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Contributor
Tate Archives & Special Collections
Contributor Institution
Illinois Wesleyan University
Creation Date
2-12-1967
Document Type
Report
Description
The document titled "A Five-Year Plan for the School of Nursing as Presented to the Board of Trustees" was proposed in 1967 and it represents a pivotal moment in nursing education during the 60's at Illinois Wesleyan University. This document was written in response to increasing the demand for skilled healthcare professionals. Not only does this document provide strategic proposals to increase the number of nursing students in the program, it also highlights the University's vision for growth and innovation from the late 60's through the early 70's. Additionally, the newspaper article titled "Expanding Nursing School", brings attention to the Five-Year Plan mentioned above. This article touches upon the Brokaw School of nursing aiming to increase the enrollment from 140 to 180 by the fall of 69' and 200 within five years. It also mentions why the expansion of the program has been successful.
Primary Source Analysis
The Five-Year Plan of the School of Nursing written in 1967 at Illinois Wesleyan University is an important moment in the expansion of nursing education in America. This document was established during a national push to expand individuals' access to college and professional training. Illinois Wesleyan had ambitious goals for growth and innovation between the late 60’s and early 70’s and this plan outlines the way they wanted to follow through and achieve such goals. From new clinical laboratory fees to the breakdowns of what the increased enrollment plan looks like, the Five-Year Plan lays it all out. Most importantly, this document reflects what faculty and administration understood nursing to be and how it could be evolved in educational institutions.
One major focus of the plan is the modernization of the curriculum. One big modernization mentioned and put into action was the installation of a closed-circuit television system, the first in any Illinois nursing school. This amazing innovation allowed students to watch and review their clinical practices. The Brokaw School of Nursing recognized that medical sciences and healthcare were advancing and the university wanted to better prepare students for when they entered the field after graduation. The plan illustrates a necessary shift towards interdisciplinary learning and expansion of clinical and critical thinking skills.
Along with the curricular changes, the plan also includes proposals for infrastructure development. This included clinical facilities for the students to work at as well as qualified faculty to teach the students. The purpose for these changes was to increase enrollment into the program as the demand for skilled nurses increased both regionally and nationally. In this plan, there is also a mention of increasing the number of men entering in the field which challenged the traditional gender roles at the time. With this we see that Illinois Wesleyan had an intent to make the Brokaw School of Nursing a more inclusive space for students to learn.
Illinois Wesleyan wanted to embed the values of academic excellence, service, and social responsibility into the nursing program and with this plan put in place they could do so seamlessly. The Five-Year Plan provides great evidence to how IWU was reacting to changes in healthcare while also shaping the future of nursing education. This document is now preserved in the University Archives serving as more than a set of goals, but as a historical artifact that sheds light onto the challenges and aspirations of the nursing program during the 60’s and 70’s.
Rights
For rights information, contact Tate Archives & Special Collections at archives@iwu.edu.
Source
7-5/2/10 - Annual Reports to IWU Administrators, 1966-1971