Dr. Charlene Bermele SXU Website
On Monday, Jan. 12, Saint Xavier University (SXU) announced that Dr. Charlene Bermele will be stepping down from her position as Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences. With this change the editorial board discussed their concerns, while also expressing some optimism for the future dean of the program.
“I can say that the nursing department will most likely be affected by this. Dr. Bermele […] has been a huge advocate for domestic violence victims,” one board member said. Dr. Bermele has made a lasting impact on not only domestic violence victims but also countless nursing students in her over 20 year career here at SXU.
One member believes that this change can be a positive thing. “It’s always good to get fresh eyes and new perspectives in a program as ever-evolving as nursing.”
There are some concerns, however, considering the large scale of the program. “Despite being such a small school, being the dean of such a program comes with a massive amount of responsibility.” SXU’s nursing program continues to be its most enrolled program year after year, making the dean of nursing an important role to fulfill.
“I hope the change in faculty won’t disrupt the nursing students or their program,” states another board member.
Another member feels optimistic about what comes next. “Despite having big shoes to fill, I have full confidence that the school will make the best decision to keep the program thriving for the next generation of nursing students.”
Finally, our editorial board leaves some final remarks to the future dean of nursing and sciences.
“I’d like the new dean to know SXU is a welcoming place. In my experience, new staff members typically bond with students quickly” one member said. The strong relationship between staff and students is what helps make this school better and stronger.
“SXU is an amazing community built from incredible people,” another member said. SXU is a mercy institution that values every member of the community.
The editorial board is optimistic but also concerned given the integrity of the nursing and sciences program and how much it means to SXU. At the end of the day no matter who is selected to fill the role we know that they will fit in with this amazing community.