An Introduction to AACN’s Mission-Aligned Admissions Process (MAAP)
Webinar Details
A well-designed admissions process is essential to enrolling students whose preparation, experiences, and potential align with a school’s mission and who are positioned to succeed in nursing education. As part of its commitment to advancing excellence in academic nursing, AACN supports schools in developing admissions processes that are mission-driven, evidence-informed, transparent, and aligned with institutional values and program goals.
This webinar introduces AACN’s Mission-Aligned Admissions Process (MAAP), a structured approach for examining alignment across access, policy, criteria, process, and outcomes. Participants will explore how academic metrics, applicant experiences, and personal attributes can contribute to a balanced review when criteria are clearly defined and applied through transparent and consistent practices.
The session will also introduce AACN’s MAAP Services, which help schools understand the process, assess their current admissions system, and develop and implement a mission-aligned approach. Whether a program is beginning to examine its admissions practices or looking to strengthen an established process, this webinar provides a practical foundation for continuous improvement.
Outcomes:
- Describe the foundational principles and components of AACN’s Mission-Aligned Admissions Process (MAAP).
- Explain how access, policy, criteria, process, and outcomes align with institutional mission, values, and program goals.
- Differentiate among academic metrics, applicant experiences, and personal attributes and explain how each contributes to a balanced admissions review.
- Identify opportunities to strengthen transparency, consistency, and alignment within current admissions practices.
- Describe AACN 3-tier MAAP Services which help schools learn the process, assess their current admissions system, and develop and implement a mission-aligned approach.
Speakers
Wanda Thruston, DNP, APRN, RN
Director of Access and Engagement
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
Dr. Wanda Thruston, Director of Access and Engagement at AACN, is a national and international leader in academic nursing and advancing fair and just access to health and well-being for all, with expertise in institutional transformation, leadership development, and systems-level strategy. A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar Fellow, she brings decades of experience in clinical practice with under-resourced populations, health policy, and academic leadership.
At AACN, Dr. Thruston led the development and implementation of the Ecosystem of Excellence in Academic Nursing, a strategic framework designed to enhance institutional effectiveness and promote the success of students, staff, and faculty. She provides technical assistance, training, and consultation to HRSA-funded nursing schools and AACN member institutions—supporting strategies to expand access, strengthen student achievement, improve the institutional climate, and build academic environments where all individuals feel supported and prepared to succeed.
Previously, she served as Special Assistant to the Dean at Indiana University School of Nursing, where she led the development of the Diversity Strategic Plan and co-created a university-wide pathway for DEI faculty promotion. She also led a large-scale assessment of health and well-being for Indiana’s second-largest K-12 district to to inform fair and effective resource allocation that meets the needs of all students. Dr. Thruston is committed to advancing environments where students, staff, and faculty thrive.
Brigit Carter, PhD, RN, CCRN, FADLN, FAAN
Chief Access and Engagement Officer
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
Dr. Brigit Carter, Chief Access and Engagement Officer, joined American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in February 2023. She is Professor Emerita at the Duke University School of Nursing, where she served as the Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion from 2018-2023. From 2015-2018, she served as the Director of the DUSON Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program. Dr. Carter earned her BSN at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in 1998, her Master of Science in Nursing Education from University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2002, and her PhD in Nursing from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2009.
Her current educational research is focused on understanding experiences of students with microaggressions and development of strategies to mitigate the impact of microaggressions. She also has a focus on strategies to increase historically marginalized students in nursing and understand individual level social determinants that are barriers to achieving nursing education. Dr. Carter is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, an Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity, and a Duke Teaching for Equity fellow. Dr. Carter retired from the U.S. Navy as a Commander after 28 years of service in January 2018.
Pricing and CE Credit
This webinar is free to deans, faculty, staff and students from AACN member schools of nursing. All non-member audiences will be required to pay a $59 webinar fee.
Continuing Nursing Education
One nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) credit is associated with this webinar; attendees must be present for the entire webinar and complete the evaluation to receive a certificate of completion.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.