History of the College of Nursing
- History of the College
- Special Programs
- History of UMass Dartmouth
- Our Students
- History of the University of Massachusetts
History of the College
Both the southeastern Massachusetts region and the profession of nursing were developing in the 1960s. The need for a baccalaureate
program in nursing came to the attention of local legislators, and in 1966,
a bill was introduced in the state legislature to establish such a program at
UMass Dartmouth's predecessor school, Southeastern Massachusetts Technological Institute. The Advisory Committee to the Board of Higher Education endorsed the program
in 1967. The College of Nursing was established in 1969, with Sister Madeleine
Clemence Vaillot as the first dean of the College. Two departments were established:
the Department of Adult and Child Nursing and the Department of Community Nursing.
The College of Nursing received initial accreditation of the undergraduate
program from the National League for Nursing in 1973. It has been continuously
accredited since that time. In May, 1977, Sr. Vaillot retired and Dr. Joyce
Passos was appointed as the second dean of the College. During Dr. Passos'
tenure the college grew, expanded the basic program to allow for a flexible
path for Registered Nurse students, broadened the mission beyond teaching to
include scholarship and service, and expanded the community-based focus of
care. During her tenure a graduate program in nursing was established, currently
offering three options: Adult
Nurse Practitioner (ANP), Advanced
Practitioner (Adult Health), and Community
Nursing. The graduate program was approved
in 1987 and received initial accreditation from the National League for Nursing
in 1993.
In 1986, the Theta
Kappa Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau was
established at the College of Nursing. This chapter has won key awards for its
outstanding work related to chapter goals.
In 1993, Dr. Elisabeth Pennington was appointed as the third Dean of the College
of Nursing. Under her direction, the faculty were encouraged to embrace change,
knowing that quick response to a changing world was necessary. The College's
Mission and Goal statement was revised and the Philosophy refined.
During this time the faculty established two nurse practitioner programs: gerontology
and adult health. The gerontology program had limited appeal, graduated only
one class of students, and was eventually canceled.
Dr. James Fain was appointed Dean of the College in spring 2005, succeeding Dr. Pennington, who retired in 2004. He was most recently Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Nursing at UMass Medical and brings to the position experience as a nurse, a nursing educator and an administrator.
Special Programs
The College serves as the administrator of the University Lead Poisoning
Education Project. This project, which is federally and state funded, educates,
inspects, and supports lead abatement processes. The College of Nursing
oversees the Gerontology Minor option. This program is now part of
the Ora
M. DeJesus Gerontology Center.
In 1996, the College of Nursing established a Professional Nursing Continuing
Education program. The programs and conferences offered are directed at meeting
the continuing education needs of the nurses in the region. The College of Nursing
has also offered a special program to prepare hospital based nurses with the
knowledge and skills necessary for home health.
The College of Nursing has developed a formal relationship with The School of
Nursing in Ponta Delgada, Azores. In 1997, Dean Pennington, two faculty, and
three area nurses and alumni visited Ponta Delgada and re-established a relationship
with the school. In
May, 1998, five representatives from the Azores visited UMass Dartmouth College of Nursing.
This relationship facilitates mutual understanding of health beliefs and practices
of many residents of southeastern Massachusetts as well as foster cultural awareness
in our students. This relationship complements the relationships the university
has established with Portugal, the Azores and the Cape Verde Islands.
History of UMass Dartmouth
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is located in the southeastern region of Massachusetts, often called the "SouthCoast." This area of the state is rich in cultural diversity dominated by the growth of individuals and families from Portugal and the Azores (added to previous communities of French, Irish, and Polish people). More recently, the area has seen growth in both Cambodian and Vietnamese populations. Employment in this region has historically been centered on whaling, textile, and fishing industries. As society has moved toward a service and information orientation, these industries are in flux and the need for higher education has become ever more important.
The region is dominated by two small cities, Fall River and New Bedford. Each community supported a textile school in the late 19th century. Over the years, both the New Bedford Textile School and Bradford Durfee Textile School, in response to a growing need for higher education, evolved and expanded their offerings and became multi-purpose institutions. In 1964, these two institutions were merged and formed the Southeastern Massachusetts Technological Institute (SMTI); ground breaking for a common campus in the town of Dartmouth, mid-point between the two cities, took place. Eventually, the state legislature recognized the need for a comprehensive university in this region and voted that SMTI become Southeastern Massachusetts University (SMU). SMU was established with five colleges: Arts and Science, Business and Industry, Engineering, Nursing, and Visual and Performing Arts. Further development of SMU occurred when the Swain School of Design in New Bedford merged with the College of Visual and Performing Arts in 1988.
Our Students
As noted above, the southeastern region of Massachusetts is rich with cultural and ethnic diversity. Portuguese is the predominant culture and includes people from the Azorean and Cape Verde Islands. There are approximately 7,000 students in attendance. Our students come from Southeastern Massachusetts, other New England states, and the Mid-Atlantic states, as well as from several foreign countries.
Many undergraduate students are the first in their families to attend college. Approximately one-half of the students live on campus, and the other commute from off-campus housing or home.
History of University of Massachusetts
The University of Massachusetts was founded in Amherst, in 1863, as a public land-grant institution. Later it expanded to include the Worcester Medical School and Boston State College, becoming a three school system. In 1991, the system expanded further and included the University of Lowell and Southeastern Massachusetts University. Thus a five campus system was established and SMU became the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. The UMass system is administered by President William Bulger and a single Board of Trustees. Each of the five autonomous campuses is administered by a chancellor.