NLN CNEA Will Appeal U.S. Department of Education Denial of Initial Recognition as Programmatic Accreditor
Washington, DC, September 09, 2020 - On September 4, 2020, 10 months after issuing a preliminary finding to deny initial recognition, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) Principal Deputy Under Secretary Ms. Diane Auer Jones issued a denial of the petition for initial recognition as a programmatic accreditor filed in 2018 by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA).
Despite NLN CNEA’s compliance with longstanding criteria for the recognition of programmatic accrediting agencies, the USDE’s letter advances a new interpretation of the statutory and regulatory requirements for a programmatic accrediting agency to achieve recognition even when, like the NLN CNEA, it is not seeking to be a Title IV gatekeeper.
“The NLN CNEA will appeal Ms. Jones’ decision. We are confident in our compliance with USDE requirements relating to the initial recognition of programmatic accreditors. We have worked closely with the Department throughout this entire rigorous process. We were recommended for initial recognition accreditation by both the Department staff and by the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity,” said Dr. Judith A. Halstead, Executive Director of the NLN CNEA.
The NLN CNEA began the process to achieve initial recognition by USDE as a specialized programmatic accreditor in July 2014. In July 2019, both Department staff and National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) formally recommended initial recognition for NLN CNEA. The NLN CNEA has pre-accredited or accredited 110 nursing programs, enrolling over 12,000 students across the country.
***
