Board approves Arizona College dean, reviews multiple school requests and reports

The Board of Examiners for Nursing handled a package of school-business items at its Feb. 19 meeting, approving an appointment and curriculum revisions, reviewing letters of intent and quarterly reports, and acting on a permanent waiver request.

Amanda Bell approved as dean — The board voted to approve the appointment of Amanda Bell, DNP, CNS, RN, NEA-BC, as dean and program administrator for Arizona College of Nursing—s Hartford campus. Mary Dieteman moved to approve the appointment; Elizabeth seconded and the nomination passed on roll call. Board members discussed the college—s leadership turnover since the program admitted students in fall 2023 and asked the college to commit to leadership stability; Arizona College representatives said the college expects Bell to provide sustained leadership.

Connecticut State Community College letters of intent — Representatives from CT State Capital (Hartford campus) and CT State Norwalk presented letters of intent. Capital requested approval in principle for an evening cohort of the existing ADN program starting fall 2025 and asked whether a feasibility study would be required; Department of Public Health staff and board members said a feasibility study would be required and offered DPH assistance in that process. CT State Norwalk proposed an evening-and-weekend Practical Nursing (PN) program with a planned first cohort of 24 and an anticipated January 2026 start; board members and DPH staff said a feasibility study will be required for a program with a new programmatic identity or separate cohort.

Goodwin University quarterly report — Goodwin University presented its third-quarter report covering Nov. 11, 2024, to Feb. 7, 2025. Campus enrollments, retention and attrition figures were provided for East Hartford and Bridgeport campuses, and program leaders attached faculty CVs and faculty-development documentation. Board members asked about the number of full-time faculty relative to program-quality indicators and encouraged the university to continue efforts to recruit full-time faculty.

University of Saint Joseph curriculum changes approved — The board considered curriculum changes to the BSN traditional and accelerated (second-degree) programs. The presenter explained that a calculation error had been corrected in the previously submitted material for the BSN (the corrected total clinical hours are 877) and described course-level changes (e.g., separating combined mental-health and med-surg courses; separating maternity and pediatrics). Mary Dieteman moved to approve the curriculum changes for the BSN traditional and accelerated tracks; Cindy Arpin seconded and the board approved the revisions on roll call after discussion about whether the accelerated changes constituted a major curriculum change.

University of Bridgeport permanent waiver — The board considered a request for a permanent waiver to allow an adjunct clinical instructor (candidate holds an MBA and a Connecticut RN license) to supervise adult-health clinical groups. A motion to deny the waiver was moved and seconded; after discussion and a roll-call vote the board did not adopt the denial motion and the permanent waiver request for a clinical adjunct was approved (final recorded tally: two votes in favor of denying the waiver, three opposed, one abstention, one recusal — the denial motion therefore failed and the waiver was granted). Board members discussed consistency with prior practice and suggested the school consider supplemental education for the adjunct (for example, a clinical-faculty course or other training) as an institutional step; the board—s regulations allow the board to grant permanent waivers at its discretion.

Porter & Chester leadership change and consent order — Porter and Chester—s program director Sherry (last name on file) announced her resignation effective that Friday; the board received the notification as an FYI and noted that the assistant director, Julie (last name on file), will serve in an interim role. Separately, the board approved a consent order resolving a disciplinary petition against Karen E. Scott (petition number 2023-672). The consent order includes a reprimand, a $1,500 civil penalty, required continuing education in scope of practice/critical thinking, a one-year probation with employer reporting, and a restriction on self-employment/home-health/travel nursing during probation; the board approved the consent order by roll call following a department presentation and the respondent—s counsel confirming the respondent—s attendance.

Nut graf: Routine school-business items dominated the second portion of the meeting. The board approved an academic appointment and curriculum changes, required feasibility studies for new or distinct program cohorts, accepted a quarterly report with follow-up questions about staffing levels, granted one permanent waiver for a clinical adjunct after a contested motion, and accepted a resignation from a program director.

Ending: Several board members emphasized that schools must consult the board before implementing major curriculum changes and that DPH staff are available to advise on feasibility-study requirements and timelines. The board set a March 19 slot to review follow-up materials requested from schools.