BCC Cancels Info Sessions For Nursing Program…..Accreditation In Question

Accreditation for a nursing program at Berkshire Community College remains on hold, and so are information sessions for fall 2019 applicants.

The Berkshire Eagle  reports in a Tuesday email to students, college leaders canceled sessions previously scheduled for next week. They said it seemed "premature" to hold information sessions while they themselves await answers from accreditors and state regulators, which are expected to announce important decisions in early spring about the program's fate.

The national accreditation agency ACEN and the state regulatory authority, the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing, launched separate reviews of BCC's nursing program last year, both calling on the college to keep better track of student outcomes.

Meantime, the college has been working on improvements.

Graduates of the college's two-year nursing program receive associate degrees in nursing and become registered nurses upon passing their exams. Students can also take a one-year path and become licensed practical nurses.