Everyone asks Dianne Nelson, the director of Eastern’s new nursing program, the same question.

“Will the program be ready for the Fall 2007 semester?”

Nelson, who has only been on the job since July 5, is optimistic that the program will be off the ground by then.

She hopes to have 30 students enrolled in the program by next fall.

“I have this goal to have a very high quality program that’s very accessible,” Nelson said.

She has been focusing her time on developing curriculum for the program, which will be submitted to the College of Sciences curriculum committee for approval in September. From there it goes on to be approved by the University curriculum committee.

“A good curriculum is going to be a foundation to everything,” Nelson said.

The bachelor’s program, available to students who already have an associate’s degree, will focus on research, leadership, community health and health assessment and pathophysiology, Nelson said. The curriculum is designed to advance the skills and knowledge of practicing registered nurses.

“It builds on a foundation of basic nursing content that they already have,” Nelson said.

She expects the program to attract students who are interested in graduate school or management and leadership positions.

The university and the community are sharing in Nelson’s excitement for the new program she said, citing President Lou Hencken, Provost Blair Lord and Dean of the College of Sciences Mary Ann Hanner, as its biggest supporters.

“The university is behind the program,” Nelson said. “People have been extremely supportive.”

Hencken said he is very happy with the progress of the program and is very pleased to have Nelson heading the project.

“We could not have wanted a better faculty member to be the chair,” he said. “It’s going exactly as planned.”

Nelson is currently working in a temporary office on the second floor of Old Main, but will soon be moving to another temporary location on the third floor of Lawson Hall.

A permanent home for the program is in the works, Hencken said. He will announce the building plans at the Faculty Senate Luncheon Aug. 30.

The next task for Nelson and the university is to find faculty for the program. For now, Nelson is looking to hire two people to help her with the teaching duties.

Filling those positions and developing an admissions process are two projects the department will be working on this fall.

Nelson has been busy meeting with different entities at Eastern to make sure the new program will be integrated into the university by next fall.

“It’s the first new program (at Eastern) in quite a while,” she said. “The more people across campus who know what we’re about will be beneficial.”