Immaculata University News Releases

Through a grant from the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, Immaculata University is offering more than $38,000 in scholarships to be distributed among graduate students in the nurse educators’ track and undergraduate nursing students in the pre-licensure program. These competitive scholarships are available for current students for the spring and summer 2012 semesters.
In view of the present shortage of nurses and nurse educators, the Independence Blue Cross Foundation’s Nurses for Tomorrow initiative makes grants available to highly qualified educational institutions to fund nursing scholarships. Recognizing the valuable contribution that Immaculata’s programs make to the nursing profession, the Foundation offered the University a grant to help improve student recruitment, expand enrollment, promote retention, and increase graduation rates.
“Students and faculty at Immaculata University are most grateful to Independence Blue Cross for their ongoing generosity and support of nursing education,” said Sister R. Patricia Fadden, IHM, Ed.D., president of Immaculata University.
The Division of Nursing at Immaculata, whose 10-year accreditation was recently renewed by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), is one of the largest nursing programs in Pennsylvania. Seventeen full-time faculty, along with lab assistants and part-time faculty, serve more than 190 pre-licensure students and more than 80 graduate students.
In June 2011, the Division received the Excellence in Holistic Nursing Education Award from the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA). Through various courses, lessons on complementary medicine, clinical experiences, and research opportunities, the Division teaches nursing students to practice holistic patient care.
Immaculata’s pre-licensure B.S.N. prepares students academically, socially, and spiritually to practice within today’s complex health care systems. The nurse educators’ track of the M.S.N. program prepares graduates to teach nursing in a college setting, to provide health care counseling to patients, and to function in a staff development role, educating nurses on new procedures or assisting recent graduates in the transition from student to registered nurse.

Nicola C. DiFronzo-Heitzer, Ed.D., of Norristown, PA, joins Immaculata University as director of Admissions. In this capacity she will oversee the day-to-day operations of the admissions department, develop recruitment strategies, and oversee on-campus admissions events.
With over ten years experience in higher education admissions, DiFronzo-Heitzer comes to Immaculata from Harcum College where she served as Dean of Admissions for the past seven years. Prior to that position, she was the associate director of Admissions for Thomas Jefferson University for three years.
To keep current in her professional field, she maintains memberships in several organizations including the National Association for College Admission Counseling and the Pennsylvania Association for College Admission Counseling. In 2010, she presented at the Middle States Association of Collegiate Registrars and Officers of Admissions annual conference. DiFronzo-Heitzer is also a member of the Psi Chi, National Honor Society in Psychology, and Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education.
With a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Rutgers University, DiFronzo-Heitzer continued her education earning a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from Loyola College and a Doctor of Education from Widener University. She is a native of Southern New Jersey.
“I am looking forward to the challenges and opportunities this new position will bring. I’ve met many wonderful people thus far at Immaculata University and I am proud to be part of this exceptional institution which boasts both high academic standards and excellent core values,” commented DiFronzo-Heitzer on her new position at Immaculata University.

UPDATED INFORMATION IU DAY-EVENTS CANCELLED, SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2012 8:11 A.M. :

Because of inclement weather, Immaculata University day events are cancelled for Saturday, January 21, 2012.

All scheduled classes are cancelled.

Admission and Financial Aid Programs are also cancelled.

The Gabriele Library will open at 1 p.m.

Immaculata University’s Admissions and Financial Aid (AFA) Center has been completed and is ready to extend a hospitable welcome to guests. RC Legnini Building Contractors began the new facility in April and completed it in late December 2011.
“The Admissions and Financial Aid Center is both a building and an invitation,” says Sister Ann M. Heath, IHM, Ph.D., vice president for Academic Affairs. “As a building, it serves as a campus gateway full of grace and purpose, symbolizing the beauty of the campus and the functionality of its design. As an invitation, the AFA Center represents an open door to the campus. We are hopeful that it will entertain many prospective students who will realize that Immaculata University offers the best possible community of higher education for them to grow into their futures.”
With its lighthouse cupola serving as a beacon for many first-time visitors to the campus, the building is in a prominent location surrounded by woods. Students and their families will be graciously welcomed to Immaculata as they step from the covered front portico into a warm reception area. Cozy sitting areas with a two-sided stone fireplace provide an environment conducive to beneficial conversations between counselors and students. Approximately 8,500 square feet of finished space, including many new offices and a glass-enclosed conference room, will help to meet the needs of a growing student body. An additional 4,000 plus square feet will be available at the terrace level for future expansion and flexibility.
In 2008, a consultant recommended that the Admissions and Financial Aid Offices be more accessible and easier to find. After a few years of working on the project, a team of professionals managed by Immaculata’s Office of Capital Planning and Construction developed plans for the new building.
Immaculata University is a residential, Catholic, coeducational institution of higher education, located on the Main Line between Malvern and Exton, 20 miles west of Philadelphia.

