Biographical Sketch

Dr. Sandy Kay Roncal, DNP, RN, CNL, serves as the Director of the Kitty DeGree School of Nursing at the University of Louisiana Monroe. Since joining ULM in 2014, she has advanced through a series of progressive academic and administrative leadership roles, including Adjunct Faculty, Tenure-Track Faculty, RN-BSN/MSN Online Coordinator, Coordinator of Online Programs, Associate Director of Undergraduate Programs, Interim Director, and now Director, effective August 2025.

Dr. Roncal provides strategic leadership in academic operations, accreditation readiness, faculty development, curriculum oversight, and regulatory compliance for both undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. She serves as a key liaison for the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN) and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), guiding the school through substantive change reports, program evaluations, new curriculum alignment with the AACN Essentials (2021), and ongoing quality improvement initiatives.

A dedicated educator, Dr. Roncal has taught across multiple levels of the nursing curriculum, including pre-licensure BSN courses, RN-BSN coursework, graduate courses, simulation-based instruction, and academic success courses. She has designed numerous curricula, elective courses, and professional development programs grounded in evidence-based pedagogy, regulatory standards, and the needs of the contemporary nursing workforce.

Her scholarly and professional interests include nursing education leadership, faculty development, professional identity formation, academic civility, and outcomes-based curriculum design. Dr. Roncal has contributed extensively to faculty mentoring initiatives, workforce stabilization strategies, and projects supporting student success and program quality.

Dr. Roncal is a licensed Registered Nurse and a Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL). She is active in professional organizations including the American Nurses Association, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Louisiana Council of Administrators of Nursing Education (LACANE), and the National League for Nursing. Her work reflects a commitment to excellence in nursing education, collaborative leadership, regulatory integrity, and the advancement of the nursing profession at institutional, state, and national levels.

Licensure & Certification

Awards & Honors

Courses Taught

NURS 2000NURSING CONCEPTS, 4 course(s)

NURS 2002TRANSITIONS IN NURSING, 4 course(s)

NURS 2004HEALTH ASSESSMENT, 6 course(s)

NURS 2007NURSING SCIENCE PRACTICUM I, 1 course(s)

NURS 2009FUND PROF NURSING PRACTICE, 4 course(s)

NURS 2020PROFESSIONAL NURSING CONCEPTS, 2 course(s)

NURS 2070PRIN OF PHARMACOLOGY RN TO BSN, 2 course(s)

NURS 2080BASIC PRIN OF PHARMACOLOGY, 4 course(s)

NURS 3005NURSING SCIENCE PRACTICUM II, 1 course(s)

NURS 3010MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, 8 course(s)

NURS 4000ADULT HEALTH NURSING 3, 2 course(s)

NURS 4001NSG RESEARCH EBP, 2 course(s)

NURS 4006NURS RESEARCH FOR RN TO BSN, 2 course(s)

NURS 4026RESEARCH, 1 course(s)

NURS 4029EDUCATION, 1 course(s)

NURS 4076NURSING MANAGEMENT RN, 2 course(s)

NURS 4077NURSING MANAGMENT RN PRACTICUM, 1 course(s)

NURS 5003HEALTH POLICY & GLOBAL HEALTH, 3 course(s)

NURS 5013ROLE DVLPMNT CNL, 3 course(s)

NURS 5014PERSON MGMT I, 1 course(s)

NURS 5015QI & PATIENT SAFETY I, 1 course(s)

NURS 5016QI PATIENT SAFETY II, 1 course(s)

NURS 5024PERSON MGMT II, 1 course(s)