The Weinstein Health Sciences Building
The Weinstein Health Sciences Building at UNC Pembroke is the university's first LEED-Silver certified building. Opened in 2012, this 87,000 square foot building houses The McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing, the Department of Social Work, Biology Labs, The College of Health Sciences, and a food service area that includes Papa Johns and Einstein Bagels.
About our History
The The McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing builds on a rich heritage that began with the establishing of the Southeastern North Carolina Nursing Consortium in 1992, a joint RN-BSN completion program between UNCP and Fayetteville State University. The program was established to increase access to baccalaureate education for registered nurses who had graduated from associate degree nursing programs and hospital-based programs, to increase the number of minority nurses with BSNs, and to respond to the health care needs of citizens in the most underserved area of southeastern North Carolina. The Consortium separated August 1, 2004; at that time, the UNCP baccalaureate nursing program transitioned to a Department of Nursing within the University structure. The Department of Nursing is housed in the new state-of-the-art Weinstein Health Sciences Building on the campus of UNCP.
In September 2004, the North Carolina Board of Nursing granted initial approval for the new pre-licensure BSN option to admit its first students in July 2005. The Board of Nursing approved 200 student positions for the pre-licensure BSN option. Since 2005, UNCP has offered RN-BSN completion and pre-licensure BSN educational programs in response to the critical need for baccalaureate-prepared nurses not only at the national and state level but also in southeastern North Carolina.
In February 2013, the UNC Board of Governors approved UNC Pembroke’s proposal to offer a Master of Science in Nursing program and to admit the first class of graduate students in fall 2013. The program offers three concentrations: nurse educator, clinical nurse leader and rural case manager. The graduate coursework is offered through a combination of classroom and practicum experiences; the classroom portion is a combination of face-to-face and computer-mediated learning activities.
In April 2021, the university received a $6 million planned gift, the second largest in the university's history, from former trustee Mary Ann Elliott to the Department of Nursing. That same month, the Board of Trustees approved transitioning the Department of Nursing to the McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing. Read more about this exciting event by clicking here.
Mission and Purpose
The McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing is dedicated to carrying out the mission of the College of Health Sciences and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. As an integral academic unit of the University, the McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing is committed to the tripartite roles of teaching, research, and community service that contribute to the cultural, intellectual, and social development of professional nurses in North Carolina and the nation. Students are provided the opportunity to obtain a multicultural education that is grounded in the arts, sciences and humanities; that is congruent with standards for professional nursing practice; and that prepares them for lifelong learning, professional development, and service to others.
The primary purposes of the McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing program are to (a) provide accessible, seamless, high-quality undergraduate and graduate nursing education to diverse student populations in order to create leaders in professional nursing practice, and (b) prepare graduates to provide high-quality, cost-effective professional nursing services, to improve health across the life span, for individuals, families, groups, and communities.
Program Accreditation
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing and master's degree program in nursing at the University of North Carolina Pembroke is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.
Contact Information
The McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing
One University Drive
Pembroke, NC 28372-1510
Phone: 910.521.6522
Fax: 910.521.6178
Email: nursing@uncp.edu
Location: Weinstein Health Sciences Building Suite 340