A Message from President Aceves

Dear Colleagues,

As I continue to reflect on Regis' commitment to delivering an excellent, mission-driven education, I invited Dr. Linda Osterlund, Dean of the Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions, to share her vision and highlight some of the ongoing work underway at the College. Here is what she shared.

"The Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions continues to be a solid pillar at Regis University. At Blue and Gold Alumni Weekend in September, we celebrated 75 years of excellence in nursing education for the Loretto Heights School of Nursing. Margaret Rueckert Hartman generously donated $375,000 to support nursing program scholarships and inspire others to match her gift. On October 27th, we will have a grand opening and ribbon cutting in Thornton for the newly expanded space for our Creighton-Regis Pathway for the Doctorate in Occupational Therapy. Moving this program, launched in 2015 at the Northwest Denver campus, allows it to expand from an original cohort of 18 students to 32 students. The Thornton campus is now the Interprofessional Health Campus (IHC), which includes the Division of Counseling and Family Therapy's Center for Play Therapy and Center for Counseling and Family Therapy, as well as the nursing skills lab for the nursing school. 

The future is bright with strategic plans for continuing to build on the success of the IHC in Thornton. In fall 2024, a physical therapy clinic, Regis Cares North, will launch to include occupational therapy services. RegisCares on the Denver campus and the Center for Counseling and Family Therapy were recently approved to accept Medicaid to serve the community's needs.

In a historic first for the university, two groundbreaking Ph.D.s will launch next year. The Ph.D. in Nursing is a bridge program for clinically trained nurses with a Doctor of Nursing Practice into academia and nursing education. The Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision is a degree required for teaching in a CACREP accredited master's degree program. Our current Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling was recently awarded a full eight years of reaccreditation by CACREP. These Ph.D.s will elevate the stature of the College and university as we train professors from a Jesuit, Catholic perspective to educate the future workforce in nursing and counseling."

Thank you, Linda. I look forward to supporting your vision and commitment to educating students who have cultivated habits of paying attention to the world around them, of reasoning in clear and critical ways, of reading widely and deeply, of communicating effectively, of listening generously to others, of exploring their own depths reflectively and openly, of generously helping others, especially those most in need, of caring for the health of our planet, and of always practicing gratitude.

Kindly,

Salvador D. Aceves, Ed.D

President