Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing

BRIDGES

July 2015 | Volume IX - Issue 02

"Combining our strengths
in a unified effort to get the job done."

Board Approval of Revised Policies

 

At the July 9-10, 2015 Board of Commissioners (BOC) meeting, the Board approved revisions to 12 ACEN policies.  The policy revisions reflect current practices in education, compliance with the USDOE regulations, and alignment with ACEN guidelines.  Additionally, the Board approved Policy #26 Professional Staff Relationship to the Board of Commissioners and Evaluation Review Panel.  Notable changes were added to Policy #14 Reporting Substantive Changes to simplify and clarify the reporting process.  In anticipation of your questions related to Policy #14, ACEN has scheduled conference calls to provide orientation for nurse administrators, coordinators, and faculty.

 

The ACEN staff extend our sincerest gratitude to all constituents who provided feedback.  We want you to know that you played an instrumental role in the revisions of our policies.  However, stay tuned!  We are currently reviewing the remaining 13 policies, and we will once again need your perspectives.  Section II Policies of the Accreditation Manual is available at www.acenursing.org/accreditation-manual.

 

 

Meet the ACEN Staff...


Dr. Sharon BeasleyWe are excited to announce the creation of two new positions at the ACEN: the Director of Accreditation Services and the Coordinator of Substantive Changes.  The additional staff resources will enable the ACEN to better serve our programs and constituents.

 

Dr. Sharon F. Beasley, formerly the nurse administrator at the Technical College of the Lowcountry (TLC), has been appointed Director of Accreditation Services and will oversee the ACEN's accreditation activities. At TCL, Dr. Beasley directed the nursing program for five years and served on the nursing faculty before her appointment as nursing program director.  During her tenure at TCL, she served the College in different capacities ranging from strategic planning to quality enhancement for the College and program accreditation.  In her role as nursing program director, she functioned as a site visitor and evaluation review panelist for the ACEN.  She has focused her career in education on program development, outcomes assessment, and curriculum evaluation for nursing programs.  Her resume includes content/item writing for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

 

Dr. Beasley is committed to community involvement as evident in her service on the board of Hospice Care of the Lowcountry and the board for the Mather School Association.  She is a dedicated nurse who served as director of the Nurse Educator Chapter for the South Carolina Nurses Association (SCNA) and served on SCNA's Legislative Committee.  Dr. Beasley is affiliated with the South Carolina League for Nurses, South Carolina Deans and Directors Council of Nursing Education, Southeastern Women's Studies Association, and the Beaufort County Historical Society.

 

Dr. Beasley holds a baccalaureate of science in nursing from the University of South Carolina, a master of science in nursing from Armstrong Atlantic State University, and a doctor of philosophy with an emphasis in higher education administration from the University of South Carolina.  Additionally, she has been very active with the ACEN serving as a site visitor and on the Evaluation Review Panel.

 

Robbie SteinbrueggeIn addition, Robbie Steinbruegge, who previously worked as an administrative assistant at the ACEN, was promoted to Coordinator of Substantive Change; he will be working directly with our nursing programs on reporting substantive changes. Robbie joined the ACEN staff in November 2011 as Administrative Assistant to the Professional Staff.  Originally from Rome, Georgia, he graduated from the University of Georgia in 2007 with a major in journalism and a minor in psychology and earned his master's in mass communication research from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2010.  During his time with the ACEN, Robbie's primary responsibility has been as an editor for the substantive change and candidacy processes. In addition to copy editing, he has helped to refine the organization's standard language, manage documents and data, and develop the SMART database management application. He has been with the organization through several changes in the substantive change policy and is excited to apply his knowledge and experience in continuing to improve the process. He is proud of his time with the ACEN, believes strongly in the organization's mission, and looks forward to the challenge of serving as Coordinator of Substantive Change. In his spare time, Robbie enjoys running, basketball, traveling, cooking, and music.

 

Please join us in congratulating them on their new positions!

 

 

2015 ACEN
Elections Wrap-Up

 

The 2015 elections for five Commissioners and one Nominating Committee member are scheduled to close July 31, 2015. Nurse administrators of ACEN-accredited programs have voting privileges. Nurse administrators who oversee multiple program types may vote once per each program type accredited by ACEN. For more information, please contact Stephanie Larson at slarson@acenursing.org.

 

Visit the ACEN website at www.acenursing.org for an announcement of election results in September. Newly elected Commissioners will take office on October 1, 2015.

 

 

ACEN Self-Study Forums

 

Self-Study Forums

 

The ACEN Self-Study Forums continue to be an invaluable resource for nurse administrators and nursing faculty in the writing of their Self-Study Reports and preparation for an accreditation site visit. Attendees come from nursing programs across the United States and abroad as well as other national and international organizations. Attendees gain the confidence and a better understanding of their involvement in the accreditation process.

 

The Spring 2015 Self-Study Forums were attended by more than 400 faculty and staff representing all nursing program types. Space is still available for the Fall 2015 Self-Study Forums scheduled for Atlanta and Dallas. For more information or to register, please go to www.acenursing.org/self-study-forums.

 

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing | 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850 | Atlanta, GA 30326

P. (404) 975-5000 | F. (404) 975-5020 | www.acenursing.org

 

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