After a period of inactivity, the process of admitting new students into a nursing program. If a nursing education unit does not reactivate a nursing program within the period of time specified by the ACEN, the nursing program is considered closed and is removed from the list of accredited nursing programs. For a deactivated nursing program to be reactivated, the nursing education unit must reapply for accreditation with the ACEN. NOTE: See Policy #14 Reporting Substantive Change for additional information and the procedures that must be followed to reactivate a nursing program.

After a period of inactivity, the process of offering 1) a nursing program and the nursing courses for the nursing program or 2) a nursing program option and the nursing courses for the nursing program option at an approved off-campus instructional site/location. If a nursing education unit does not reactivate the off-campus instructional site/location within five academic years of no students being enrolled and no nursing courses being offered at the off-campus instructional site/location, then the nursing program must follow the substantive change process to reinstate the off-campus instructional site/location. NOTE: See ACEN Policy #14 Reporting Substantive Change for additional information and the procedures that must be followed to reactivate an off-campus instructional site/location.

Governmental agencies that have jurisdictional/legal authority over a nursing program, such as a board of nursing or ministry of education. NOTE: The type of agency and/or the number of agencies may vary depending upon the state or regulatory agencies in another country.

Annual Report – An annual process where all ACEN-accredted programs are required to provide requested information to the ACEN. Examples of required information include program outcome performance and program enrollment. NOTE: See Policy #24 Assessment of the Adequacy of Standards and Criteria, ACEN process, and Practices.

Closing Report – A written plan developed by a governing organization/nursing education unit that provides for the equitable treatment of students should a governing organization/nursing education unit, or a nursing program location that provides 50% or more of a nursing program, cease to operate before all students have completed their nursing program of study. The Closing Report may include, if required by the governing organization’s accrediting agency, a teach-out agreement between governing organizations/nursing education units. This applies to the closure of a governing organization, an off-campus instructional site/location, a branch campus, or a nursing program. The Closing Report requires ACEN approval in advance of implementation. See Policy #16 Program Closing for additional information and the procedures that must be followed.

Focused Site Visit Report – A report that must be written by the program faculty prior to a scheduled Focused Visit (in-person or virtual). The Focused Site Visit Report must address selected Standards and Criteria as determined by the ACEN. Programs required to write a Focused Site Visit Report will be provided additional information about the Standards and Criteria to be addressed.

Follow-Up Report – A report that must be written by the program faculty as a follow-up to an accreditation decision of continuing accreditation with conditions. A Follow-Up Report must include all Criteria of the Standard(s) that were found non-compliant and resulted in the accreditation stipulations. Programs required to write a Follow-Up Report will be provided additional information about the timeline for submission and general expectations.

Follow-Up Visit Report – A report that must be written by the program faculty prior to a scheduled Follow-Up Visit required by the Board of Commissioners. All programs with a continuing accreditation status of warning or good cause will be required to have a Follow-Up Visit. Programs with a continuing accreditation status of conditions may be required to host a Follow-Up Visit.

Program Response – A report where the nursing program administrator and faculty provide to the ACEN a response about a Site Visit Report. The program response is the program’s opportunity to identify errors of fact, clarify descriptions in the Site Visit Report, and/or provide additional information and/or supporting evidence that should be considered by the Board of Commissioners when an accreditation decision is made.

Self-Study Report – A report that must be written by the program faculty prior to an initial or continuing accreditation visit. All Criteria within all ACEN Standards must be included in a Self-Study Report.

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The financial support required for securing and maintaining the human and physical resources (e.g., personnel, supplies, materials, equipment) and student support services necessary to ensure the achievement of the end-of-program student learning outcomes and program outcomes. Fiscal resources include, but are not limited to, tuition, fees, grants, governmental appropriations, donations, and investment earnings.

