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Gwynedd-Mercy College
PRESIDENT OF GWYNEDD-MERCY COLLEGE JOINS CIC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The elections were held during a meeting of the Board of Directors at CIC’s 2010 Presidents Institute in Marco Island, Fla., on Jan. 4. Among the responsibilities of the CIC Directors are providing fiduciary oversight for the allocation of CIC’s assets and approving operating budgets; participating in the development and approval of long-range plans; and advising on the direction of the association’s programs and services. “The Council is pleased to have Dr. Owens as a Board member,” said CIC President Richard Ekman. “CIC continues to implement many exciting new programs, projects, and services, and needs a strong Board of Directors to oversee their planning and execution. I am certain that Dr. Owens will serve the Council admirably, and look forward to working with her.” “Over the years, Gwynedd-Mercy College has participated in many CIC-sponsored initiatives,” Dr. Owens said. “I value our membership in CIC and look forward to serving as a member of the Board.” Based on a 2009 national report from the American Enterprise Institute, Gwynedd-Mercy College ranked fourth in the nation in its category for high graduation rates. The college prepares students to become top professionals in the fields of allied health professions, arts and sciences, business, education and nursing. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1948, the college is a coeducational institution offering more than 40 associate, bachelor's and master's degree programs on a full and part-time basis. Situated on Sumneytown Pike between routes 309 and 202 in Gwynedd Valley, Montgomery County, the college also offers degree programs for working adults through its Center for Lifelong Learning in Plymouth Meeting and Philadelphia. Learn more at gmc.edu. The Council of Independent Colleges is an association of more than 600 independent, liberal arts colleges and universities and higher education affiliates and organizations that work together to strengthen college and university leadership, sustain high-quality education, and enhance private higher education’s contributions to society. To fulfill this mission, CIC provides its members with skills, tools, and knowledge that address aspects of leadership, financial management and performance, academic quality, and institutional visibility. The Council is headquartered at One Dupont Circle in Washington, DC. Gwynedd-Mercy Receives Historic Gift from Alumna Gwynedd Valley, Pa. (October 9, 2009) – Gwynedd-Mercy College announced a gift of $5 million to name its highly respected nursing program as the Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing Wednesday at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Trustees. The gift comes just two weeks before the nursing school celebrates its 50th Anniversary with a weekend of activities featuring a gala, academic symposium and Mass offered by His Eminence Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia. The events are being held on the Gwynedd Valley campus Oct. 16-18. The contribution is the largest-ever alumni gift in the history of the college. Mrs. Maguire, of Wyndmoor, Pa., graduated from Gwynedd-Mercy College in 1955, and later returned to study nursing in the mid-1970s. “I have always been a believer in remembering where I came from and giving back in some way to those who have helped me to get where I am today,” Mrs. Maguire said. Kathleen Owens, PhD, president of the college, said the gift will form an endowment for the School, as well as meet some immediate priorities for nursing students and faculty. Three important areas that the gift will help address are scholarships, faculty support and best-practice technology and equipment. During the summer, the nursing skills laboratory was completely renovated with state-of-the-art equipment through funds provided by Mrs. Maguire, her husband, James J. Maguire, Sr., and the Maguire Foundation. “This extraordinary gift will transform our already excellent nursing program and take it to new levels to enhance the reputation of Mercy nurses throughout the greater Philadelphia area and beyond,” Dr. Owens said. “Our students will now have the very best learning environment with the real-world simulation of a hospital setting.” The health care field has been close to Mrs. Maguire’s heart her entire life. As a child, Mrs. Maguire observed her mother and father in the medical profession. Her father was a surgeon and her mother a nurse. Years later, Mrs. Maguire enrolled at Gwynedd-Mercy College to study nursing. Later, health care played a new role in her life as she was a patient at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. “Quality health care is something that I have been fortunate to receive and do not take for granted,” said Mrs. Maguire, who is the mother of eight children and grandmother to 21. Located in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., the Maguire Foundation has a mission to invest in education where there is a high probability of good return, and Gwynedd-Mercy