WEDNESDAY
September 16, 2009
Vol. 92 • No. 15 ONLINE:
www.therambler.org
The Rambler The voice of Texas Wesleyan University students since 1917
Theater alumnus wins playwriting competition. A&E, page 5
Student introduces Wesleyan to hockey. Sports, page 6
DNAP first in nation to go online Jonathan Resendez
jlresendez@mail.txwes.edu
The online Doctorate of Nurse Anesthesia program is the only one of its kind in the country, and Texas Wesleyan is the only school that offers it. In its second year, the 35 to 42 hour credit program gives students the opportunity to complete their doctorates within two years as a full time student or three years as a part time student. Students access class syllabi, notes and streaming video recordings of
University enrollment increases 3.2 percent
the lectures from the Web. “Students can be in Asia, Europe, Africa or anywhere in the United States and take the class,” said Dr. Ricardo Rodriguez, professor of chemistry and associate director of DNAP. “As long as they have a laptop, they can log in from anywhere.” Students who are interested in the program must be practicing certified registered nurse anesthetists and be registered nurses who have taken specific graduate level courses. Getting into the program is
not an easy task. Rodriguez said that out of 40 applicants, only 16 were selected in 2007, the first year. After the initial paperwork, Rodriguez and Dr. Paul Austin, associate professor and coordinator of research and anesthesia curriculum for the DNAP, set up phone interviews to make the final selection. “Unless they meet all the requirements, they cannot get into the program,” Rodriguez said. The DNAP program is comprised of students from across
the country. Students come from both rural and metropolitan areas, Rodriguez said. The roster includes students from South Carolina, North Dakota, Colorado and Pennsylvania. Rodriguez, who used to work as a scientist for the National Cancer Institute in Maryland, said the program shows how much things have changed in the teaching and learning process over the years. “I never thought it would happen,” said John Martin, director of DNAP. “In 20 years
a lot has changed in the way students learn and the way they shop for the best universities and colleges.” The curriculum is set apart from other nursing programs because of the focus on the hard sciences, Martin said. “No other program that we know offers those,” he said. Lisa Milhoan, certified registered nurse anesthetist, is a GPNA professor as well as a student in the DNAP. “Anesthetists make about $150,000 to $180,000 a year, and they don’t want to lose
that money,” Milhoan said. “The program allows us to take class before or after work.” The way that accreditation is changing, there will be a need for people with doctorate’s to teach, she said. The degree will allow students to remain in the field or they can go into the business or educational fields. “The educational process is evolving, and it won’t be long before everyone is at this level,” she said. “It’s nice being on the cutting edge.”
Admin under water
Jonathan Resendez
jlresendez@mail.txwes.edu
The 12th day enrollment numbers show that enrollment is up over last fall. There are a combined total of 3,048 students, according to the office of institutional research. University-wide enrollment is up 3.2 percent over last fall with undergraduate enrollment up 3.2 percent. Undergraduate students make up the majority of the student body at 1,519. There are 795 law school students and 734 graduate and doctorate students. Patti Alexander, vice president for enrollment and student services, said she was pleased with the numbers. “Anytime we’re up over the previous fall, it’s good news,” she said. Alexander said one of the reasons the numbers are up is the strength of student retention. Normally, Wesleyan brings back 80 percent of students, but this year there was a retention rate of 91 percent, she said.
Rachel Horton | Rambler Staff Communications, human resources, purchasing and the grants office are among the offices closed Sept. 14 because of flooding. “Due to all the rain, half of the building is submerged,” said Eric Perez, project manager for First Restoration Inc.
New dean brings diversity to Wesleyan Eunice Nicholson
emnicholson@mail.txwes.edu
Dr. Trevor Morris traveled a long and winding road to his new position as dean of Wesleyan’s School of Natural and Social Sciences. After journeying from Singapore to Barcelona to London to various parts of the United States, Morris eventually landed in Fort Worth where he will lead Wesleyan’s newly created school. Wesleyan’s old School of Arts and Sciences split last spring in an effort to get the schools across campus more in line with one another and provide better management of the programs, administrators said. The other newly formed entity, the School of Arts and Letters, will be led by Dr. Steven Daniell, but it is Morris who will lead the studies of science. He brings a diverse background to the table. Although he lived in Singapore until the age of 10, he Photo courtesy of the office of communications found living in Spain more Trevor Morris fascinating. When he and his family moved to Barcelona in
“I want to make the education that we offer relevant to students. I don’t see any purpose in producing students who can’t get jobs.” Trevor Morris
Dean of School of Natural and Social Sciences the 1970s, he found himself in the midst of great cultural transition. He witnessed the transition that brought the people of Spain out from under the rule of authority, and into a democracy. “Growing up in Spain and watching the transition was fascinating and fun,” he said. And so it was Morris’ first hand experience in international cultures that guided him to Texas Wesleyan University where, in June, he was named dean. Trevor is expected to create positive change. “I’m expecting Dr. Morris to establish and develop a long-range plan for increasing enrollments, to explore and develop select graduate pro-
grams and to collaborate with our general education council to develop a comprehensive plan approach for teaching,” said Dr. Harold Jeffcoat, president of Texas Wesleyan University. After completing high school in Spain, Morris attended the University of London, where he majored in astrophysics. After a semester he dropped out. “I dropped out because I was young and studying the wrong subject,” he said. For the next two and a half years the world became Morris’ class room. He traveled through England, Spain and South East Asia taking on odd jobs including working as a bartender and a DJ. All
the while he was busy observing the people and cultures he came in contact with. “Understanding what motivates people … their values and assumptions became fascinating to me,” Morris said. In the early 1980s, now sure of what he wanted to study, he headed to the United States to further his education. Morris earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Roanoke College in Virginia in 1984. He then earned a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina in 1987 and a doctorate in international studies in 1995. He taught international courses at USC while completing his education. He enjoyed the interaction with students. “I liked getting students to think critically and to understand most everyone is going through the same experiences,” Morris said. “It really doesn’t matter if you are talking about a country or a person.” In 1989, he accepted a
MORRIS, page 3