Honor Roll of Donors - University of California, San Francisco

Conversation with the DeanDean Kathleen Dracup,RN, FNP, DNSc ’82,FAAN, sat down todiscuss the economicchallenges, and herappreciation fordonors and how theircontributions touchthe school.Let’s begin with what’s on everyone’s mind:The University is facing dramatic budget cutsthis year. How is the school responding?In light of the budget, we have opportunities to makechanges that I think will actually benefit students,faculty and staff. We are creating changes that will savemoney for the school but also help us work moreefficiently. Just because there are economic difficultiesdoesn’t mean that we should stop looking for innovativeand challenging programs to prepare nurses forclinical practice.How can students, alumni and friends of theschool help during this time?We continue to scout for ideas about how to deliverthe best education given the current economicchallenges. As tuition and fees increase, I think it’smore important than ever that we find sources forstudent scholarships. But our students also are lookingfor guidance, so alumni who are willing to work withinour mentoring program are really appreciated. Andfriends of the school who can help us think about doingthings smarter, better and more cost effectively whilestill maintaining our quality are – and will be – reallyimportant to us. The support extended by everyonethus far has been tremendous.What inspires you about what you seehappening in the school?The optimism that both students and faculty bring tothe school is inspiring. Students are strugglingsomewhat to get jobs, but we know that the nursingshortage still exists and will become even morechallenging once the economic climate improves andmore nurses retire or reduce their hours to part time.In the meantime, students are maintaining theirenthusiasm for their new profession. It’s exciting.Another thing that inspires me is that faculty andstaff are so willing to make this difficult time work forthe school. We all want to maintain our quality and topranking, and people at UCSF continue to bring theirbest ideas and aptitudes to these discussions. I amalways struck with how selfless, talented andcommitted they are.Our donors also continue to amaze me. Theirgenerosity, their commitment and their constancy –especially in times when philanthropy is more difficultto come by – allow the school to maintain its vision,and continue to strive for excellence in education,research and clinical care. They are remarkable. I wantto thank each of the 1,200 donors who have chosen tosupport us this year in developing outstanding nurses.Truly the school’s success is cultivated every day bytheir support.How long have you been at the school?Nine years. Amazing. I’ve been in the UC systemsince 1971 when I started as a staff nurse. So I’vebeen through many state crises, the downturns andthe upturns. I’ve come to recognize that this is just thenature of working in a state institution, and we haveto figure out how to thrive within the waxing andwaning of budgets.So you’ve seen this happen before?Not ever as bad. Everyone says that, but it’s true. I thinkthe key is to always keep our eye on our goal – and ourgoal of course is to provide the best education for thenext generation of nurses.Honor Roll of Giving July 1, 2008–June 30, 2009 | 1