Departmental Self Review - UCLA Academic Senate

a formal mentoring program, which is overseen by the Associate Deans for Academic Affairs andResearch, with input from the MAC and CAPA committees. Despite our efforts, we face significantemerging challenges, which include increased competition among schools of nursing for the bestcandidates, workload issues, and pay equity relative to cost of living. With the recent appointment of anew Dean, Dr. Courtney Lyder, we anticipate renewed excitement and enhancement of our current effortsin a new environment2. Teaching ActivitiesThe diverse and well qualified faculty members of the SON provide expert instruction at theundergraduate and graduate level, as well as provide student advising, comprehensive examinationpreparation and evaluation, and dissertation supervision.Since the last Academic Senate review, more clearly defined criteria were developed to maketeaching assignments consistent and transparent. Target teaching workloads have been instituted basedupon rank, research funding, and administrative responsibilities. For tenured ladder track faculty,expected teaching units are 16 per year (approximately 4 courses). To insure that junior faculty receiveadequate support to develop independent research programs, assistant professors are assigned to teach 8units in their first year and 12 units until tenure. The teaching workload policy has been the focus ofintense faculty discussion and it is anticipated that this might be modified under the new administration.The quality of instruction for courses is carefully monitored throughout the School. For studentevaluations, the departmental average instructor rating (out of 9.00) was 8.16 for 2005-2006; 7.86 for2006-2007; and 8.09 for 2007-2008. The overall course rating (out of 9.00) was 7.92 for 2005-2006; was7.53 for 2006-2007; and 7.86 for 2007-2008. Several new Endowed Chairs have been established andfilled (see Appendix G, Endowed Chair List). In addition, several SON faculty members have also beenhonored as excellent teachers in other professional venues (see Appendix H for Faculty TeachingHonors). The faculty members maintain clinical proficiencies at multiple levels. For example, this isdone through certification as advanced practice nurses (nurse practitioners or clinical nurse specialists)(see Appendix I for Faculty Certifications by Faculty Member) which qualifies them to teach in a varietyof programs.To maintain the quality of our clinical programs, the SON faculty have developed and maintained over300 clinical affiliations. Each year, approximately 230 advanced practice students and 111 MECNstudents are matched with clinical preceptors. The BS Generic students are entering the mix this year,2008-09, with 52 students in clinical and next year, 2009-10, the number of BS Generic students inclinical settings will be 110. Some 350 clinical preceptors are appointed per year to the rank of AssistantClinical Professor (without salary). The SON has been strengthened by the UCLA SON health center inskid row, which provides a site for students to practice culturally competent care with faculty, as well asour Center for Vulnerable Population Research. The SON’s clinical skills laboratory is under renovationto provide state of the art experiences for future clinicians and temporary space has been found for anascent Simulation Laboratory. Future goals are to expand and reconfigure these facilities in conjunctionwith UCLA School of Medicine. With the advent of the new pre-licensure programs, special efforts havebeen made to expand our affiliate clinical sites. However, several factors may increase the cost and theeffort required to sustain quality programs in the future. These factors include: the current health carefinancial environment, which discourages clinical sites and preceptors from sponsoring students;increased competition from other nursing schools for clinical placements; increased legal and compliancerequirements instituted by clinical sites; and increased cost of travel for both students and faculty.3. ResearchThe UCLA SON has strong quantitative and qualitative researchers. Programs of research range fromthose based in the molecular biology laboratories on the 6 th floor of the Factor building to intervention7