PHOENIX — Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.
Aspen University leaders appeared before state regulators again on Thursday to answer questions about the school’s nursing program.
The Arizona State Board For Private Postsecondary Education voted to revise its stipulated agreement with Aspen University by formally halting enrollment in the nursing program and increasing its required bond with the state.
The decision was made less than a week after Aspen University was issued a Notice of Charges by the Arizona State Board of Nursing.
RELATED: Notice issued to Aspen University after state board finds nursing program is underperforming
The school has come 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.
Under the amended stipulated agreement with the postsecondary state board, Aspen University will formally halt admissions activity for the nursing program at its two Phoenix campuses.
The school will also take information about start dates for future cohorts off of its website. Aspen University provost Joanne Weiss told the board that the university had already voluntarily halted admissions.
It’s estimated about 700 students who were taking or had already completed their prerequisites into the nursing program are affected by stopping admissions.
The amended agreement also requires Aspen University to post a bond with the state in the amount of $18,287,110. That figure represents 50% of the university’s gross tuition revenue, according to the board, and is a dramatic increase from the previous bond amount of $118,677.
The bond money is for the Board’s Student Tuition Recovery Fund which is designed to assist students if an institution goes out of business.
The agreement also requires Aspen University to provide copies of student educational records to the board every month rather than the previous quarterly requirement. The university will also have to meet with board staff monthly for progress updates.
University leaders told the board that they have been meeting with affected students individually to determine the best next steps. These students have four options, according to Weiss: join a waitlist, transfer to an Aspen University nursing program in a different state at a discounted rate, transfer to a different Aspen University undergraduate degree program or withdraw from the school.
Northern Arizona University, the University of Arizona and Chamberlin University have reached out to Aspen University about helping students transfer credits, according to Weiss.
In the meeting, 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%.
Aspen University said it has since worked to improve its nursing curriculum, hired additional faculty and staff, and made review materials available to students. The school has seen improvements as a result of these changes, but needs more time to fully evaluate the results, Weiss said.
“We are exceedingly grateful that in our first quarter, we are seeing the kind of improvement that we are seeing with our NCLEX score. Are we at 80% yet? No, we’re not. But we’re going to get there,” Weiss said in the meeting.
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