We are thrilled to announce that Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing (BSMCON) has just earned its first Quality Matters (QM) Certification in Online Teaching Support. This certification was awarded to both our pre-licensure (BSN) and post-licensure (RN-BSN) programs.

Quality Matters is nationally recognized and designed to encourage excellence in online learning environments. QM evaluates online courses and programs based on a set of rigorous standards, ensuring that they meet the needs of students and faculty in the online setting.

This certification required three years of evidence demonstrating the College’s processes and commitment in the areas of online course delivery, ongoing pedagogical support for faculty, encouragement of faculty professional development, instructor availability and feedback to learners and collecting and using feedback from learners to improve online teaching. This achievement was made possible due to the commitment of the academic department and faculty to excellence in online teaching and professional development. In order to earn this certification in online teaching, faculty, supported through the Richmond Higher Education Institutions (RHEI) Quality Matters Faculty Fellows program, were required to complete seven QM courses and demonstrate through peer review mastery of the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for excellence in online teaching.

To date, 59% of full-time faculty and 41% of adjunct faculty have attained the Quality Matters Online Certificate. In addition, 19% of full-time faculty and 6% of adjunct faculty are currently working toward this certification. In order to be eligible for participation, faculty must either teach fully online courses or hybrid courses.

Overall, the successful earning of the Quality Matters certification for BSMCON was spearheaded by our QM Strategic Planning Committee which began working on the certification process during the 2021-2022 Academic Year.  The team, composed of Trina Gardner, MSN, Julie Marsh, MEd, JeanMaire Digges, MSN, Arlene Holowaychuk, EdD, Brian Baird, PharmD, Dr. Christine Turner, Rachel Bulifant, MS, and Catherine Mikelaites, DNP was responsible for analyzing the criteria, gathering data and preparing summary documents that were submitted as part of the certification progression to Quality Matters. A special recognition goes to Trina Gardner, who served as the committee chair and to Julie Marsh for her leadership and enthusiasm.

At BSMCON, we believe that online education should be held to the same high standards as traditional on-campus education. This certification is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our faculty and staff in providing the highest quality online education for our students.

We understand that online education can be a great option for many students, whether they are unable to attend classes on-campus or simply prefer the flexibility of online learning. However, it is important for online programs to meet the same standards of excellence as on-campus programs. The QM Certification ensures that our online courses meet those standards and provide our online students with the same high-quality education as on-campus students. BSMCON believes this certification is the continuation of our long-standing commitment toward excellence in on-campus and online education. We will continue always to strive to improve and provide the best education for all our students.