State law charges the Board of Regents with the oversight of professional education. The United States Secretary of Education recognizes the Board of Regents as an accrediting agency for nursing education and public postsecondary vocational education (practical nursing). Nursing program review activities, along with those review activities for professional education programs in all 38 professions licensed under Title 8 of the Education Law, are the responsibility of the Office of Professional Education Program Review within the Office of the Professions.

From April 1, 2000 through March 31, 2001, nursing education staff activities for professional education nursing programs included the following:

• 16 reregistration site visits
• review and response to 9 progress reports requested by the Department
• review of requests for new program registrations from 16 institutions
• review of 3 requests for discontinuance of programs
• review of requests for curricular changes from 6 institutions
• provision of 2 consultations for technical assistance to nursing programs

For the same period, nursing education staff activities for practical nursing education programs included the following:

• 9 reregistration site visits
• review and response to 5 progress reports requested by the Department
• review of requests for new program registrations from 2 institutions
• review of 3 requests for discontinuance of programs
• review of requests for curricular changes from 2 institutions

Staff also review reports submitted annually by all nursing programs as part of the ongoing monitoring of the quality of nursing education programs in New York State. For more information, contact Gail Rosettie at (518) 474-3817, ext. 360, or e-mail opprogs@mail.nysed.gov.