PNW Pridecast: Welcome back for the spring semester
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Episode Script
Hello, Purdue Northwest colleagues, and welcome back to the PNW Pridecast, your internal faculty and staff news podcast.
This is Kale Wilk, Communications Specialist in Marketing and Communications, and I’m back to catch you up to speed on a few exciting happenings as we get underway with the spring semester.
Spring census shows positive headcount and retention trends
PNW’s spring 2023 semester enrollment shows positive numbers for the university’s overall headcount and retention.
The Office of Institutional Research reports that the university met its overall core enrollment forecast — final core enrollment is ahead of forecast by 0.6% with 5,637 students. While undergraduate enrollment is on par with last spring, graduate student enrollment is well over the forecast and spring 2022 census, with 607 students. In terms of billing hours, the spring census forecast was also surpassed by 0.7%.
Among core, degree-seeking undergraduates, a little over 87% of those eligible to return registered, which is about the same, proportionally and in headcount, as the spring 2022 census. Multiple undergraduate student levels are near or ahead in percent enrolled for spring 2023 as compared to spring 2022. The same can be noted for the academic colleges.
Advocating for APRN independence in Indiana
A family nurse practitioner (FNP) or advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) is an advantageous occupation because it allows an extent of autonomy and diagnostic privileges when treating patients. But in Indiana, there comes a caveat with providing that care.
State legislation mandates that these nurses may only provide prescriptions when they are signed to a physician agreement. This means these advance practice nurses can only prescribe medication when they are under a practicing agreement with a physician at a particular practice. The legislation also mandates the physicians have to review 5% of prescriptive charts retrospectively every year.
Jodi Allen, assistant professor of Nursing and FNP program coordinator, is representing the College of Nursing through the Coalition of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in Indiana (CAPNI) and a partner coalition called Hoosiers for Health Care Access. The coalitions advocate for state legislation to expand advanced nurse practice and care to meet health care needs in the state, particularly where there are shortages among vulnerable populations.
For example, Allen spends time seeing and caring for patients at Sojourner Truth House in Gary, and takes students throughout the academic year to gain valuable community nursing experience. However, without a physician supervising the location at this time, Allen cannot administer prescriptions for her patients, which proves troublesome in an area with underserved and at-risk patients.
“I’ve had patients that come in and I suspect they have pneumonia,” said Allen. “I don’t necessarily need a chest X-ray, they have a fever, I do a full exam, and all the signs point to pneumonia. I cannot prescribe them an antibiotic. Typically they can’t get in the same day unless I send them to the emergency room.
“I could very easily prescribe them an antibiotic. I’ve done it hundreds of times for other patients, but this legislation prevents me from doing that because I do not have a physician contract through Sojourner Truth House because I do it on a volunteer basis. So if I did, I could save that patient an emergency room visit and potentially keep an eye out for the women living in the congregate setting and if we notice any other issues we can potentially prescribe for.”
Allen and her fellow coalition members plan to continue their advocacy work during this current legislative session and try to recruit elected officials to their cause, including on the upcoming Advocacy Day on Jan. 31. To learn more information, you can visit hoosiersforhealthcareaccess.com.
Professor selected for software fellowship
The rapid growth of technology means current tech can become outdated in a short period of time. Magesh Chandramouli, professor of Computer Graphics Technology, says this very nature is what drives him and other researchers to examine questions of sustainability.
Chandramouli was recently announced as one of 18 members in the 2023 Software Sustainability Institute fellowship program. The U.K.-based institute gathers leading technology researchers for collaboration in its mission to develop and promote sustainable software and its longevity, which in turn can provide more effective research software and applications worldwide.
Chandramouli, who researches user interface development and virtual reality, will bring his research experience to the fellowship and conduct online workshops during the summer, collaborate with researchers in the U.K. and U.S., and participate in online panels to facilitate discussions.
“I see this fellowship as one of the main parts of community engagement. The only permanent thing with technology is change. By being a fellow in this, it helps me to connect to and communicate with peers who are using these tools in different application domains and interact, collaborate, and learn from them based on their experience, and eventually improve the things that I am doing in my work and share those things so it can be helpful for those who are doing similar research.”
Recent news
We’d like to close out with a few faculty and staff honors.
- Several PNW colleagues are among the Purdue system-wide 2022 Title IX Distinguished Service Award recipients.
PNW’s honorees include Lisa Goodnight, vice chancellor of Institutional Advancement, Chief of Staff, professor of Communication, and chair of PNW’s Intercollegiate Athletic Advisory Committee; Colette Morrow, professor of English and director of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; Stacie Reardon, student affairs specialist; alumna Oriana White, former Student Government Association president; and Julie Wiejak, executive director of Undergraduate Admissions.
The awards have been bestowed during the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the landmark legislation prohibiting discrimination based on sex in any federally funded education program or activity. Awardees will be honored at a ceremony in West Lafayette at the end of February.
- Also in recent system-wide awards, Shontrai Irving, clinical associate professor of Business Law, was recognized with a 2023 Dreamer Award. The annual award is presented to individuals whose contributions embody the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of service to others and further the university’s commitment to diversity. Irving was one of four recipients this year.
- Sal Cordova, assistant director for Student Life, Programming, and Administration, will be inducted into the PNW Athletics Hall of Fame. Cordova, a 2018 graduate, was a distinguished member of the men’s cross country team.
- PNW’s online nursing programs were recognized once again in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Online Program rankings.
The College of Nursing’s nationally recognized RN-to-BSN program, which ranked 42 nationally among best online bachelor’s programs, offers busy nursing professionals an accelerated and convenient degree option to earn additional skills and credentials in order to advance their careers.
The online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree was also ranked among best online MSN programs. The program allows students to craft their learning plans alongside their work schedules, including the option to complete their practicum hours where they work.
- If you’d like to get your reading on, there are two new books from PNW faculty members you can now dive into.
Michael Connolly, professor of History, published Jacobitism in Britain and the United States, 1890-1910. In the book Connolly explains the rise and fall of Anglo-American Jacobitism, places it in context, and reveals its significance as a response to and a driver of the political forces of the period.
Tony Sindone, clinical associate professor of Finance and Economic Development, is publishing his first textbook, The Business Enterprise: In Search of Profits. The textbook is designed for introductory courses in business at the undergraduate or graduate levels.
- Finally, today marks the first day of PNW’s annual Homecoming festivities. A range of events centered around philanthropy, student life, networking, and athletics will capture the spirit and energy of the PNW Pride. Watch out for emails from the Alumni and Student Life offices or visit edu/homecoming to learn more information.
That’s all we’ve got time for! Don’t forget, you can catch up on past episodes by visiting pnw.edu/pridecast. And we always love to hear your suggestions for faculty and staff news, which you can share with us on our Qualtrics form or by emailing pnwpridecast@pnw.edu.
This is Kale Wilk signing off, and I’ll connect with you again in a few weeks.