Fairmont State University is pleased to announce that the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program in the School of Nursing has received continuing accreditation of their program from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) on April 26, 2019.
The program achieved continuing accreditation for a period of eight years, which is the maximum time awarded by ACEN. The next accreditation visit will be in the Fall 2026.
As part of the accreditation visit, the ASN program completed an in-depth self-study focusing on the program goals, nursing curriculum, faculty and staff qualifications and expertise, program policies, and student achievement of program outcomes. Following submission of the self-study to ACEN, a team of peer reviewers visited the University during the Fall Semester and spoke with administration, nursing faculty, students, and nursing leaders from the area hospitals.
“Fairmont State University has an excellent history of developing highly qualified nurses who are sought after by regional clinical agencies. Receiving continuing accreditation from ACEN is another example of excellence in nursing education,” Dr. Laura Clayton, associate dean for the School of Nursing said. “I am proud of our nursing programs and the team that works daily to make our program one of the best in the region.”
The peer reviewers were impressed with our nursing program and recommended continuing accreditation of the program for eight years, Clayton said.
In March 2019, a second panel of evaluators’ reviewed all of the documents including documents from the site evaluators, and they also recommended continuing accreditation. The ACEN Board of Commissioners met in March 2019 at which time they reviewed all of the documents and granted continuing accreditation of the ASN program.
The Associate of Science in Nursing Program has a long history of successful graduates dating back to 1964. Mildred Montag was the founder of the program. Graduates of the program have consistently exceeded state passing rates on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and are in great demand by employers.
Two program tracks are available for students. The Traditional ASN track is best for individuals who can attend college courses on campus with clinical rotations occurring on a variety of days and times.
The LPN-ASN track is a synchronous on-line evening program with clinicals two days a month designed for LPNs who wish to become RNs. The ASN nursing program enhances learning through clinical experiences in the authentic arena (hospitals, clinics, community settings), in our state-of-the-art simulation and our skills labs.
The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) supports the interests of nursing education, nursing practice, and the public by the functions of accreditation.
Accreditation is a voluntary, peer-review, self-regulatory process by which non-governmental associations recognize educational institutions or programs that have been found to meet or exceed standards and criteria for educational quality. Accreditation also assists in the further improvement of the institutions or programs as related to resources invested, processes followed, and results achieved.
The monitoring of certificate, diploma, and degree offerings is tied closely to state examination and licensing rules and to the oversight of preparation for work in the profession.
