March 25, 2003

Dear Executive Committee Members of the Faculty Senate:

Thank you for your time and review of our newly proposed Master of Science in Nursing Program for the Registered Nurse. This program was developed as a result of numerous conversations and assessments of the regional registered nurse population. Support for the program became more evident as Provost Rich shared the University’s academic priorities. After discussions with the Office of Graduate Studies, our faculty developed the proposed program with a total of 134 credits. The total credits were determined by examining the nature of overlapping course content and the experiential basis of prospective students, all who will be seasoned and experienced professionals.

Currently, I have identified 66 RN to MSN programs in the United States. The total credits range widely across programs with a low of 114 at UNC-Chapel Hill to a high of 159 at Loyola University. Here is a brief sample of similar caliber programs:

Vanderbilt University – 142 credits

Marquette University – 131 credits

Columbia University – 123 credits

For the programs with higher credits than our proposed program, I have found that the higher credits are due to higher Master of Science in Nursing program credits. These programs all offer accelerated master’s degree programs with overlaps of 15-24 semester credits. Our program is offering the 134 credits due to an overlap in 20 semester credit hours.

I believe our faculty are proposing a very sound and timely program that will help meet some of the current health care needs related to the nursing shortage. Our faculty have found that the majority of students who enter our RN to BSN program plans to pursue graduate education. This proposed major will be a leader in the Delaware nursing education market.

I am pleased to provide you with this review and analysis. Please let me know of any additional concerns or questions.

Sincerely,

Lisa Ann Plowfield, PhD, RN

Chairperson