Provide things in room for long hours.
  • Everybody needs to know what the terms means for your program.

Department of Postsecondary Update / Linda Cater presented an update for the Department of Postsecondary Education.
  • Health Programs are under work force development.
  • Perkins funding will be cut at least 5%. She talked about the cuts to DPE in December.
  • The staff at DPE does not have tenure.
  • She talked about positions open at the department and the movement of various offices in the department.
  • Susan Price is the Deputy Chancellor for the Alabama Community College System.
  • Nine people were dismissed in December.
  • The Work Force Development Council did not approve all grants that were ranked a 5.

Alabama League for Nursing Update / Reitha Cabiness, who is President of the Alabama League of Nursing, talked about NLN accreditation endeavor.
  • NLN is only in the planning stages.
  • Task Force has not been identified.
  • It will be at least 2 years until the process is completed.
  • Go to and review FAQ’s.

Next meeting / October 2013

Respectfully Submitted: Linda North