Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education

Overview

Dr. Joellen Maples, Dean

Welcome to the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education at St. John Fisher University. Our curriculum is grounded in inclusive practice. We believe that teaching all people requires professional educators and executive leaders who have mastered the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to address the diversity represented by the populations they serve. All children and all adults have a right to enjoy high-quality educational and workplace experiences designed by experts who are deeply and fully committed to the profession of education and the responsibilities of leadership.

Our graduate programs in education are designed to deepen, extend, and enhance the professional knowledge of educators, leaders, and executives. Initial certification programs allow graduate candidates whose baccalaureate degrees are in areas other than education to obtain New York state certification in childhood and special education or adolescence and special education. Teaching professionals with initial certification in childhood and adolescence may specialize in the critical needs areas of literacy or library media. Graduate candidates with initial certification can qualify for professional certification through our master’s degree programs. Teachers who have experience in leadership roles may enroll in the School Building Leader and School Building/School District Leader programs. Educators and executives may challenge themselves at the highest level of study in our Ed.D. in Executive Leadership program, where a cohort-based modular structure provides a rigorous yet accessible program of study leading to a terminal degree. The School also offers its approved Ed.D. in Executive Leadership at extension sites at Iona College in New Rochelle, New York, and at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, New York.

Graduate programs in teacher education and educational leadership are registered with the New York State Education Department and are nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The School of Education and its related educational programs are located in the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education building and the James S. Alesi Academic Center, state-of-the-art facilities with advanced technological capacity.

Wegmans School of Nursing

Overview

Dr. Patricia Gatlin, Dean
Dr. Colleen Donegan, Graduate Associate Dean

In March 2006, St. John Fisher University opened the Wegmans School of Nursing, named in honor of Robert and Peggy Wegman, longtime friends and benefactors of the University. The Wegmans School of Nursing houses the undergraduate and graduate programs in nursing and the graduate program in mental health counseling.

The mission of the School is to create an individualized teaching and learning environment that supports the special needs and values of students seeking roles in licensed, credentialed, and certified professions. Founded in the Basilian tradition and guided by ethical and professional standards, the School prepares individuals who are committed to lives of service and the values of intellectual engagement, social responsibility, and respect for diversity.

The Wegmans School of Nursing is dedicated to graduating professional mental health counselors and advanced-practice nurses who will provide expert, compassionate, ethical care and be leaders in the health-care environment. To promote an internalized standard of excellence in practice, the School fosters academic and clinical practice environments for students that provide the opportunity for student and faculty to engage in the following:

• Active involvement in the quest for knowledge
• Professional competence
• Collaborative relationships
• Ongoing personal growth
• Flexibility and openness to change
• Effective communication
• Modeling of professional behaviors
• Community involvement

The School’s baccalaureate, master’s, and DNP programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 463-6930.

The mental health counseling program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education

Overview

Joellen Maples, Dean
Whitney Rapp, Associate Dean
Lucia Guarino, Chair of Undergraduate Programs in Inclusive Education

Welcome to the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education at St. John Fisher University. Our curriculum is grounded in inclusive practice comprised of theoretical and experiential learning that prepares teacher candidates to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions essential to teach all children. All coursework and fieldwork moves candidates toward the attainment of learning objectives based on a conceptual framework dedicated to the achievement of social justice through the central tenets of teaching: respecting and addressing the diversity of all learners, promoting achievement for each individual, developing compassionate practice, pursuing knowledge continuously, and providing comprehensive service to the communities and individuals we serve. All undergraduate programs are registered with the New York State Education Department and are nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Our high-quality programs of study incorporate the liberal arts, with professional preparation in the science, craft, and art of teaching. All programs embed curriculum in practice situated in schools. The School of Education and its related educational programs are located in the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Building, a state-of-the-art facility with advanced technological capacity.

Criteria for Continuation Into School of Education Teacher Certification Programs

All candidates, including transfer students, are accepted into the School of Education upon admission to the University.  In order to continue in their programs, candidates must do the following:

• Submit a complete and acceptable application
• Establish a cumulative GPA of 3.0
• Earn acceptable ratings on key assessments
• Demonstrate professional dispositions
• Engage in candidate support plan, if recommended
• Earn a final grade of at least “C” or higher in all courses in the inclusive education programs required for certification and additional courses required for certification

Wegmans School of Nursing

Overview

Patricia Gatlin, Dean
Lori Dambaugh, Associate Dean
Christine Boev, Chair of Undergraduate Program
Pamela Herendeen, Program Director, RN/BS Program
Joanne Weinschreider, Director of Experiential Learning
Caroline Critchlow, Assistant Dean for Curriculum and Program Evaluation

