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title: "September 16, 2026 - Substantive Change Actions"
canonical: "https://resources.acenursing.org/space/CA/4205740033/September%2016%2C%202026%20-%20Substantive%20Change%20Actions"
format: markdown
---
# **Notification of Substantive Change Actions September 16, 2026**

## **Board of Commissioners Actions**

The following publicly available information is provided by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) concerning actions taken on **September 16, 2026**, by the ACEN Board of Commissioners related to substantive changes. Commission staff will not speculate on what decision might be made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners the next time a program is reviewed. For additional information regarding ACEN accreditation process, access the [Accreditation Manual](https://www.acenursing.org/accreditation/accred-manual/accreditation-manual).

**The Board of Commissioners approved the substantive change report for the following programs:**

**The Commission approved the **<u>**substantive change**</u>** for the following programs:**

- **Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College **(Baccalaureate) Tifton, Georgia, related to a Consortia Relationship.
- **Georgia Highlands College **(Baccalaureate) Rome, Georgia, related to the implementation of a new Pre-Licensure Baccalaureate Program Option and the implementation of the new Cartersville Off-Campus Instructional Site located at 5441 Georgia 20, Cartersville, GA 30121.
- **North Arkansas College **(Associate) Harrison, Arkansas, related to a Change in Ownership. The name of the governing organization will change from North Arkansas College to the University of Arkansas.
- **San Jacinto College – Central Campus **(Baccalaureate) Pasadena, Texas, related to an Increase in Program Enrollment of 50% or Greater.
- **Santa Fe College **(Associate) Gainesville, Florida, related to the implementation of the North Florida Technical Instructional Off-Campus Instructional Site located at 609 North Orange Street, Starke, Florida.

**The Commission approved the **<u>**substantive change**</u>** for the following programs and authorized a **<u>**focused visit**</u>**:**

- **Trinity Health System School of Nursing **(Diploma) Steubenville, Ohio related to a Change in Ownership. The governing organization will change from Trinity Health System to UPMC Trinity, and the nursing education unit will be renamed UPMC Trinity School of Nursing.

**The Commission approved the **<u>**substantive change report**</u>** and requested a written report about the status of the implementation of the substantive change for the following programs:**

- **Dawn Career Institute **(Practical) Newark, Delaware, related to an Increase in Program Enrollment of 50% or Greater.
- **Highland Community College **(Associate) Atchinson, Kansas, related to an Increase in Program Enrollment of 50% or Greater.
- **Santa Monica College **(Associate) Santa Monica, California, related to an Increase in Program Enrollment of 50% or Greater.

**The Commission approved the **<u>**substantive change**</u>** and **<u><span style="color: #ff5630">**removed**</span></u><span style="color: #ff5630">** **</span>**the requirement for a **<u>**focused visit**</u>** for the following programs:**

- **None**

**The Commission **<span style="color: #ff5630">**denied **</span>**the **<u>**substantive change**</u>** for the following programs:**

- **None**

**The Commission **<span style="color: #ff5630">**denied **</span>**the **<u>**substantive change**</u>** and authorized a **<u>**focused visit**</u>** for the following programs:**

- **None**

## **Definitions**

**Substantive Change Report**: A report submitted by an accredited program informing the ACEN of a significant modification or expansion of the nature and scope of a nursing program and/or nursing education unit.

**Focused Visit**: A site visit authorized by the ACEN Board of Commissioners to review significant accreditation-related information disclosed about a program as a result of:

- A substantive change
- Information revealed about a program between periods of scheduled review.
- Information received from the governing organization’s accrediting body related to an adverse action.
- Information received from the program’s state regulatory agency for nursing related to a change in its status.
- Information revealed by a program during the Evaluation Review Panel process.
- Information received from the U.S. Department of Education regarding a program’s compliance responsibilities under Title IV of the Higher Education Act such as information related to a program’s most recent student loan default rates, the results of financial or compliance audits, program reviews, and any other information that may be provided by the U.S. Department of Education.