BRN education committee defers several noncompliant programs, approves new program openings and a USC teach‑out

The Board of Registered Nursing’s Education Licensing Committee met April 17 by Webex. Committee Chair Jovita Dominguez and members Dolores Trujillo and Tricia Winn heard public comment, reviewed multiple program compliance reports and voted on a slate of items including deferrals for several nursing programs with continuing noncompliance, initial approvals for new programs, an approved teach‑out for an advanced practice program and routine consent items.

The committee deferred formal action on a number of programs found to be in continuing noncompliance and required follow‑up reporting. After presentations from program representatives and the nursing education consultants (NECs), the committee recommended that Merritt College, Copper Mountain College, Fresno City College, Los Angeles City College, Fresno Pacific University and others return with scheduled progress reporting (typically quarterly to the assigned NEC) until documented corrective actions are verified. Committee members repeatedly cited elevated attrition or documentation and faculty‑time issues as reasons to keep closer oversight rather than imposing immediate sanctions.

Why it matters: the committee’s deferrals keep programs operating while requiring structured follow up, but they also preserve the committee’s ability to escalate to warning or revocation if schools fail to cure noncompliance. Several speakers in public comment from existing Sacramento‑area programs urged caution before new enrollments are approved because of clinical site and faculty shortages in Region 1.

Major…