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PURPOSE:
BONUS exists to advance and enhance the professional skills of personnel working in
the administration of nursing education in the areas of business, technology, finance, and
administration within nursing schools, and to facilitate networking among members of the
Business Officers of Nursing group. It also
facilitates communications between the staff and officers of the American Association of
Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the business officers of member schools.
Visit the BONUS website at http://www.bonus.aacn.nche.edu. |
2000-2001
“Fall
Newsletter”
December
2000
To:
Deans and Business Officers of Nursing Schools
From:
Cathy
Reas, President
ABOUT
THE APRIL 25-27, 2001, BONUS CONFERENCE
The
BONUS Steering Committee met in Tuscon on October 13 to plan the BONUS Conference to be held there
April 25-27, 2001. The Westward Look Resort is
well-known by AACN representatives as inexpensive, reliable, and accommodating with an array of fun
things to do. Our experience there was no exception.
This resort has frequently been the site for Faculty Practice Conferences in the past.
Check it out at the Westward Look website, http://www.coastalhotel.com/arizona/tucson/westward_resort.html.
This
year's BONUS Conference theme is "BONUS 2001 - Solutions That Work".
We are focusing primarily on topics that BONUS members requested in the 2000 Conference
survey - distance education via the Internet and student recruitment.
We will also have sessions on faculty practice, research issues, and breakout sessions on
technology and recruitment. This is just a two-day
conference, though, so some sessions will be simultaneous - attendees may have some hard choices
about what to attend!
More
information will be forthcoming in the BONUS Conference brochure that will be mailed in February
2001.
COME
TO THE BONUS CONFERENCE!
I
would like to encourage Deans to send their business officers.
Attending my first BONUS conference was extraordinarily helpful to me professionally, and it
enhanced the value I brought to my Dean. I kicked
myself for not going the previous year when my Dean (now Associate Provost Fay Raines) encouraged me
to go! BONUS enables collaborative discussion about
Nursing school administrative issues and often provides colleagues with answers or guidance for
perplexing problems. BONUS is a tremendous resource in
that regard. Many Deans have used the BONUS ListServe
to gather specific information among Nursing schools nationwide.
BONUS
Conferences are not just limited to business officers, though.
Other associate and assistant deans have attended BONUS sessions in the past. This year, because we hope to hear from speakers who have "succeeded"
in distance education via the Internet and "succeeded" in student recruitment, I will not
be surprised to see many more deans attending.
STEERING
COMMITTEE NOMINATIONS
I
would also like to ask Deans to encourage their business officers to run for office.
Every year during the BONUS business session we
elect new officers to serve on the Steering Committee. This
year we are seeking nominations for President-Elect, Secretary, Nominating Committee Chair, and
Networking Committee Chair. Briefly, the
President-Elect is a 3-year commitment to serve as President-Elect, President, and then Past
President. The Secretary is a 2-year commitment to keep
the minutes of the meetings, the annual membership meeting, and any other special meetings called by
the Steering Committee; the Secretary works with the President to obtain and distribute financial
reports. The Nominating Committee Chair presents a
slate of candidates for all the Steering Committee offices, runs the elections, and compiles lists
of potential committee members for the Chairs; this is a 2-year commitment.
The Networking Committee Chair, also a 2-year commitment, proposes and implements networking
strategies, manages the BONUS Web site, and provides periodic newsletters and updates.
More complete descriptions of the responsibilities of these offices are in the BONUS By-Laws
at http://www.bonus.aacn.nche.edu.
In
addition to the annual conference, Steering Committee officers are asked to attend a meeting in the
Fall to plan the Spring conference. Officers may
receive up to $100 from AACN to cover otherwise non-reimbursed BONUS related travel expenses.
LOOKING
AHEAD TO 2002…
Shortly
after making Tuscon arrangements, our AACN liaison, Jennifer Ahearn, extended a special offer to
BONUS for the 2002 conference to be at an excellent conferencing hotel on Sanibel Island, Florida,
with a much lower cost than they typically charge. AACN
Deans’ conferences have been held there. For those of you planning ahead, the 2002 conference on Sanibel Island will be
held May 1-3, 2002.