Strategic Directions

The College of Nursing is a Dynamic Learning Organization committed to Health, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; Innovative and Integrative Scholarship; Academic Excellence; and Leadership Formation.

College of Nursing Strategic Directions

In October 2022, College of Nursing (CON) faculty and staff approved the 2022-27 CON Strategic Directions. Our mission, vision, and values remain the same as we endorsed in 2017.

Our values (empowerment, innovation, caring, social justice, and integrity) frame the CON mission: “We educate and inspire leaders to transform health care for a just and humane world.”

Our vision is “We are recognized as an engaged, creative and dynamic learning organization, committed to social justice, innovation, scholarship, teaching excellence, and the formation of professionals ready to meet the evolving health care needs of a global community.”

Our plan consists of five “commitments to excellence”: (1) Dynamic Learning Organization; (2) Health, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; (3) Innovative and Integrative Scholarship; (4) Academic Excellence; and (5) Leadership Formation.

College of Nursing Commitments to Excellence

Faculty and Staff work as a team to support student learning by:

  • 1a. Facilitating an inclusive, collaborative and respectful learning environment;
  • 1b. Modeling continuous growth, improvement, and reflection;
  • 1c. Inviting and incorporating diverse perspectives and experiences;
  • 1d. Demonstrating and documenting accountability to the mission;
  • 1e. Being accountable for the impact of our words and actions;
  • 1f. Repairing unintentional harm through learning, growth, and change.

We honor the dignity and worth of all by:

  • 2a. Seeking to understand before being understood and using discernment to guide our actions;
  • 2b. Inviting meaningful discourse about oppression/privilege/intersectionality, exclusion/equity, and isolation/belonging;
  • 2c. Demonstrating courage through continued work to understand the struggles of those who experience oppression (e.g. racism, sexism, heterosexism, xenophobia, ableism, classism, religious discrimination, transphobia and other forms of bigotry);
  • 2d. Recognizing that ignoring or minimizing the requests and concerns of people who are disenfranchised increases suffering and adds to trauma;
  • 2e. Promoting just paths towards health equity.

Our scholarship celebrates all ways of evaluating, translating, and creating knowledge through:

  • 3a. Exploring the intersections among discovery, learning, healing, care delivery and the determinants of health;
  • 3b. Generating and incorporating empirical, interpretive, and critical-social theory research;
  • 3c. Considering our responsibility to contribute to the transformation of health care for a just and humane world;
  • 3d. Promoting scholarship that addresses health inequities, explores the social and political determinants of health, contributes to healthy communities, and nurtures caring health professionals.

Members of the College of Nursing commit to:

  • 4a. Nurturing a supportive and inclusive learning environment;
  • 4b. Facilitating active learning using a variety of pedagogical approaches;
  • 4c. Demonstrating professionalism, accountability and humility in all interactions;
  • 4d. Fostering civility, curiosity, creativity, and joy in learning;
  • 4e. Ensuring continuous quality improvement of the academic experience.

We graduate health care leaders who:

  • 5a. Move purposefully to care for humanity and intentionally act with compassion and humility;
  • 5b. Feel empowered and courageous to become reflective change agents to advance social justice, increase health equity, and improve care delivery;
  • 5c. Take ownership of their expertise through networking, continuing education, and positively contributing to the communities in which  they serve;
  • 5d. Actively listen in order to effectively communicate and collaborate;
  • 5e. Promote and respect diversity.

Strategic Directions and Crosswalk

The 2022-27 College of Nursing Strategic Directions align with and contribute to Seattle University's Reigniting Our Strategic Directions 2022-27 (adopted by SU in January 2022). A crosswalk of the SU Strategic Directions and the CON Strategic Directions is available below.