Indiana University Northwest celebrates success at School of Nursing 60th anniversary with students, faculty, and alumni

Six decades of success later, Indiana University Northwest celebrated its School of Nursing for a 60th anniversary celebration on Saturday, October 4. The event took place at the Moraine Student Center with current and retired faculty, current students, and IU Northwest nursing alumni.

Nursing School Dean Crystal Shannon has been with IU Northwest since 2017, and has served in her current position since 2023. When she reflects on the success that this program has experienced for the past 60 years, she can’t help but smile.

“There are a lot of healthcare providers that came from this program,” Shannon said. “Generations of nurses have worked for many years in the Region and have passed down that spirit of caring to the generations that followed them. To be here for six decades, it’s a very long time for us to be supporting the health in our Northwest Indiana communities.”

According to Shannon, the goal is to continue this success in the School of Nursing for another 60 years and beyond.

“We hope to continue having commitment to the community, understanding our place, and how we can better support the people in the Region,” Shannon said. “We want students who come here to have an opportunity to get that nursing degree and beyond.”

The long-standing commitment and excellence of nursing at IU Northwest has encouraged many Northwest Indiana residents to pursue the program this school has to offer. Chancellor Arrick Jackson is pleased with how beneficial the School of Nursing has been in both educating future nurses and elevating the school’s quality of excellence.

“This is a reflection of how far we’ve come,” Jackson said. “I am extremely proud of our IU Northwest program, because our students have more than a 90% passing rate and a 97% retention rate. We are more than capable of meeting the challenges in healthcare before us.”

Cynthia Roberts, interim Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, is responsible for the core educational mission at IU Northwest to provide high-quality undergraduate and graduate education by engaging the community. As she monitors the student academic success initiatives at the university, she has seen firsthand the impressive achievements that have been made in the School of Nursing.

“I have a special place in my heart for nurses, because the first two decades of my professional life were spent in the medical laboratory,” Roberts said. “I know how hard these students work, and I can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds.”

During the program, students and alumni at IU Northwest had a chance to listen to IU President Pamela Whitten and Mayor of Gary Eddie Melton, as they sent their well wishes for the future of the nursing program. A legacy tribute and video presentation was also included in the main program. Dinner and networking opportunities followed before leading into a segment for a student showcase to focus on the future vision of the School of Nursing.

“We prepared a lot of things to help us all take a trip down memory lane,” Shannon said. “We all get a chance to see where everyone has been, who we are now, and then be prepared to look at what’s to come. We get to dive into what the future of this program will look like with a group of many licensed healthcare professionals. It’s important for us to figure out how we can always keep moving Northwest Indiana forward.”

As IU Northwest’s School of Nursing continues to generate academic opportunities for current students, the university is hoping to keep strengthening the connection with the students who have already come through the university halls.

“One of the biggest things we’re hoping to spearhead is the reinvigoration of our alumni,” Shannon said. “We would love to have events like this as much as possible moving forward, instead of waiting another 60 years. The alumni mean everything to us, and we love reconnecting with them.”

Class pictures for each year of IU Northwest School of Nursing graduates were presented on tables at the event, giving the alumni a chance to look back at their former classmates.

For more information on IU Northwest, you can visit northwest.iu.edu.