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Show Westminster College Salt Lake City, Utah VOLUME XU: ISSUE 8 WWW.THEWESTMINSTERFORUM.COM DECEMBER 4, 2007 competitive, rewarding Undergraduate program nursing for the students stick on acceptance to Despite competition together to graduate program, top Macey Matthews Emily Bennion StaffWriters Each year over Thanksgiving, many students hope to receive something that will determine their academic future: an acceptance letter to the Westminster undergraduate nursing program. This year, 129 applications were received, and only 90 spots were available. Applying to the program is an extensive process that occurs during the sophomore year of study or after the applicant has completed the 42 hours of prerequisite courses. In addition to the application, the student must submit three letters of professional recommendation, a letter of intent, state and federal background checks, and negative drug testing results from an approved laboratory. To be considered for the program, the student must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 and a grade of C or higher in all prerequisite courses. A faculty committee is in charge of deciding who to admit. Students are free to apply at any time during the year, but the acceptances are done exclusively during fall semester. PROGRAM OVERVIEW The Westminster nursing program is based on the ideas of Patricia Benner, an influential member of the nursing community. According to her biography at www.nurses.info, Benner was not concerned about how to do nursing, but how nurses learn to do nursing. She published From Novice to Expert in 1984, and approximately 20 years later, Westminster adopted this model as its framework for the nursing program. Benners concepts center on building on the basics and the acquisition of skills over time. "These classes not only prepare the students for work in the nursing program, but also help them better interact with a broad range of patients and a variety of people." Jean Dyer Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences According to Jean Dyer, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, the prerequisite and Liberal Education (LE) courses are essential to a successful nursing graduate. Liberal Education courses are very important for nursing because it gives us a base on which to build a foundation, she said. By taking the basic chemistry and biology classes prior to entering the program, students are better prepared for the more in- Continued on page 6 Students launch Opportunity Quest Campus events prepare entries to statewide business competition Alexandra Jamison StafFWriter A new prospect for budding entrepreneurs has begun at Westminster in the form of the Opportunity Quest competition. Aptly named, the Opportunity Quest will give Westminster students the chance to submit a short business proposal in hopes of winning the campus-wid- e competition and the grand prize of $8,000. The campus competition will prepare entries to the statewide 2008 Utah Entrepreneur Challenge in Februcompetition is limited to ary. While the campus-wid- e students, the statewide competition will accept entries from anyone. The judging criteria are more rigorous, but the prize money is an enticing $40,000. As many as 200 teams and up to 600 people participate each year. The prize money is handed over to the winners with the expectation that they will put it toward launching their business. Westminster MBA student Jason Badell and undergraduate business student Jared Hansen are directing the event. The competition itself is part of a larger program that will include presentations about writing on-camp- Details of the Kim T. Adamson Alumni House. Page 2 "The Entrepreneur Challenge played a critical role in helping me develop, refine and test my ideas." John Butler Former Westminster Student John Butler, another Westminster student, won the 2002 statewide competition and has since launched his own business, Mediaport. The Entrepreneur Challenge played a critical role in helping me develop, refine and test my ideas, said Butler in a press release. It also taught me that a business plan has to be a guide rather than a blueprint because consumer interests change, us T Campus Issue 8 Highlights business plans, presentation skills, and mentorship from faculty and local businesses. They encourage any individual student or teams to sign up to participate. And even if the students dont want to participate in the competition, they can still benefit from the workshops and presentations, which are open to any Westminster student. Athletics Students compete as U.S. Ski Team Contin ued on page 3 Beyond Campus aerialists. Get edzoocated at Utahs Hogle Zoo. PageS Page 9 |