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Texas Board of Nursing grants initial approval for Houston Community College LVN-to-ADN transition program, limits cohorts to 30
Summary
The Texas Board of Nursing voted to grant initial approval to Houston Community College’s Coleman College LVN-to-ADN transition program, with the board setting initial cohort sizes at 30 students for fall and 30 for the following January and requiring follow-up reporting and conditions in a board order.
The Texas Board of Nursing on July 16 granted initial approval to Houston Community College’s Coleman College LVN-to-ADN transition program, voting to allow an initial cohort of 30 students beginning August 2025 and a similar 30‑student cohort in January.
The board made the decision after hearing program leaders outline a redesigned, concept‑based curriculum, faculty development plans and clinical affiliations anchored in the Texas Medical Center. “We are presenting a redesigned, integrated, and deliberately structured transition program that represents a new era for nursing education at HCC Coleman,” Dean Nicole Townsend told the board during the hearing.
Board staff and education consultants reported site visits and improvements following the program’s voluntary closure in 2023. Dr. Donnelly and Dr. Hooper, the Board’s education consultants, described upgraded facilities and clinical capacity. Dr. Donnelly noted the college offers “ample clinical practice partners,” including major institutions willing to provide nights and weekends, and highlighted simulation and student‑interview plans to strengthen admissions.
Several board members pressed program leaders about curriculum design, extensive reliance on vendor materials, assessment policies, and whether cohort sizes should be smaller for the program’s first year. Board member Cathy Boswell urged caution about starting a second cohort before the fall class has taken NCLEX, saying she preferred testing a new curriculum before scaling. After deliberation the board’s motion — moved by Ellie Adamson and seconded by Daryl Chambers — set the cohort cap at 30 students in fall and 30 students in January. Mary Grace Landrum recused herself from the vote because of a prior advisory relationship disclosed at the hearing.
The board order with conditions requires the college to file additional documentation and reporting on clinical placements, faculty qualifications and outcomes monitoring. Board staff said follow‑up will include evidence the program meets Texas Board of Nursing expectations and required remediation provisions if early outcomes require intervention.
Houston Community College officials thanked the board and said they would accept the board’s conditions and proceed with hiring and student supports to meet the approval terms.
The board’s action preserves the Board’s usual timeline for schools seeking initial approval; the college may not expand the program beyond the approved cohort sizes without further Board action.
