PHOENIX — Aspen University on Tuesday voluntarily surrendered its Arizona prelicensure RN nursing program provisional approval because it cannot meet the minimum passing requirements of the nursing exam.
University officials said in a statement to 12News that they voluntarily surrendered the program approval to minimize uncertainty for students.
This comes after the State Board of Nursing found earlier this year the for-profit private university was underperforming.
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The school came under scrutiny for its low scores on the NCLEX, the exam required for nursing school graduates, as well as how much preparation it gives students and how the program is run, among other issues found in a state investigation.
Earlier this year, Aspen University provost Joanne Weiss told regulators that the university began reviewing its nursing curriculum after seeing that its 2021 NCLEX first-time pass rate was 58%, where 65 out of 112 students passed on their first try. Arizona law requires a first-time pass rate of 80%.
The university said it had since worked to improve its nursing curriculum, hired additional faculty and staff, and made review materials available to students.
As part of the voluntary surrender, the university is offering instruction to remaining nursing students for two more years to either finish their degrees or go somewhere different.
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