After a comprehensive review, Linda D. Scott, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FNAP, FAAN, was reappointed as dean of the UW–Madison School of Nursing. Scott’s acceptance of her reappointment was announced by Chancellor Rebecca Blank and Provost Karl Scholz, both of whom expressed they are pleased Dean Scott will continue to advance the School of Nursing, and the university as a whole.
Deans of the UW–Madison schools and colleges undergo a thorough review process to assess their academic and administrative leadership and performance every five years. A review committee and chair are appointed by the provost, and their work includes conducting interviews with faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders.
Scott was receptive to the opportunity and the result of the review process. “I appreciate the faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends who participated. Receiving feedback from so many perspectives is valuable. I was pleased to receive and accept an offer of reappointment as an outcome of the review, and to continue in my deanship. I am inspired by what the next five years will mean for the School,” Scott said. She further explains, “We will reach our centennial year in 2024. We approach this milestone with a clear purpose to build health equity through nursing research and education. The School’s priorities and strengths are aligned in support of that.”
Scott started her first term as the eighth dean of the School of Nursing on July 15, 2016. Since then, her innovative approach and focus on advancing strategic priorities have led to growth in the number and diversity of School faculty members, greater financial stability, implementation of diversity initiatives to benefit all parts of the School, and the launch of a centennial campaign. To advance the School’s vision of improving health for all, the School also adopted Inclusive Excellence as the fifth—and central—pillar of the School’s strategic framework.
Guided by Scott’s vision, School leaders have implemented curricula, policies, action plans, and programming that reflect the importance of understanding and meeting health needs in a complex society. This holistic effort promotes the development of nurse leaders who are prepared to improve health for all through nursing research, education, practice, and policy. As she begins a new chapter of her deanship that will include the start of the School’s next 100 years, Scott believes, “This is a special time for our School of Nursing community to celebrate our legacy and let it launch us to a future of even greater impact on health and the nursing profession.”