WGU Tennessee Earns CCNE Accreditation for Another 10 Years

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Nursing programs at WGU Tennessee (http://tennessee.wgu.edu) will retain their accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) through June 2024. WGU Tennessee's undergraduate and graduate nursing programs—which are accredited through parent university Western Governors University (WGU)—were first accredited by CCNE in 2009.

CCNE is the nation's premier accrediting body for undergraduate and graduate nursing degree programs. Earning national accreditation from CCNE shows that WGU's nursing programs meet the highest standards for nursing education and contribute to improving healthcare in the United States. To receive CCNE reaccreditation, WGU's nursing programs were rigorously reviewed to ensure WGU nursing students gain the needed knowledge to be successful in the healthcare workforce. 

WGU currently has over 8,000 nursing students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs. As of April 2014, over 6,800 students had graduated from WGU's nursing programs, which include:

• B.S. Nursing­--Prelicensure
• B.S. Nursing (RN to BSN)
• M.S. Nursing – Education
• M.S. Nursing – Leadership and Management

"We are proud of this reaccreditation action, which confirms that WGU's nursing programs continue to improve, use the most contemporary standards of practice, and meet rigorous national review," said Jan Jones-Schenk, National Director of the College of Health Professions at WGU.

With more than 46,000 students and 35,000 graduates nationwide, WGU is the pioneer and leader in competency-based education. This approach allows students to study at their own pace and accelerate through their programs when they can prove mastery of a subject. Competency-based education measures learning rather than seat time and ensures that graduates are prepared with the knowledge and skills needed for the workforce. This also allows students to apply what they have learned through work and previous experience and apply it to their studies, often times saving time and money.

About WGU Tennessee 
WGU Tennessee is an online, nonprofit, competency-based university established to expand Tennesseans' access to higher education throughout the state. Formed through a partnership between the state of Tennessee and nationally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Tennessee is open to all qualified Tennessee residents. The university offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the high-demand career fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing.

Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Teachers College programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).*

In addition to WGU Tennessee, there are four other WGU state-based, state-endorsed universities: WGU Indiana, established in June 2010; WGU Washington, established in April 2011; WGU Texas, established in August 2011; and WGU Missouri, established in February 2013.

For more information, visit the WGU Tennessee website, http://tennessee.wgu.edu/, or call 855-948-8495.

*Western Governors University offers nursing programs that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 5380, Washington, DC 20036, 202-877-6791).

About CCNE 
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is an autonomous accrediting agency, contributing to the improvement of the public's health. The Commission ensures the quality and integrity of the baccalaureate, graduate, and residency programs in nursing. The commission serves the public interest by assessing and identifying programs that engage in effective educational practices. As a voluntary, self-regulatory process, CCNE accreditation supports and encourages continuing self-assessment by nursing programs and supports continuing growth and improvement of collegiate professional education and post-baccalaureate nurse residency programs. CCNE accreditation is a nongovernmental peer review process that operates in accordance with nationally recognized standards established for the practice of accreditation in the United States. 

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Contact for media inquiries:
Kirk Graves – PR Manager
615-472-6055
[email protected]

Contact for enrollment information:
855-948-8495
tennessee.wgu.edu

SOURCE WGU Tennessee