Immaculata University will hold financial aid workshops for students, their families, and the community to assist them in planning to finance their higher education experience. The same program will be held on three upcoming Saturdays, January 21, February 4, and February 11, from 9 a.m. to noon in Loyola Hall on the University’s campus. In addition, Immaculata admissions staff will be conducting campus tours on these Saturdays. Registration for tours begins at 10:30 a.m. in Loyola Hall, and tours will be held from 11 a.m. to noon.
The workshops will provide an opportunity to learn about the financial aid process and establish a timeline of important deadlines for processing and determining aid eligibility. Immaculata’s financial aid staff will be available to help attendees begin applying for financial aid by offering line-by-line instruction on filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Families are encouraged to bring any 2011 tax information that may be available. The program will conclude with a question and answer session.
To register for one of the Financial Aid Workshops, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at least three business days prior to the event at mcampbell@immaculata.edu. If you have any questions regarding the workshops or financial aid, please contact the Immaculata University Office of Financial Aid at 610-647-4400 ext. 3028.
Immaculata University is a residential, Catholic, coeducational institution of higher education, located on the Main Line between Malvern and Exton, 20 miles west of Philadelphia.

Immaculata University’s College of Undergraduate Studies will host an Admission Information Session on Monday, January 16, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. In honor of Dr. King, the Office of Admission asks that each family donate a canned or non-perishable good to be given to a local food bank. The program will begin in Villa Maria Hall’s Green Room at 9:30 a.m. and conclude around 11 a.m.
An admission counselor will give a presentation, followed by a guided campus tour and a question and answer period with admission and financial aid staff. For more information, please contact the College of Undergraduate Studies Office of Admission at 610-647-4400, ext. 3013 or admiss@immaculata.edu, or register online at www.immaculata.edu/admissions/cus/visit.
The College of Undergraduate Studies offers more than 60 majors, minors, certificate, and pre-professional programs, including athletic training, business, fashion merchandising, criminology, education, and nursing. Students can participate in an array of leadership opportunities, service projects, internships, and athletic activities. In addition to scholarships and financial aid, Immaculata offers four-year fixed-rate tuition, helping undergraduates plan their college expenses.
Immaculata University is a residential, Catholic, coeducational institution of higher education, located on the Main Line between Malvern and Exton, 20 miles west of Philadelphia.

Immaculata University’s undergraduate and graduate programs are currently registering students for the spring semester and will continue registration until day, evening, and graduate classes begin on Thursday, January 12. Students may add classes to their schedule until Wednesday, January 18.
The College of Undergraduate Studies offers more than 60 majors, minors, certificate, and pre-professional programs that allow students to earn their bachelor’s or associate degree. Certification programs are also available, including courses in information technology, foreign languages, management, and professional communication.
Additionally, in its College of LifeLong Learning, Immaculata University offers accelerated courses in the ACCEL® Program (Accelerated Continuing and Experiential Learning Program). This flexible baccalaureate degree completion program is designed for individuals with a full-time job and/or family, with many classes offered online or at off-site locations throughout the Delaware Valley, in addition to on campus. Immaculata offers ACCEL® programs in business administration, information technology in business, nursing, financial management, health care management, human performance management, organization dynamics, and emergency planning and management, which is a new program.
The College of Graduate Studies offers a Doctor of Psychology in clinical psychology (APA-accredited) and two doctoral programs in education, one in K-12 and one in higher education. Master’s programs include degrees in educational leadership, music therapy, counseling psychology, cultural and linguistic diversity, public relations, nutrition and dietetics, nursing, and organization leadership. Several certificate and certification programs are available, including health care and organizational effectiveness.
For more information on the College of Undergraduate Studies, call 1-877-42-TODAY; for more information on the College of LifeLong Learning, call 610-647-4400, ext. 3238; and for more information on the College of Graduate Studies, call 610-647-4400, ext. 3215.
Immaculata University is a residential, Catholic, coeducational institution of higher education, located on the Main Line between Malvern and Exton, 20 miles west of Philadelphia.

The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) Baccalaureate/Graduate Degree Board of Commissioners and the Associate Degree Board of Commissioners recently awarded Immaculata University, in Immaculata, Pa., accreditation of its business programs and separate specialized accreditation of its accounting programs.

ACBSP accreditation certifies that the teaching and learning processes within the business school at Immaculata University meet the rigorous educational standards established by ACBSP.

“We are excited to be accredited by ACBSP, and we see the accreditation as a great benefit to our students, programs and department,” said Charlene Fitzwater, Ph.D., chair of the Business, Accounting and Economics Department. “Our affiliation with ACBSP has both affirmed our alignment with their rigorous educational standards and has provided us with access to information and resources which support our continuous improvement.”

