Dr. Rhoberta Haley Elected to AACN Board of Directors
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has announced that Rhoberta Haley, Ph.D., RN, FNP, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions at Chaminade University of Honolulu, has been elected to the AACN Board of Directors. She will serve as a Member-at-Large through March 25, 2024. AACN held a special election in August/September to fill an unexpired term on the Board with votes cast by member deans.
“As the national voice for baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, AACN is committed to transforming health care and helping to lead the drive toward health equity,” said AACN Board Chair Cynthia McCurren, Ph.D, RN in a statement released in February after the organization’s announcement of the results of its 2023 election to fill seats on the AACN Board of Directors and Nominating Committee. “I look forward to collaborating with the new and returning members of the AACN Board and Nominating Committee to magnify the impact AACN has on ensuring quality in nursing education, research and practice.”
AACN is governed by a 14-member Board of Directors, which includes four elected officers (Chair, Chair-Elect, Treasurer, and Secretary), seven at-large members representing schools of nursing, and two members representing practice. AACN’s President and Chief Executive Officer serves on the Board as an ex-officio member.
Haley currently serves on the AACN Doctoral Conference Planning Committee, and previously served on the Finance Committee. She has participated in 13 CCNE evaluations for either initial accreditation or re-accreditation as a faculty member, director/dean or consultant. She has been dean at Chaminade University, School of Nursing and Health Professions since 2019.
According to Haley, the benefits of serving as a Board of Director are many and include: a high level and significant role in advancing excellence in academic nursing; engagement in discussions about strategic goals and priorities, higher education and healthcare issues, and challenges facing the nursing profession.
AACN is the national voice for university and four-year college education programs in nursing. Representing more than 560 member schools of nursing at public and private institutions nationwide, AACN’s educational, research, governmental advocacy, data collection, publications and other programs work to establish quality standards for bachelors and graduate degrees in nursing education. The governing body also assists deans and directors to implement those standards, influence the nursing profession to improve health care, and promote public support of baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, research and practice. Task forces are appointed by the AACN Board of Directors as issues arise that require study and action.
AACN’s work to inform members about key issues in higher education includes: offering conference sessions and webinars focused on trends in higher education, including a special panel presentation at the Academic Nursing Leadership Conference in October featuring thought leaders; and advocating for legislation that supports higher education and schools of nursing.
