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Department History
Interest in nursing at JMU dates to the 1930's when there was discussion of a program in cooperation with Rockingham Memorial Hospital (RMH), which had a nursing program from 1912-1970. Until 1970, RMH’s was the only nursing program in the Shenandoah Valley between Roanoke, one hundred twenty miles to the south, and Winchester, seventy miles to the north.
Throughout the years JMU offered pre-nursing courses to students who subsequently transferred to other diploma-based and baccalaureate nursing programs. Interest in developing a baccalaureate program at Madison College escalated during the late 1960's, when the national trend toward closing hospital schools of nursing hit the valley. Community leaders and personnel from Rockingham Memorial Hospital entered into conversation with JMU president Dr. G. Tyler Miller, and just prior to his retirement in 1971 he reported "real pressure" to start a university baccalaureate nursing program. He appointed a committee to study the matter because he didn't want to "saddle a new president with anything more."
In May 1972, the University Board of Visitors authorized Dr. Ronald E. Carrier, the new president, to submit a proposal to the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia to activate a baccalaureate nursing program at JMU. During the 1970's there were many conversations, proposals, and activities relative to initiating the program. Several program directors were involved with negotiations at the state level, faculty were hired and approval was gained from the state board of nursing; however, program development was delayed for a variety of reasons, including denial of approval by the State Council For Higher Education of Virginia (SCHEV). After several unsuccessful attempts to develop a program, the SCHEV finally granted permission to reactivate program planning in spring 1979.
In July 1979 Dr. Marcia Dake was appointed as the fourth director of nursing education at James Madison University, to plan and implement a baccalaureate nursing program. Reactivation of an office for the program in Wilson Hall reestablished a program identity in the University and community. It was decided early in Dr. Dake's tenure that the curriculum plan approved by the university senate and state board of nursing in 1977 was adequate to begin the program. This was a significant decision because it meant a considerable savings in time and expense to the University.
During fall 1979 visits were made to agencies and institutions and conversations were held with health professionals who had previously agreed to cooperate in the educational program at JMU. A new memorandum of agreement was developed, submitted to and approved by the attorney general’s office. Agreements were negotiated with institutions and agencies involved in the new program’s activities.
A revised plan to activate the program was submitted to the State Board of Nursing, which granted approval and provisional accreditation in November, 1979. Following accreditation, students and faculty were recruited to the new program. In March 1980 a "Statement of Readiness" was submitted to the SCHEV and, at long last, JMU was granted approval to activate a professional nursing program leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Four nursing faculty were hired and junior level nursing courses were first offered fall, 1980. Four additional faculty were hired summer 1981 to develop senior level courses and the first class of 21 students graduated from the program in spring, 1982.
During summer, 1981 the faculty initiated a self study report for National League for Nursing accreditation. Following a site visit October 26-29, 1982 the NLN granted full accreditation for an eight year period.
Initially referred to as the Nursing Program, in 1982 the University Board of Visitors gave the program School status and the title of Director was changed to Dean. In 1985 the University Board of Visitors officially renamed all schools in the University to colleges, and the School of Nursing became the College of Nursing.
Dr. Dake retired as professor emeritus in June 1988. At that time there was reorganization within the University and a new college was created, the College of Health and Human Development. Nursing became one of three charter departments within the college and Dr. Vida S. Huber was appointed Head of the Department of Nursing July 1, 1988. In July 1989 the College increased to six departments and was renamed the College of Health and Human Services. During this time there was a dramatic increase in student enrollment in the nursing program and waiting lists for admission were created.
After the founding of the College of Integrated Science and Technology (CISAT), restructuring at JMU continued. During Spring 1994 when then Dean Roberson retired, the decision was made to merge the College of Health and Human Services with the newly created College of Integrated Science and Technology. Nursing, along with the other departments in CHHS now became departments within CISAT. The School of Health and Human Services consisting of the Departments of Nursing, Social Work, Communication Science Disorders and Health Sciences was retained within the College as a conceptual, but not an administrative, unit.
The Nursing curriculum was substantively revised and approved by the College Curriculum Committee in late April 1995. The new curriculum at the junior level was first offered in fall 1996. These students completed the new curriculum and graduated in spring 1998.
In 1998 the nursing faculty decided to seek accreditation from the newly created Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) rather than continuing with NLN accreditation. Following an extensive self-study and site visit in November 1998, the department received full ten-year accreditation in April 1999.
In October 1998 the department, in collaboration with Eastern Mennonite University’s Nursing Program, applied for status as an at-large chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, International (STTI) Nursing Honor Society. Following a two-year process, approval was granted and the Pi Mu At-Large Chapter of STTI was chartered in April 2000. Other initiatives included the formation of the Nursing Research and Outreach Center and the Holistic Health Resource Center.
During the summer of 1999, Dr. Huber was asked to serve as Interim Associate Dean for the CISAT and Dr. Merle Mast assumed the role of Interim Department Head. Following a succession of 3 deans between 1994 and 1998, Dr. A Jerry Benson became the interim college dean. In August 1999, the department moved to the newly completed Health and Human Services building on the East Campus.
With the growth of JMU between 1997 and 2002 came increasing numbers of student applicants and growing wait lists for the program. Drs. Benson and Huber received full appointments in their roles, and in 2002, Dr. Merle Mast was appointed Head of Department. During that year the program, which had grown over the years, was expanded to enroll 60 junior level students. This growth was enabled through federal H1B visa monies to the Shenandoah Workforce Investment Board.
During the 2002-03 year, with the endorsement of Dean Benson and Provost Douglas Brown, the nursing faculty developed a proposal for a Masters of Science in Nursing program with two tracks representing two role options: 1) Gerontological and/or Adult Nurse Practitioner and 2) Nurse Educator. During the 2003-04 year the program proposal was approved by the University curriculum committees, the JMU Board of Visitors, and the SCHEV. In July 2004 the department also received a 3-year Advanced Education Nursing Program (AENP) grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration to fund the program.
During these years and ongoing, the faculty have continued to discuss plans for carefully phased growth in all programs, contingent on resources to include: 1. Growth of the MS program; 2.The addition of an RN-MSN program; and 3. Growth of the BSN program to accommodate more students.
Also during these years the climate of change and growth within CISAT and the department has continued, with increasing faculty guidance and participation in numerous initiatives within the new Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services. These initiatives included nursing participation or leadership in a summer course in Malta, a funded outreach program, Caregivers Community Network, and several interdisciplinary elective courses. Concurrently, student service learning within community-based practicum courses has grown in scope and relevance as students provide services for vulnerable populations in IIHHS programs and other community agencies.