Immaculata University’s Business, Accounting and Economics Department offers baccalaureate programs in accounting; business administration; finance; financial management; marketing management; organization dynamics; and business, computers and information technology education. In addition, the department offers associate degree programs in accounting and business administration. Of these programs, the bachelor’s degrees in financial management and organization dynamics and the associate degree in business administration are offered in an accelerated format.

“Immaculata University has shown their commitment to teaching excellence and to the process of quality improvement by participating in the accreditation process,” said ACBSP Director of Accreditation Steve Parscale, who will present the Certificates of Initial Accreditation and Initial Accounting Accreditation at the ACBSP Annual Conference in Baltimore, Md., on June 17, 2012.

“This accreditation is evidence that Immaculata University is committed to providing the highest quality business education for their students. By simultaneously pursuing specialized accreditation for their accounting program, Immaculata University has set a new standard of quality for their business school,” said Parscale.

ACBSP is a leading specialized accreditation council for business education supporting, celebrating, and rewarding teaching excellence. Established in 1988, ACBSP is the only business accrediting organization for all associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degree programs. Its mission is to promote continuous improvement and recognize excellence in the accreditation of business education programs around the world.

ACBSP continues to grow, having recently added its 10th region to better serve member institutions in South Asia. ACBSP is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as a specialized accreditation agency for business education. ACBSP currently has 1,051 member campuses, 157 of which are located outside of the U.S. Of those campuses, 541 have achieved accreditation and more than 415 are in candidacy for accreditation. Individual members on these campuses now exceed 9,500.

Immaculata University is a residential, Catholic, coeducational institution of higher education, located on the Main Line between Malvern and Exton, 20 miles west of Philadelphia.

Tracy Stinchfield, Ed.D., has joined the Graduate Psychology Department at Immaculata University as an assistant professor.
Before coming to Immaculata, she taught graduate and undergraduate courses on human development, marriage and family counseling, and other subjects at Shippensburg, Alvernia, Southern Illinois, Idaho State, and Duquesne universities, and at Wilmington College. She also supervised students’ practica and internships.
Stinchfield has a doctor of education degree in counselor education and supervision from Duquesne University, and her dissertation is titled “Family-Based Mental Health Therapists’ Perceptions of the Competencies Specific to Home-Based Therapy: A Qualitative Study.” She holds an M.S. in mental health counseling from Shippensburg University, and she wrote her master’s thesis on male athletes’ perceptions of parental acceptance and rejection and the presence of eating disorders. She is a national certified counselor and a member of the American Counseling Association, the Association of Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES), and the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors. She offered pro bono couples counseling at the SIU Clinical Center for two years.
Stinchfield won the North Central ACES Supervisor of the Year Award in 2008. She also received Chi Sigma Iota’s Outstanding Professor of the Year Award in 2008 at Southern Illinois University, where she was the coordinator of the marital, couple, and family counseling program for four years. She has published numerous articles on the reflective model of triadic supervision in counseling, academia and motherhood, counselor education, and family-based therapy. She is an editorial board member of The Family Journal and Counselor Education and Supervision.
Immaculata University, a Catholic, comprehensive, coeducational institution, is located 20 miles west of Philadelphia, south of the intersection of routes 30 and 352, between Paoli and Exton.

Colleen Ciano, M.S.N., R.N., is a new nursing instructor in Immaculata University’s Division of Nursing. She is teaching courses on holistic nursing practice, nursing theory, and nursing leadership and management.
Before taking on this new position, Ciano was an adjunct faculty member and lecturer in Immaculata’s Division of Nursing. She has served as a faculty member and educator at Lancaster County Career and Technology Center, Harrisburg Area Community College, Lancaster General College, and Ocean County College.
Ciano’s clinical and administrative experience includes providing direct patient care in labor and delivery and postpartum units; mentoring new nurses; supervising staff nurses, field therapists, licensed practical nurses, and home health aides; coordinating home care; and providing staff training.
Ciano earned her master’s degree in nursing education at Millersville University, and she is in the process of completing her doctorate in adult education at Pennsylvania State University in Harrisburg. She is certified in advanced life support obstetrics, advanced cardiac life support, and neonatal resuscitation, and she holds a nurse educator certificate (CNE) from the National League for Nursing (NLN). She is also a member of the NLN and of the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society.
“I have a real love for holistic nursing and hope to instill that passion into my students,” said Ciano. “I am thrilled to be teaching for Immaculata University and hope that as I grow in my profession that I can make a difference with the students as they enter a wonderful profession.”
Immaculata University is a residential, Catholic, coeducational institution of higher education, located on the Main Line between Malvern and Exton, 20 miles west of Philadelphia.