Texas Board of Nursing approves Southern Careers Institute’s Brownsville ASN program; private provider to start cohorts in 2026

The Texas Board of Nursing on July 16 voted to grant initial approval to Southern Careers Institute (SCI) to open an associate of applied science in nursing program at its Brownsville campus, with an initial cohort planned for January 2026 and an expectation that the school meet detailed conditions in the Board’s order.

SCI executives told the Board they have invested more than $800,000 in simulation and lab build‑out, several clinical affiliation agreements and proposed a 16‑month full‑time curriculum designed to serve a largely non‑traditional student population in the Rio Grande Valley. “This program is designed to be delivered through face‑to‑face, online instruction and faculty‑supervised hands on clinical experiences,” Dean Teresa Tillman said at the hearing.

Board staff reported a site visit and found that the new Brownsville facility is recently equipped with modern skills labs and new mannequins. Concerns raised by board members focused on faculty capacity and the ability to sustain quality instruction with the initially proposed faculty plan. SCI leaders responded that the executive team will expand faculty as needed and that corporate resources are committed to the campus.

Board member Ken Johnson moved and Maisie Jamieson seconded a motion to grant initial approval and to impose conditions and requirements described in the attached board order; the motion passed.

The Board’s order requires SCI to provide additional documentation on faculty hires, clinical placements and student supports and to comply with the Board’s monitoring requirements for new programs until the program’s outcomes satisfy Board expectations.

SCI officials said they will continue building clinical relationships, finalize faculty hiring and offer remediation and tutoring resources for students; they emphasized the program’s role in expanding professional opportunities in Brownsville.