History & Introduction

College History

The Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing is grounded in caring theory and has a rich and impressive history that continues to be written today.

In forty-five years, the College has grown from six to approximately 1,200 students, expanded its programs to include baccalaureate through doctoral, moved from a division in the College of Social Science to a free-standing College, expanded offerings to three campuses, established eminent scholar chairs and professorships focused on advancing nursing knowledge, and created five major centers/institutes that provide the opportunity for research, education, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

We remember and are grateful to local philanthropists Gene Lynn, Lucy Edmondson, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Newman and Charles and Dorothy Schmidt, who in the late 1970s provided the money needed to begin this nursing program.

The story continues in Our New Home, which was made possible by a $10 million gift from Christine E. Lynn, and which was matched in full with state funding. This state-of-the-art facility allows us to address present, emerging, and future healthcare needs with passion and compassion.

Highlights of our History

1979

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program originated as a Division within the College of Social Sciences at FAU.

1984

Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Lynn provide a gift to create the first Christine E. Lynn Eminent Scholar Chair in Nursing, for the advancement of nursing knowledge.

1988

Master of Science Degree program is approved.

1990

Nursing becomes a freestanding College of FAU.

2002

The Doctor of Nursing Science degree program begins.

2002

Christine E. Lynn donates funding for new facility.

2003

Accelerated baccalaureate program is introduced.

2006

The new building for the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing is dedicated.

2006

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing replaces the Doctor of Nursing Science.

2007

Doctor of Nursing Practice is approved by Faculty and University Committees.

2013

The College begins a BSN to DNP track.

2014

The College launches the first Freshman Direct Admit track in Florida.

2014

The Florida Atlantic University Northwest Community Health Alliance (FAU/NCHA) Community Health Center in Palm Beach County opens.

2017

The first Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner concentration in south Florida begins as a post-master’s certificate.

2019

Second-degree part-time BSN track for working professionals launches at the university’s Davie campus.

2021

The FAU/NCHA Community Health Center becomes the first university in Florida to be designated a “Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Look-Alike” by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.

2021

The BSN to MS in Artificial Intelligence degree program and the BSN to MS in Biomedical Engineering degree program begin in collaboration with the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

2024

Accelerated BSN track launched cohort on Davie campus in fall 2024.

Our Unique Focus on Caring

Guiding the philosophy and objectives of the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing is one prevailing concept:  caring.  It is caring that informs how we study nursing, how we practice our profession and how we interact with others throughout our lives.

At the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, we study caring as lived in the ordinariness of life and as a central domain of our profession. We recognize each individual as caring and uniquely connected with others and the environment. We also believe that every interaction we have with others is an opportunity to demonstrate and live this caring philosophy.

Our model for relating, The Dance of Caring Persons , pictorially demonstrates the importance of all persons to the accomplishment of the caring mission and goals of our College.

The Dance symbolizes our way of valuing each person's gift to nursing: Dean, faculty, students, provost, president, etc. are each in the circle to offer their special and unique contributions. These roles exist so that we can provide the highest quality educational programming for the needs of the healthcare profession, now and in the future. Our focus is on the person(s) nursed and the special contributions of nursing to nurturing the wholeness of persons and environment through caring.

Upon entering the College's Boca Raton campus, students, educators, alumni and visitors are greeted with a representation of The Dance depicted on the floor of our lobby. This artistic rendering is more than an appropriate greeting. It is a daily reminder of our focus, our purpose and our approach to nursing and to daily life.

Definition of Caring Science: Caring Science, in the discipline of nursing, is the body of knowledge, arrived at through intentional research and theory development, focused on the relationship of caring to health, healing and well-being of the whole person within the context of the family, community, society and within the global environment.