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Campus Climate Assessment Update

Dear Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing community,
 
Happy New Year to all! I am pleased to announce that we have hired Rankin & Associates Consulting, LLC to conduct a comprehensive climate assessment. They have been working with higher education institutions for the past 20 years in assessing their environments for learning, living, and working. They will: (1) provide an assessment of the current MNSON climate to identify current strengths and challenges; (2) analyze and synthesize the data collected; (3) provide summary reports and presentations; and (4) recommend strategic initiatives to build on the success and address the potential challenges offered by MNSON community members in the assessment process. 
 
The objectives of the climate assessment are twofold:

  1. Expand on our knowledge of how students, faculty, and staff experience and perceive the climate for learning, working, and living, and how the community responds to them (e.g., governance issues, pedagogy, curricular issues, professional development, inter-group/intra-group relations, respect issues, etc.)
  2. Develop specific actions to address institutional changes and cultural shifts

 
The Climate Study Working Group (CSWG), chaired by our Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence, Dr. Dian Squire, is working with Rankin & Associates to coordinate the climate assessment, which will occur this semester. Data collection will occur mainly through focus groups at HSC and LSC on March 28, with additional opportunities for input outside of the focus groups. It is expected that Rankin & Associates will report the results to our community at the beginning of Fall semester. 
 
I hope that you will take this opportunity to participate in this assessment that will help us build on our success and address potential challenges as we move forward with school of nursing initiatives. Please feel free to contact me or the members of the CSWG with any questions. 
 
Lorna Finnegan, PhD, RN, FNP, FAAN
Dean and Professor
Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing