ANDERSON, SC – Last week, during its May meeting in Columbia, the South Carolina Board of Nursing gave its unanimous approval for the new School of Nursing at Anderson University. This positive vote is the culmination of over two years of preparation and planning by the University that began with extensive internal planning and completion of the nursing program feasibility study that was approved by the Board of Nursing in May 2011.

Today’s board decision clears the way for Anderson to launch its program in nursing beginning this fall and to admit students on a provisional basis. Anderson University has submitted its request for approval of the new nursing program by its regional accrediting body, the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS-COC). Such approval is required before the University may officially admit nursing students to the new nursing program.

“We greatly appreciate the unanimous affirmation of our School of Nursing by the Board of Nursing today,” said Anderson University spokesman Barry Ray. “Although the nursing program awaits the final notice of acceptance from SACS-COC, we now have a process in place through which we will receive applications from interested students and make provisional decisions for those who will be accepted into the program. We will use these procedures until final approval for initiation of the new program has been granted by our regional accreditor.”

The School of Nursing faculty is in place and construction on a state-of-the-art classroom and laboratory facility is near completion on Anderson’s campus.

Anderson University is a selective comprehensive university offering bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees on campus and online. Anderson is ranked in the Top Tier of US News and World Report’s America’s Best Colleges and is on that publication’s list of the 46 “Up & Coming” universities in America. It is also ranked as one of America’s “100 Best College Buys.”