College is well known for its high graduation rates and excellent career preparation for students. “Gwynedd-Mercy College would never give up on a student,” Mrs. Maguire said. “Its faculty and staff always encourage students to move forward, ask for help and follow their dreams!” Dr. Andrea Hollingsworth, who has served as dean of the School for the past eight years, believes this gift will not only enhance the School’s quality, but also bring additional honor and prestige. “A named School is the dream of every dean,” she said. “This gift recognizes the excellence of our School and enables us to continue development of outstanding nurses to serve our community.” There are currently 514 students enrolled in the new Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing and it customarily receives 1300 applications annually. The School offers both undergraduate and graduate programs including an Associate of Science in Nursing, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and a Master of Science in Nursing. The bachelor’s degree is also offered for registered nurses in the college’s Center for Lifelong Learning through satellite campuses located in Fort Washington and Philadelphia. Currently, there are 100 nurses enrolled in this program. “We are profoundly grateful to Frances M. and James J. Maguire for having faith in our college and for helping to see the possibilities ahead, not only in nursing, but in all our other programs of study,” Dr. Owens said. “They enable us to prepare graduates who not only are recruited for jobs, but also create lives and careers with deep meaning.”
GMC RECEIVES PRESIDENT'S AWARD FOR SERVICE Gwynedd Valley, Pa. (February 11, 2009) – The Corporation for National and Community Service honored Gwynedd-Mercy College today with a place on the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts and service to America's communities. "We are fortunate to have such a remarkably selfless college community and I am so pleased that our service efforts have been recognized once again," said Kathleen Owens, PhD, president of Gwynedd-Mercy College. Launched in 2006, the Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees for the award were chosen based on a series of selection factors including scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses. During the 2007-2008 academic year, 1,630 GMC students participated in various service programs to help those in our community, across the country and outside the United States, which added up to more than 14,500 hours of service. The service-learning programs that Gwynedd-Mercy College is especially proud of this past year are: FYE 1001, the Autism Institute SPECTRUM project, Touch of Tennis, Harmony Theater, Alternative Spring Break and "The History and Culture of New Orleans" course. Through FYE 1001, a one-credit service learning course offered for the first time in 2007-2008, 284 first-year students were connected with 12 different agencies and organizations in Philadelphia and the surrounding communities. Students worked with mentally and physically challenged youths and adults through Harmony Theater and the Touch of Tennis program and visited New Orleans to join the recovery from Hurricane Katrina through the New Orleans course and Alternative Spring Break. Finally, the Autism Institute provided 107 teachers, administrators, parents and college students with workshop training. "In this time of economic distress, we need volunteers more than ever. College students represent an enormous pool of idealism and energy to help tackle some of our toughest challenges," said Stephen Goldsmith, vice chair of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees the Honor Roll. "We salute Gwynedd-Mercy College for making community service a campus priority, and thank the millions of college students who are helping to renew America through service to others." Overall, the Corporation honored six schools with Presidential Awards. In addition, 83 were named as Honor Roll With Distinction members and 546 schools as Honor Roll members. In total, 635 schools were recognized. A full list is available at www.nationalservice.gov/honorroll. For more than 60 years, Gwynedd-Mercy College has been Bringing Futures Into Focus by preparing students to become top professionals in the fields of allied health professions, arts and sciences, business and computer information sciences, education and nursing. The College, founded by the Sisters of Mercy, is a coeducational institution offering more than 40 associate, bachelor's and master's degree programs on a full- and part-time basis. Situated on Sumneytown Pike between routes 309 and 202 in Gwynedd Valley, Montgomery County, the College also offers degree programs for working adults through its Center for Lifelong Learning in Fort Washington and Philadelphia.
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Gwynedd Valley, Pa. (January 26, 2010) – Kathleen Owens, PhD, president of Gwynedd-Mercy College, has been elected to the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) Board of Directors. Dr. Owens will serve a three-year term from January 2010 to January 2013.