The equipment and/or materials needed to facilitate student learning and development of the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviors to support achievement of the end-of-program student learning outcomes and program outcomes; additionally, the equipment needed by faculty and staff to fulfill their job responsibilities. Learning resources may include, but are not limited to, laboratory equipment and supplies, electronic or physical journals, databases, books, and physical or electronic media (e.g., videos). Technology resources include, but are not limited to, hardware (e.g., computers), general software or applications (e.g., word processing, presentation software), healthcare specific technology, software or applications (e.g., VSim, medication management, electronic health records), learning management systems, internet access, browsers, virus protection, and memory or electronic storage capacity.

The physical spaces needed to facilitate student learning and support student achievement of end-of-program student learning outcomes and program outcomes. Physical resources may include, but are not limited to, classrooms, laboratories, faculty and staff offices, and other common spaces used by nursing students and faculty and staff.

Expected, measurable levels of graduate level nursing performance that integrate knowledge, skills, and behaviors in the specialty area of study (e.g., nurse educator, nurse practitioner). Competencies may include, but are not limited to, specific knowledge areas, clinical judgments, and behaviors based upon the role and/or scope of practice consistent with the level of nursing education and applicable licensure/certification after graduation.

A unit within a governing organization that offers one or more nursing programs, where all nursing programs within the nursing education unit are administered by a single nurse administrator with the responsibility and authority for all nursing programs. If multiple programs within the nursing education unit are ACEN accredited, the overall fees for additional programs are decreased. (See the ACEN Fee Schedule). The ACEN will not recognize a single nursing education unit if the governing organization elects to have a different nurse administrator for one or more nursing programs. Each nursing program (with a different nurse administrator) is a separate nursing education unit for ACEN purposes. The ACEN retains the right to determine whether a nursing education unit is a single nursing education unit.

A nursing program type that is administered within a single governing organization, regardless of the number of instructional sites used by the program. Determination of whether a nursing program is a single nursing program for ACEN purposes depends on several factors. The ACEN retains the right to determine whether a nursing program is a single nursing program. In order for students to graduate from an accredited program, each single nursing program must be individually accredited by the ACEN. Factors used by the ACEN to determine program status may include, but are not limited to:

Method of Delivery

When 51% or more of the nursing program is offered in a traditional method of delivery, the nursing program and all locations where the nursing program is offered must be in the same state and under the jurisdiction of the same state regulatory agency for nursing.

When 51% or more of the nursing program is offered through a distance education method of delivery, it is possible for the nursing program and all locations where the nursing program is offered to be in the same state or in different states, and under the same or different state regulatory agency. If two or more state regulatory agencies are involved, the nursing program must meet all the requirements set by each state regulatory agency for the nursing program.

• Academic Control – The nursing program is within a single governing organization that is accredited through an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the ACEN.
• The nursing program is located on a governing organization’s main campus, off-campus instructional site(s)/location(s), and/or branch campus(es).
• A single certificate, diploma, or degree is awarded from the same governing organization to students who successfully complete the nursing program.
• The NCSBN program code or codes are specific to the accredited nursing program offered by the single governing organization.
• There is one nursing program of study for each nursing program option within the certificate, diploma, or degree conferred.
• There is one set of end-of program student learning outcomes and program outcomes utilized for by the nursing program.
• There is a systematic plan for evaluation that addresses the end-of program student learning outcomes and program outcomes for the nursing program.
• There is one nurse administrator for the nursing program. The nurse administrator must:
  
  • have continuous, active, responsibility and authority at all locations within the nursing program.
  • have, in conjunction with faculty, academic control of the nursing program.
  • have adequate time and resources to effectively administer the nursing program at all locations.
  • oversee the daily governing organization, nursing education unit (when applicable) and nursing program matters such as, but not limited to, personnel matters, student matters, curricular matters, and resources.
• All nursing program personnel at all locations must report to the nurse administrator.
• There is one group of faculty members for the nursing program who function as a faculty of the whole within a set of established faculty policies and decision-making processes and who have input into the curriculum development, delivery, and evaluation.
• There is a single set of policies governing all nursing students enrolled in the nursing program.

The ACEN retains the right to determine whether a nursing program is a single nursing program and whether a location at which a nursing program is offered must hold separate accreditation.

