University Announces Name Change, Reorganization for Health-Focused Programs

Rockhurst University leaders announced Monday the Saint Luke’s College of Health Sciences and the College of Health and Human Services will be merging and renamed to The Saint Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences. 

The newly named college will have two schools: The School of Nursing, which will house the Bachelor of Science in nursing, RN to Bachelor of Science in nursing program, and Master of Science in nursing programs, and the School of Health Sciences, which will house the health-related programs currently in the College of Health and Human Services with the addition of the medical assisting program. Kris Vacek, OTD, will remain dean of the college, and Victoria Grando, Ph.D., will remain the chief nursing administrator and academic dean of the School of Nursing until her intended retirement by the end of this calendar year.

This change involves only the organizational structure and the name of the college. The curriculum of the nursing programs and the medical assisting program will remain the same and under the primary responsibility of the faculty in those areas. This change is designed to help Rockhurst achieve three important objectives:

• Elevate the prominence of nursing as an academic discipline at Rockhurst;
• Concentrate health sciences professions in a single college; and
• Position the University to create an environment in which interprofessional activities can be more easily achieved. 

The associate degree programs (i.e., allied health) will move to the College of Arts and Sciences, as will the physics and engineering programs. 

Donna Gardner, MPA, will continue as the director of the medical assisting program, and Rhiannon Dickerson will become the coordinator of the allied health associate degree program housed in the College of Arts and Sciences.

According to Douglas N. Dunham, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, the reorganization reinforces a key component of Rockhurst’s strategic plan.

“Pillar 1 of the University’s strategic plan challenges Rockhurst to ‘Become a regional leader in healthcare solutions by building innovative partnerships and by preparing the highest caliber graduates from across all university disciplines,’” Dunham said.  “The changes announced today support these efforts, and I am excited to see what possibilities arise from our collaborative efforts.”