John Woods CC suspends ADN program

[cougarnurse]

OK....: http://www.whig.com/story/news/JWCC-Nurses-061710

The John Wood Community College Board has approved suspending enrollment for the associate degree in nursing program.

Ray Staats, JWCC's vice president for instruction, said suspending enrollment will affect 19 students this fall and 20 in the spring. About 100 students are currently in the program, and they will be allowed to finish and get registered nursing degrees.

Suspending enrollment will save the college $127,452 in fiscal 2011, Staats said. The college will work on a revised curriculum and has started meeting with Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing officials to determine the future of the program.

After trustees met Wednesday night, Staats said the program needed revised curriculum and a more efficient financial model.

"We don't wish to terminate the ADN program just because of the high costs and the curriculum revision," Staats said.

The college will likely decide the fate of the program by December. Staats said the college needed to move quickly to make sure the program survives.

One option is having credits transferred to Blessing-Rieman for nursing students who earn their licensed practical nurse and registered nurse degrees at John Wood so they can further their education. Staats said the two schools are working to make sure such transfers are "seamless."

Trustee Randy Sims said getting Blessing-Rieman involved "is a very positive thing."

The motion to suspend enrollment passed 6-1. Trustee Reggie Coleman cast the lone no vote.

"I assume this is going to pass, but not with my endorsement," Coleman said. "I think a different approach could be taken and think we can solve our problem even with the time restraints."

See this related story: http://www.ultimatenurse.com/forum/f...t-track-92193/

[cali510]

I feel sorry for the students that this decision is affecting. Convincing them to enter the LPN program instead of the RN program that accepted them is a poor substitute. The decision should have been enacted after this group or the group should have been steered away in the beginning. Once the institution promised something, the institution had an ethical duty to keep that promise.