The Division of Nursing at Hesston College is scheduled for an on-site continuing accreditation visit by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) on March 2-4, 2010. Program evaluators will meet with college and program personnel and students, visit classrooms and affiliated clinical agencies, and review curriculum materials to validate that the program continues to meet accreditation standards.

In 1970, Hesston College was the first associate degree nursing program in Kansas to achieve accreditation by the NLN. It has maintained continual NLNAC accreditation since that time. The program employs 10 nursing faculty, a director and academic assistant. It has an enrollment of 93 students in nursing coursework and 45 students in prenursing.

The program has established two mechanisms to invite public input into this accreditation process:

1. On Tuesday, March 2 at 4 p.m., the program evaluators will be available to meet with interested members of the public in the Newcomer Room of Bontrager Student Center on the Hesston College campus.
2. Written comments are also welcome and should be mailed to Dr. Sharon Tanner, Executive Director, NLNAC, 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA 30326 or e-mailed to sjtanner@nlnac.org . All written comments should arrive at NLNAC by Thursday, February 25, 2010.

Program director Bonnie Sowers commented, “The process of NLNAC accreditation has been helpful over time in building our program’s effectiveness. We look forward to this visit and the opportunity it will provide for gaining new insights as we look to the future.”