ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, July 21, 1996 TAG: 9607220103
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: Associated Press
The National League of Nursing Inc. is fighting to keep its authority to accredit 1,655 nursing programs across the nation.
The New York-based group Friday appealed a federal panel's recommendation that Education Secretary Richard Riley stop recognizing the league as an accrediting agency because it failed to make timely reforms.
``We believe that the decision was based on erroneous information produced by a flawed fact-finding process conducted by the staff of the Education Department,'' said Sheila A. Ryan, president of the league, which has accredited nursing programs for 54 years.
The 1,655 programs accredited by the league train about 286,000 students in colleges, hospitals, clinics and nursing schools.
If the league loses its accreditation powers, Education Department officials say about 120 diploma schools would be directly affected. The remaining programs - which offer bachelor's, master's and two-year associate degrees - also are accredited through their affiliations with universities or other accrediting agencies.
Ryan said losing federal recognition would immediately affect 20,000 students in practical nursing and nursing diploma schools. They would lose their access to federal student aid if the programs no longer were accredited.
In its appeal, the league asked Riley to either recognize and monitor the league while it proceeds toward compliance, or grant a six-month extension.
The Education Department declined comment, saying it would formally respond to the league's appeal within a month.
Department officials said last month that despite two extensions and repeated attempts to help the league, the group remained grossly out of compliance.
The department said the league does not adequately monitor nursing programs; has failed to conduct unannounced inspections; has too few people overseeing accreditation matters; has inadequately trained program evaluators; and has financial problems.
LENGTH: Short : 50 linesby CNB