Fresno State School Of Nursing Master's Program Loses Accreditation

FRESNO (CBS13) - Fresno State lost its accreditation for its School of Nursing Master's program and will not admit any new students into the program this fall.

The College of Health and Human Services dean said the school lost its accreditation due to not satisfying certain documentation requirements outlined by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, specifically documenting how it assesses and evaluates student outcomes, curriculum, clinical experiences, faculty performance, and overall program goals.

Dean Dr. Jody Hironaka-Juteau said, "We did not expect the commission to take this action, and we regret the temporary uncertainty this issue has created for our students. We are moving swiftly to restore accreditation to the nursing master's program, and we are committed to minimizing any potential impact on our 23 currently enrolled students."

No other accredited programs within the School of Nursing are affected, nor are any graduates of the Master's program.

The Commission will make a site visit to Fresno State in September and could reinstate the accreditation in Spring 2020.

"Given our confidence in accreditation being reinstated in spring 2020, we are encouraging the master's students to remain in the program so they can complete their degrees in a timely manner," Hironaka-Juteau said. "They also have the option of taking a leave of absence or withdrawing completely from the program."

The Master's program has been accredited since 1968 and has approximately 1,500 alumni. It enrolls 20-30 new students a year.