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November letter from President Fernandez
Each month, interim LCSC President J. Anthony Fernandez provides an update to alums, friends, employees, and others about the college. Here's the November letter:
After the smoke from the March 2009 fire had long cleared, none of us knew for certain whether The Center for Arts & History would ever re-open. Therefore, I'm naturally pleased to announce that the doors to The Center are, indeed, open again. Thanks to everyone who made the restoration possible-and thanks as well to
the 450 people who recently showed up to help us celebrate our grand reopening. The building itself, the oldest standing brick structure in Lewiston, dates back to 1884 when Idaho's first millionaire, J.P. Volmer, erected it to house his bank and general merchandise store. In October of 2010, the LCSC Foundation officially passed ownership directly to the college. I hope you'll drop by and take a look at the resurrection of one of the finest galleries in northern Idaho for yourself. The exhibits are first class.
So, of course, are plenty of other things at Lewis-Clark State College, including our programs in nursing and natural sciences. The roots of our nursing program extend all the way back to 1919 when the "Normal School" provided classes in "chemistry, child care, and dietetics" for Sister Xavier's charges at St. Joseph's Hospital in Lewiston. Flash forward almost a century to September 20-22, 2010 when our Bachelor of Science in Nursing program hosted a site visit from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. CCNE accreditation assures students, employers, and other stakeholders that our nation's nursing programs are providing a quality product, one that meets national standards. Although CCNE will not officially announce its findings from Washington, D.C. until April 2012, I'm confident of our reaccreditation. At the exit interview, the CCNE team noted that our BSN program was in compliance with all four CCNE standards. It was a very successful visit. I imagine Sister Xavier would be proud.
I know I was pleased to discover this statistic. Since we began tracking them in 2007, nearly 90% of our graduates in mathematics and natural sciences who apply have been accepted into medical schools, dental schools, veterinary schools, and masters and Ph.D. programs throughout the United States. In at least two years (2008 and 2009) the overall acceptance rate was 100%.
Likewise, I have good news to report for Coeur d'Alene. When I spoke to Idaho's Permanent Building Fund Advisory Council on October 5th, I testified that the number one request for capitol improvements for Lewis-Clark State College is the proposed "joint use" educational building-and so did the representatives from North Idaho College and the University of Idaho. Making the Coeur d'Alene facility the number one capitol improvement request for all three institutions does not, of course, guarantee the facility will be built first . . . but it should certainly help.
Did I mention that volleyball coach Jen Greeny picked up her 100th win in just her fourth season? Go Warriors!
Sincerely,
Tony
J. Anthony Fernández
Interim President
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