Collin College RN-to-BSN Program Receives Initial Program Accreditation

Oct. 29, 2021 In September, the board of commissioners of the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) granted initial accreditation to the Collin College baccalaureate nursing program, joining Collin Colleges associate degree nursing program as the second program at the college to be recognized with ACEN accreditation.

There are many steps in the initial ACEN accreditation, and the first steps began even before students were admitted to the program. The college was granted candidacy status in June 2019. The initial cohort of students began taking classes in the RN-to-BSN program in January 2020, and the college submitted a program self-study to ACEN at that time. In February 2021, ACEN representatives conducted a site visit. The initial accreditation is backdated to the start date of the programs first cohort of students who started in January 2020.

Dr. Marsal P. Stoll, CEO of ACEN, commended the flexibility, courage, and resiliency demonstrated by nursing program faculty, leaders, and their institutional colleagues during the global pandemic in a letter to the college. She also thanked Collin College for maintaining high standards while providing outstanding support to its students and communities.

Programs seeking this accreditation recognize that it is an extensive and thorough process, said Collin College Senior Vice President of Campus Operations Dr. Abe Johnson. We are thrilled to announce this good news about our new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. To date, 28 students have received their BSN degrees from Collin College.

Collin Colleges Nursing Department was named a Center of Excellence in Nursing by the National League for Nursing in 2011, 2015, and 2020. The current designation will continue through 2024, extending the outstanding educational environment to the baccalaureate level. The colleges Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program began in Spring 2020. BSN students attend classes one day a week and earn Sigma Theta Tau Nurse Manager certificates. It is possible for students to earn the BSN degree in as little as nine months. Clinical requirements are scheduled at times that best suit the students schedules.

We are very pleased to receive this initial accreditation, said Dr. Betty Veasy, director of Collin Colleges RN-to-BSN program.

For more information about Collin Colleges BSN program, visit www.collin.edu/nursing or email Dr. Veasy at bveasy@collin.edu.

Collin College serves more than 56,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 100 degrees and certificates, including new Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) in Cybersecurity degrees. The only public college based in Collin County, Collin College is a partner to business, government and industry, providing customized training and workforce development. For more information, visitwww.collin.edu.