Mission and Governance

REPORTING SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE – HOMETEMPLATES • SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE PORTAL  •  NURSE ADMINISTRATOR CHANGE  •  PROGRAM OUTCOMES  •  DISTANCE EDUCATION  •  CURRICULUM  •  PROGRAM TYPES/OPTIONS  •  ENROLLMENT   •  LOCATIONS  •  CHANGE IN STATUS  •  MISSION/GOVERNANCE  •  CONTRACTS/CONSORTIA   •  CLOSINGS/INACTIVATIONS  •  TEACH-OUTS  •  NON-SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES


MISSION AND GOVERNANCE

The ACEN requires programs to report changes to the mission and/or governance of a nursing program/institution involving:

Ownership, Legal Status, or Form of Control

Changes in ownership, legal status, or form of control require reporting to the ACEN.

Examples include:

  • a change from limited partnership to corporation
  • a change from a not-for-profit corporation to a for-profit corporation
  • a change from a private to a public
  • the sale or transfer to a new owner of all, or a majority portion, of the governing organization’s assets
  • the combination or transfer of the assets of at least two distinct governing organizations to create a newly-formed governing organization (merger)

Template for Reporting: Ownership/Legal Status/Control (.docx)

Mission/Objectives

Changes to the established mission or objectives refer to significant changes that alter the purpose or scope of the governing organization. This does not include a revision/update in the governing organization’s written mission statement.

Examples include:

  • changing from a vocational school to a college
  • changing from a hospital-based school to a college
  • changing from a college to a university
  • changing from an on-ground institution to an online only institution
  • changing from a local community college to serving students located across the globe
  • changing from an associate degree granting college [with a few baccalaureate degrees] to an institution granting graduate degrees)

Template for Reporting: Mission/Objectives (.docx)

Nurse Administrator Change

The nurse with responsibility and authority for the administrative and instructional activities of a nursing education unit and nursing programs within the governing organization (e.g., dean, chairperson, director, etc.). The ACEN does not consider the nurse administrator a faculty member, regardless of the teaching responsibilities or classification by the governing organization.

A change in Nurse Administrator1 must be reported to the ACEN no later than one (1) month after the permanent or interim nurse administrator assumes duties/responsibilities.

Template for Reporting: Nurse Administrator Change (.docx)

Nursing Education Organizational Structure

Changes in organizational structure are reported if there is a significant change in the organizational structure of the nursing education unit that would place a nursing program in non-compliance with ACEN Standards and Criteria.

Examples include:

  • The nurse administrator no longer has the authority to administer the program budget.
  • The nurse administrator now oversees several programs and may no longer have sufficient time or resources to fulfill the role responsibilities.

Template for Reporting: Organizational Structure (.docx)

Composite Score

The governing organization’s most recently published Financial Responsibility Composite Score being 1.0 or less

Note: Only applies to governing organizations that are proprietary or private nonprofit.

Template for Reporting: Composite Score (.docx)