Message from the Dean
Suzanne Mellon
Healthy Times, Summer 2003
Suzanne Mellon, R.N., Ph.D., has
taught psychiatric/mental health, research, leadership and management, and
community mental health, as well as family content in the UDM graduate nursing
programs and theoretical foundations of nursing. Her area of specialization
is in psychiatric mental health nursing and family mental health. Her area
of research expertise and interest is in family survivorship of a cancer
illness. She holds a B.S.N. from the University of Michigan, a M.S. in Nursing
from Ohio State University, and a Ph.D. from Wayne State University.
Dean Mellon received the President's
Award for Faculty Excellence in 1996 and the first Doctoral Nursing Student
Fellowship from the Helen Newberry Joy Foundation in 1996. She joined the
University of Detroit Mercy in 1989. Prior to her current position as dean,
she has served on the faculty and as associate dean and chair for McAuley
School of Nursing.
Dear Alumni,
As we end this academic year and look forward to fall, 2003, there are many positive changes to report in the College of Health Professions and McAuley School of Nursing! Our enrollment numbers are looking strong for the upcoming fall, but our Admissions and Academic Affairs team is still working hard throughout the summer to convert our applications to enrolled students. We are also hiring new faculty to accommodate the increases in nursing enrollment.
While there is still a significant shortage of nurses in our area, enrollments are showing positive trends across our area and the state. Our Physician Assistant, Nurse Anesthesia, and Health Services Administration programs also show increases in enrollment for the 2003-2004 academic year.
One significant change is the extension of College of Health Professions programs at University Center, Macomb Community College. We will be the only University offering health programs at University Center, and look forward to serving this area of metropolitan Detroit.
Our accelerated nursing program will be growing this year to address the demand of adult students completing degrees to become nurses within 12 months. The class graduates this August, and students already have jobs lined up once they graduate and complete their state board exams.
On the western side of the state, our partnership with Aquinas College and Saint Mary's Mercy Medical Center continues to grow; the fourth class will be admitted this fall, and the first graduating class from this unique partnership will be in spring, 2004. The demand for this program is exceeding our expectations as the rate of growth in enrollment continues to climb.
A major focus of this next year will be preparing for our move to the McNichols campus in fall, 2004. We are working with architects to ensure that our new space on McNichols will be state-of-the-art. A major priority is to create an environment that celebrates our heritage as a College of Health Professions and School of Nursing. I encourage those of you who are interested in becoming more involved in planning for the heritage of our College and School, to contact me directly.
Our Alumni Council has been very active this year, expanding its services to the College and School and offering several opportunities for alumni to connect with students. We had a successful Alumni Week in February, planned around Homecoming, and several alumni came into classes to lecture. This was very well received, and we plan to expand it in the next year. Our Alumni Council President Nancy Dillon (NUR ’71) was the closing speaker at the Pinning Ceremony for nursing students in May. We also celebrated the 50th reunion of the Class of ’53, both during Commencement on May 10th, and at a special Sunday mass and brunch at the Outer Drive Chapel the next day. The Alumni Council is also actively engaged in fundraising as we prepare to move to the McNichols Campus. These efforts join with other major initiatives to raise funds for the move to McNichols.
As we celebrate many of our successes, we also look forward to new opportunities
for our College and School of Nursing. In the next year, I plan to spend
more time with alumni locally and across the country. Please let me know
if you have an interest in helping the College and School. Any assistance
you can offer will be appreciated by our students, faculty and staff.
I look forward to seeing many of you at alumni events in the next year!
Suzanne Mellon, R.N., Ph.D.,
Dean, College of Health Professions
McAuley School of Nursing