Kylene Abraham, Amy Archey, Stephanie Bartlett, Melissa Bourne, Desireé Branson, Holly Brown, Kathleen Dever, Crystal Dobri, Elizabeth Dollinger, Colleen Dwyer Donegan, Kiernan Donofrio, Jaime Fordham, Susan Frederick, Katherine Grams, Pamela Herendeen, Deborah Hurley, Amy Jerum, Katherine Ledwin, Pamela Mapstone, Natalie Masco-Dixon, Heather McGrane Minton, Marcie McMahon, Henry Moscicki, Alexis Munding, Karen Parker, Katherine Rowles, Tara Sacco, Alison Simpson, Heather Sisk, Charlene Smith, Laura Stannard, Donna Tydings, Eileen Wilbert, Melinda Zalewski

The Wegmans School of Nursing provides a broad liberal arts and professional program of study/experience that prepares graduates to positively influence health outcomes for culturally diverse individuals, families, and communities in a rapidly changing, highly complex health care environment. Baccalaureate nurses are socialized to the roles of clinical nursing care provider, health care manager, change agent, health advocate, teacher, counselor, scholar, and leader. The commitment to “goodness, discipline, and knowledge” at St. John Fisher University creates an environment that uniquely contributes to the values and scholarship essential to excellence in nursing education.

The undergraduate nursing curriculum is grounded in both the knowledge/theory base of the discipline of nursing and the art/science of evidence-based practice. A holistic view of the person is fundamental to the study of the science of nursing, which has the goal of promoting health throughout the wellness/illness/death continuum within the context of internal and external environments. Required courses provide the opportunity for the student to develop aptitude in: critical thinking, ethical decision making, processing complex information, establishing/maintaining therapeutic relationships, and providing/coordinating care, as well as socioeconomic analysis, interdisciplinary collaboration, cultural sensitivity, and self-appraisal.

School of Business

Overview

Carol Wittmeyer, Interim Dean
Omar Watts, Chair, Department of Accounting/Finance
Nicola Leifker, Chair, Department of Management and Marketing

The goal of the School of Business is to deliver transformative undergraduate and graduate business education that engages students in experiential learning, both within and outside of the classroom. Our graduates are prepared for careers in their field of study and have the needed cutting-edge skills sought by employers.

The business programs of St. John Fisher University have been accredited by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business – since 2003. AACSB International accreditation represents the highest standards of achievement for business schools worldwide. Colleges earning accreditation confirm their commitment to quality and continuous improvement through a rigorous and comprehensive peer review. AACSB International accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in business.

The School has two departments: Department of Accounting/Finance and Department of Management and Marketing. We offer the following programs of study:

• Accounting certificate
• B.S. in accounting
• B.S. in finance
• B.S. in human resources management
• B.S. in management
• B.S. in marketing
• MBA

School of Arts and Sciences

Overview

Ann Marie Fallon, Dean
Melissa Goodwin, Associate Dean of Curriculum and Instruction and Director of the Fisher Core
Catherine S. Sweet, Assistant Dean of Assessment and Administration

Arts and Sciences is the Core of Fisher. We offer graduate and undergraduate degrees and minors in more than 20 undergraduate academic disciplines. The Fisher Core, required of every undergraduate student, reflects the deeply held values of the University and provides students with a broad and engaged education that prepares them to be lifelong learners and leaders in our community.  Every degree program in the School allows students the freedom to explore their field and to understand how to apply their learning into future careers. Students often double major or minor in multiple areas, taking advantage of the clear pathways towards degree completion and the multiple opportunities to explore their favorite subjects and to pursue their passions and their vocations.

School of Business

Overview

Carol Wittmeyer, Interim Dean
Kristin Lennarz, Interim Assistant Dean & MBA Director

The School of Business houses the undergraduate majors of accounting, finance, human resource management, management, and marketing, as well as the MBA. The School of Business is accredited by AACSB International–The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. AACSB is the premier worldwide accrediting agency for business education programs in management and accounting.

Mission

The School of Business prepares professionally competent and ethically responsible graduates for careers as managers and professionals, primarily for local and regional businesses. The school emphasizes excellence in teaching and close interaction with students, and recognizes that excellent teaching is informed by faculty actively engaged in research and scholarship. Faculty members produce research published in peer-reviewed journals and other recognized outlets for intellectual contribution that advances the scholarship of teaching, business practice, and disciplinary knowledge.