University of Florida nursing dean will retire in 2013

August 6, 2012

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The dean of the University of Florida College of Nursing has announced plans to retire.

Kathleen Ann Long has told college faculty and staff that she will leave at the end of the 2012-2013 academic year. Long, who has served as dean since 1995, also will vacate her position as UF associate provost, a role she has filled for the past five years.

“I am proud of all that the college has been able to accomplish through the tireless work and support of our faculty, students, staff, alumni and friends,” Long said. “What attracted me to UF were the people — the committed nursing faculty and the Health Science Center leadership. I am confident that the support and meaningful relationships we have built will continue to grow and serve our college well in the future. I will always cherish the opportunity I have had to become a Gator nurse.”

Long’s 18 years as dean will be the longest in the college’s history. She came to the university after serving as dean at Montana State University and holding academic positions at The Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland, Oregon Health and Science University and Husson University in Bangor, Maine.

Long built on and strengthened virtually every aspect of the UF nursing college’s mission, devising innovative nursing degree options to help address the nation’s critical nursing shortage. Programs developed on her watch include the accelerated bachelor’s and B.S.N.-to-Ph.D. programs and a five-university initiative to expand nursing doctoral education in Florida. The new clinical nurse leader master’s and the doctor of nursing practice, or D.N.P., degree programs have kept UF at the forefront of nursing education. In addition, Long oversaw two successful academic accreditation processes and the establishment of one of the first national Veterans Affairs Nursing Academy partnerships to ensure high-quality care for veterans.

“Dr. Long is leaving an extraordinary legacy of excellence. Because of her leadership and vision, our nursing school is among the very best in the U.S.,” said Dr. David S. Guzick, senior vice president for health affairs and president of the UF&Shands Health System. “But her impact is felt not just at UF — it is also evident throughout Florida and across the nation.”

Added UF Provost Joe Glover, “In her capacity as associate provost, Dean Long focused her attention on faculty development programs such as sabbaticals and FEO (Faculty Enhancement Opportunity Awards). Her
careful work benefited all faculty, and she will be missed by all.”

On the national level, Long has held numerous leadership positions. She served as president of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing from 2002 to 2004, and as a member of several national nursing education task forces. Long, a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, was one of just two nurses selected in 2011 to serve on the VA National Academic Affiliations Council.

At UF, Long is known for her inclusive leadership style, embodied by a shared governance approach in which faculty members help determine college procedures and policies.

“Dr. Long’s belief has been that all faculty members were equal partners in the direction of our college,” said Joyce Stechmiller, a College of Nursing associate professor and chairwoman of the department of adult and elderly nursing. “It was extremely important to her that faculty participate in organization-wide decision making, and she, in turn, recognized our contributions.”

Long established the Office for Research Support to ensure dedicated space and funding to help faculty members carry out the college’s research mission. She strengthened the college’s ties with alumni and improved communications efforts. Long raised almost $28 million through two successful capital campaigns and established five new endowed professorships and chairs.

In 2003, Long welcomed the college to its new 173,133-square-foot home, shared with the colleges of Public Health and Health Professions and Pharmacy. The five-story, almost $25 million structure has state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities approximately three times larger than the college’s previous space. Strong collaboration with the other two colleges was key to the success of the project. Long said the new building was befitting of the legacy of founding Dean Dorothy Smith, one of the early leaders to fully integrate nursing education, practice and research.

One of Long’s most notable accomplishments was the development of the state’s first incorporated Nursing Faculty Practice Association. The practice generates income used to strengthen the college’s programs and provides financial incentives for faculty members. Perhaps the most outstanding example of this effort is the college’s nurse-managed clinic, Archer Family Health Care, which began in 2001 in a small renovated house in rural Archer. It has since tripled its patient care space and is now a nationally recognized nurse-managed health center, with more than 3,000 visits per year by underserved patients.

After retirement, Long plans to spend more time with her husband and family, including their new grandson, and work on renovating their historic home in Jacksonville. But her thoughts will remain with the College of Nursing.

“I believe a dean’s role is to facilitate the work of the faculty and to be a good steward for the institution she or he leads,” Long said. “With the support of so many, I think I have been able to do these things. I am confident in the ability of our faculty, students, staff, alumni and leadership to care for our college in this transition period, and to work together to seize the opportunities that lie ahead.”