School of Nursing Dean Susan Kelly-Weeder told the Staff Council Friday she is rethinking the school’s enrollment targets amid President Donald Trump’s cuts to federal graduate student loans in an effort to make graduate school more affordable for students.
Kelly-Weeder said she is revising the goals she set at the start of her tenure two years ago, shifting away from increasing full-time graduate enrollment due to the elimination of Grad PLUS loans under the Trump administration. Instead, she said she’s focusing on building academic-practice partnerships to streamline clinical placements, shorten program timelines and offer limited financial aid to make graduate nursing education more accessible.
Trump on July 4 signed into law his “One Big Beautiful Bill” that changes federal student loan borrowing rules by capping the amount of money students can borrow from the federal government in loans. Starting in July 2026, graduate students will be limited to borrowing up to $20,500 per year, with a lifetime cap of $100,000 — replacing the current Grad PLUS program that allows students to borrow up to the full cost of their degree minus any financial aid.
“The challenge to higher education overall by these changes in funding, there’s a great deal of uncertainty about it and how we’re going to manage this,” Kelly-Weeder said. “It’s concerning because what I thought initially, when I got here, is now changed because of this funding resource going away.”
Kelly-Weeder said she is reworking the curriculum to address structural racism, diversify clinical experiences, increase its emphasis on global health, account for changes in the scope of practice for nurse practitioners and understand how climate change will impact health.
Kelly-Weeder’s plan to update the curriculum is one of four goals in the school’s strategic plan she created in 2024 and plans to continue to roll out this academic year.
She said the plan also includes a “cultural transformation” for faculty and staff success, sustainability for long-term growth and student success. The goal outlines the nursing school establishing and sustaining a culture where faculty and staff are open and respectful to create an environment for trust and growth.
The school’s goals for sustainability for long-term growth plans to optimize financial resources and manage the resources effectively, while refining enrollment strategies to ensure long-term sustainability and drive growth. The strategic plan’s student success goal outlines fostering an environment that supports “all aspects” of student success from academic achievements to career readiness.
Kelly-Weeder joined the University in July 2023 after serving as the associate dean for graduate programs at the Boston College Connell School of Nursing for six years. She replaced Jean E. Johnson, the founding dean of the nursing school who served as interim dean for three months following former Dean Mei Fu’s resignation that February after serving two months in the role.
Kelly-Weeder said the nursing school’s prior leadership never implemented their strategic plan, and the school needed a working strategic plan as GW developed its University-wide strategic framework and anticipated reaccreditation to further the University’s goals. She said the nursing school created a two-year strategic plan for 2024-26 until the University’s strategic plan was finalized, and the school is doing “additional strategic planning” starting this academic year, though she didn’t specify what the work will entail.
“There was a lot of transition and difficulty, really, when I came into the School of Nursing,” Kelly-Weeder said. “I was trying to find a way to get everyone kind of on the same page and to establish the sense of trust, honesty and transparency that we really needed, the faculty and staff, to work together for the betterment of the school and our students.”
The nursing school is moving toward a “competency-based approach” to education, Kelly-Weeder said, that has required officials to rethink the curriculum. She also said the nursing school has a new branding position and brand promise to revolutionize health care “one nurse at a time.”
Kelly-Weeder said nursing school enrollment is up, though the school’s revenue is not equivalent to enrollment due to the school providing undergraduate students a larger portion of financial aid to entice students to enroll.
In 2020, 488 undergraduate students were enrolled in a nursing program, and the number consistently decreased by tens of students each year to 307 students in 2023. Enrollment remained steady from 2023-24, with 308 undergraduate nursing students, according to the enrollment dashboard.
The nursing school had 556 graduate students in 2020, with enrollment steadily declining each year. In 2023, 471 graduate students were enrolled, which dropped to 418 in 2024, according to the enrollment dashboard.
Staff Council Vice President Mindy Galván presented responses from the council’s May survey following officials’ announcement of halts to merit salary increases this year. The survey garnered 343 staff responses and revealed that 40.8 percent of surveyed staff think the halt to their merit increase somewhat impacts their commitment to GW, while 30.6 percent surveyed said the freeze in merit impacts their commitment to the University by “a lot.”
The survey also showed 76.9 percent of staff believe the University made the right decision to cut merit increases instead of laying off employees.
Staff Council President Kim Fulmer said the University has formed a new committee to review its hybrid and remote work policies, which currently allow staff to work remotely on a flexible basis if the arrangement is preapproved, supports GW’s operational needs and maintains a high level of productivity. Staff Council representatives Hanna McCathren and Ben Deem will serve on the committee, she said.
Chief Financial Officer Bruno Fernandes said at an April Staff Council meeting that hybrid and remote work policies have not changed, but officials would take a look at them in the summer in collaboration with the Staff Council and other University groups to decide the best structure going forward to meet the “academic mission” and enhance the student experience.
Galván, who will serve as Staff Council president beginning in January, will serve on the committee to hire GW’s next provost, Fulmer said, which is a “big seat at the table” for a nonexecutive staff member. Officials announced the launch of the national search for provost earlier this month after former Provost Chris Bracey resigned in June.
Fulmer also announced that faculty and staff meal plans are now available to purchase at a discounted price. GW Dining emailed community members in early August announcing the University expanded on-campus dining offerings to faculty and staff for this academic year, where they will pay less per meal compared to paying the posted out-of-pocket price when they visit GW’s dining locations.
The Staff Council elected Maddie Soufleris to represent the Division for Student Affairs and Stephen McNamara to represent the athletics department. Fulmer announced that the parliamentarian position is open on the council following former Parliamentarian Sadie Haun stepping down due to work stress and the Department of Biological Sciences being understaffed.
