After nearly two years of being shut down by the pandemic, Frontier Nursing University’s (FNU) new Versailles, Ky. campus welcomed its first students last fall. Other than Commencement, which is the signature event every year, the resumption of student activities on campus was the highlight of 2021. Fittingly, the return to campus is featured prominently in the 2021 President’s Annual Report, which once again reviews the past year at Frontier through the lens of the 2021 strategic plan objectives. The efforts to achieve those strategic objectives resulted in many successes and lessons learned for the members of the Frontier community.
The first student activity held on campus was Clinical Bound, one of the central components of every FNU student’s program. Clinical Bound is a five-day on-campus event during which students learn and practice clinical skills via simulations before they put them into practice at their clinical sites. In the President’s Annual Report, the first Clinical Bounds held on the Versailles campus are detailed from both student and faculty perspectives. Additionally, the Report details the technical components of Clinical Bound and the role of the Information Technology personnel in assuring successful student experiences on campus.
Even though 2021 saw a gradual emergence from the pandemic, COVID-19 continued to be a dominant story throughout the year. It once again forced major events like Commencement and the Diversity Impact Conference to be held virtually for the second consecutive year. Dr. LaTonya J. Trotter, acclaimed author and Associate Professor of Bioethics and Humanities at the University of Washington, gave a powerful keynote address at Commencement. Dr. Trotter urged the graduates to go forth and continue to serve and lead their communities. Commencement, which celebrated over 900 graduates, also included the announcement of the Annual Leadership Awards and the Excellence in Teaching Awards. The recipients of these awards as well as the Annual Service Awards are also recognized in the Annual Report.
The 11th annual Diversity Impact Conference was also a great success despite being held virtually. The theme of the event was “Dismantling Systemic Racism and Discrimination in Healthcare: Our Roles and Responsibilities.” The overarching goal of the three-day conference was to explore the history and role of healthcare systems as a vehicle for promoting racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression. A total of 112 students, faculty, and staff attended the free, three-day conference, which was held in June.
More big news came in June when the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded FNU two grants totaling $4,140,000. The HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training grant totals $1,920,000, and the Nursing Workforce Diversity grant totals $2,220,000. HRSA, which is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will award the funding for both grants in annual installments over four years.
Awards and achievements were a common theme throughout the year. The university was named a recipient of the prestigious INSIGHT Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award for the fourth consecutive year. FNU’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives also were recognized by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), and the Diverse Organizational Impact and Transformation (DOIT) Certification Program. A leader in distance learning since 1989, Frontier also received an International Distance Learning Award, presented by the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA). Additionally, the university was recognized as “A Great College to Work For” by the Great Colleges to Work For® program.
In addition to these important events and stories, the 2021 President’s Annual Report also includes data and information on university enrollment, diversity, retention, precepting, and more. The 2021 President’s Annual Report is available to read online or download here.
With the COVID-19 Pandemic, social justice and reform, political turmoil, and the completion of the move to the Versailles campus, 2020 was unlike any other year in the history of FNU. Still, the university maintained its course, relying on our strategic plan to guide our actions and measure our progress. 
Dr. Tia Brown McNair is the Vice President in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Student Success and Executive Director for the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) in Washington, DC. She oversees both funded projects and AAC&U’s continuing programs on equity, inclusive excellence, high-impact practices, and student success. McNair directs AAC&U’s Summer Institutes on High-Impact Practices and Student Success, and TRHT Campus Centers and serves as the project director for several AAC&U initiatives, including the development of a TRHT-focused campus climate toolkit. She is the lead author of From Equity Talk to Equity Walk: Expanding Practitioner Knowledge for Racial Justice in Higher Education (January 2020) and Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success (July 2016 and August 2022 Second edition).