The official change to Frontier Nursing University will take place on July 1, 2011. On that day the school will officially change its charter and begin operating as Frontier Nursing University. The new name and logo will appear in online and print documents as they are updated over the coming months.

As the Board of Directors and the leadership of the School developed strategic plans for the future, the need for a name that more accurately communicates the institution's standing as a premier nursing education organization - while reflecting Frontier's history and tradition - became evident. Ideally, this would be a name that is distinct, brief, and conveys the institution's academic leadership and integrity. The Frontier Nursing University name maintains the unique legacy of the Frontier Nursing Service and Mary Breckinridge at the forefront while focusing on what is best for the future of the institution and its constituents.

Higher education institutions that offer master's level programs are often structured with separate schools and/or colleges. Currently, the word "School" in the Frontier name often raises questions about our institution's status as a graduate school offering masters and doctorate degrees. Correctly positioning ourselves as what we have become – an accredited University - will prevent misinterpretation by prospective students, faculty and donors, and will better reflect the nature of our institution. With this transition, we are correctly and positively positioning ourselves within the higher education industry. By retaining the "Frontier Nursing" roots in our name, we will preserve the history and tradition of our institution while concurrently moving to the next level in the academic world.

Only the name of the institution has changed; nothing will change with the school's mission. Frontier Nursing University will continue to fulfill its historic commitment to the same mission - to educate nurses to become competent, entrepreneurial, ethical and compassionate nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners who are leaders in the primary care of women and families with an emphasis on underserved and rural populations.

Frontier will continue to embrace the same values identified below through the phrase “circle up.” *

• C – Compassion
• I – Innovation
• R – Reflection
• C – Community
• L – Legacy
• E – Excellence
• U – Uniqueness
• P – Primary Care

* When students visit campus for Frontier Bound orientation or Clinical Bound training each day ends with a "Circle Up." Students, faculty, and staff link arms with one another and form a circle. Everyone pauses to reflect on the day, share encouraging thoughts and take time to remember the spirit of our School. As most students and alumni have experienced at least one "circle up" session at Frontier and understand its deep-rooted history, this phrase is a meaningful and memorable way to express our values as an institution.

Absolutely not. We remain committed to maintaining the atmosphere and community that are key components of the Frontier culture. For many graduates, students, faculty and staff, a close-knit community is one of the biggest assets of the school and Frontier's identity and distinctiveness, and it will be both preserved and nurtured going forward.

The University will continue to grow at the same projected enrollment rate, and Frontier's well-respected faculty will continue to value the importance of educating students by building relationships with students throughout the learning process.

Although the actual institution name will change in the logo, the iconic logo itself will remain as the same circle enclosing an image of the nurse-midwife on horseback legacy. The logo visually represents the history, tradition and values that the institution carries forward from the early days of the Frontier Nursing Service.

Frankly, very little will change. Frontier will remain as a private, non-profit, non-residential graduate school of nursing offering community-based distance education programs leading to the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, the Master of Science in Nursing degree and/or post-master's certificates in advanced practice nursing specialties. The mission will remain the same as it has been since 1939, to educate nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners who are leaders in the primary care of women and families with an emphasis on underserved and rural populations. Frontier will continually strive to improve our status as a center of excellence for midwifery and nurse practitioner education.

While the logo and materials will be redesigned to reflect the new name, the institution's strong traditions and mission continue.

All students graduating on July 1, 2011 or after will receive diplomas with the Frontier Nursing University name. All students finishing prior to July 1, 2011 will receive a diploma with the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing name. Alumni may request a diploma with the new name. New alumni (graduating after June 30) cannot request a diploma with the old name. We suggest all graduates alter their resume to read "Frontier Nursing University, formerly Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing."

Yes. Although previous email addresses will still function, new email addresses will be set up with a new address. Faculty, staff, students and alumni will be notified of this change at the appropriate time.