Non-faculty personnel who assist, support, and/or coordinate in nursing programs. Staff include, but are not limited to, clerical, laboratory, and administrative personnel (regardless of the individual’s title or classification by the governing organization) that are part of the nursing program. NOTE: Governing organizations use a variety of terms to describe individuals who act in an assisting/supporting/coordinating capacity. Such titles include, but are not limited to, administrative assistants, advisors, program directors, clinical coordinator, skills laboratory coordinator, simulation coordinator, or associate nursing director, etc.

Agreed-upon expectations to measure quantity, extent, value, and educational quality.

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Student records, electronic or physical, that are maintained by the governing organization, nursing program, or third-party vendor on behalf of the nursing program, consistent with program and/or governing organization policies.

Any information alone or in combination that is linked or linkable to a specific student may be subject to state or federal privacy laws and, as applicable, measures must be taken to protect the student’s privacy. Access to student records, electronic or physical, must be limited to authorized personnel to ensure the protection and confidentiality of students’ records.

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Services available to nursing students designed to facilitate and support student success in the nursing program. May include, but is not limited to, advising, counseling, tutoring, library services, technology, and health services (mental and/or physical).

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Enough or adequate for the purpose of achieving the end-of-program student learning outcomes and program outcomes.

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Adequate number of full- and/or part-time faculty to support the values, mission, goals, and/or philosophy of the nursing program. Evidence of adequacy may include, but is not limited to:

• The ratio of faculty to the total number of nursing students enrolled in all the nursing courses required for a nursing program or programs;

• The faculty to student ratios for didactic, skills/simulation laboratories, and clinical/practicum experiences;

• The required workload for faculty; workload duties include, but are not limited to, teaching, advisement, administration, committee work, service, practice, research, and/or other scholarly activities.

• Required and voluntary non-teaching responsibilities required by the governing organization and/or nursing education unit;

• Adequate faculty time to implement a variety of teaching/instructional strategies and complete formative and summative student evaluation.

• Adequate faculty time to develop and review the curriculum, and assess and evaluate achievement of the end-of-program student learning outcomes and program outcomes;

• The number of faculty on required or voluntary overload and amount of required and voluntary overload for each faculty member; and

• Achievement of end-of-program student learning outcomes and program outcomes.

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The capacity of the governing organization to continuously replenish fiscal, physical, and/or human resources to meet current needs and the capacity of the governing organization to increase fiscal, physical, and/or human resources to meet future needs.

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A written document emphasizing the plan for ongoing, comprehensive assessment of the end-of-program student learning outcomes and program outcomes. The SPE must include assessment methods, frequency of data collection, and frequency of evaluation for each end-of-program student learning outcome and program outcome. May also include documentation of the plan’s implementation (data, analysis, and actions) or indicate where that information is located.

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A written agreement between governing organizations/nursing education units that provides for the equitable treatment of students and a reasonable opportunity for students to complete their nursing program of study should a governing organization/nursing education unit, or a nursing program location that provides 50% or more of a nursing program offered, cease to operate before all enrolled students have completed their nursing program of study. This applies to the closure of a governing organization, an off-campus instructional site/location, a branch campus, or a nursing program. A teach-out agreement requires ACEN approval in advance of implementation. NOTE: See ACEN Policy #16 Closings on the ACEN Policy Page for additional information and the procedures that must be followed.

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Student-centered techniques and methods employed by faculty to deliver course content in support of student learning and knowledge development. Instructional strategies may be direct (e.g., mastery lecture, didactic questions, reading guides), indirect (e.g., problem-solving, concept mapping, case studies), experiential (e.g., simulations, clinical practice), interactive (e.g., role-playing, laboratory practice), and/or independent (e.g., research projects, learning modules).

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An accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education as meeting the criteria established by law for that agency to fulfill one requirement for institutions and programs to participate in federal student aid programs (e.g., Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan, Direct Graduate PLUS Loan, Direct PLUS Loan, Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, and TEACH grants). The ACEN is a Title IV gatekeeper for a limited number of nursing programs (e.g., hospital-based diploma programs). For the majority of nursing programs, the institutional accreditor for the governing organization is the Title IV gatekeeper.

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