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news
Nursing nets
accreditation
By Cynthia Tom
On-line Forty-Niner
Judging was rigorous
and the criteria was high, but one of Cal State Long Beach's
most impacted majors has proved deserving of the number of
applicants it receives.
The nursing department was recently awarded a full 10-year
reaccreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing
Education.
"Accreditation is what keeps the doors open," said
Loucine Huckabay, director of the nursing department. "It's
the quality assurance that we are meeting our standards. Full
accreditation shows that we've not only met, but exceeded,
those standards. It shows the quality of our department."
The CCNE seeks to ensure both the quality and the integrity
of nursing programs by evaluating three main categories: the
qualifications of the administration, the weight of the curriculum
and the resources available to the department, including budget
funds, labs and classrooms.
Despite clear weaknesses in the latter category, the highest
level of accreditation was still merited by the other strengths,
according to Huckabay.
There are currently 525 pre-nursing students and only four
classrooms in the department. Overcrowding within those
classrooms is also a problem, as students often need to sit
on the floor to attend lectures. It is not uncommon for 55
students to attend classes in rooms that seat 35.
Additionally, the nursing department will see its budget cut
$100,000 on June 1, 2002. According to Huckabay, the cuts
will be taken from funds allotted to hire part-time faculty.
Currently, there are 28 full-time faculty members and 8 part-time.
It is unclear whether the recent reaccreditation will affect
the planned budget cut to the department.
"We certainly do make a case of it," Huckabay said.
"We were accredited because even though our budget was
small, our other strengths made us receive a 10-year accreditation."
In hopes of expanding its available resources, the nursing
department is currently looking for a benevolent financial
donor to help build a second story to the existing facilities.
At an estimated cost of $12 to $15 million, a project of this
magnitude would create an additional 10 classrooms, including
an auditorium that will seat 125 people.
For the nursing department, which attracts between 125 and
150 applicants every semester for 36 available spaces, this
solution would be ideal.
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education is affiliated
with the American Association of College Nursing, which is
officially recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as
a national accreditation agency. There are currently 18 nursing
programs in California that are accredited by the CCNE.
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