At a special event during the College’s True Blue reunion weekend, Hartwick President Darren Reisberg was joined by faculty, alumni and friends of the College to announce the launch of the new School of Nursing.
According to Pat Grust, nursing department chair and clinical associate professor, much has changed in the past eight decades.
“Since that first nursing class in 1943, the art, science, and technology involved in the education of professional nurses has evolved significantly,” said Grust. “We have adapted throughout the years to maintain a high level of success and are very excited to address these ongoing challenges as we continue the Hartwick legacy.”
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Laurel Bongiorno was among those in attendance at the launch. “We have such a high-quality nursing program and this name change will reflect the prestige it deserves.”
The new School of Nursing has a long and storied history of leadership and service in nursing education. In 1943, the U.S. Public Health Service and State Department of Education authorized Hartwick to be one of the first colleges to respond to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s call for a uniformed nursing reserve. Eight women enrolled in the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps program that fall. Today, 234 students are pursuing nursing majors and over 1,500 graduates are proud alumni.
At the event, President Reisberg also unveiled an original nursing uniform worn by Ann Levchak ’46, one of 25 members of Hartwick College’s first nursing graduating class. Levchak’s daughter, Marilyn Wanser, donated this uniform to Hartwick’s archives.
The announcement follows two recent nursing initiatives. In mid-August, Hartwick College and SUNY Oneonta joined forces for One-Hart. And just a couple of weeks ago, Bassett Healthcare Network, in partnership with Hartwick College and SUNY Oneonta, launched a workforce development initiative called Bassett CARES that addresses critical workforce shortages throughout Bassett’s network and across all disciplines, not only healthcare programs.
Program is set to launch in February 2025.
This work matters beyond a surface level.