DUNMORE -- It was a tough and confusing day for nursing students at a university in Lackawanna County.
Officials with Marywood University broke the news to 117 students the school's nursing program has lost its accreditation, which puts the program on very uncertain ground.
It`s an uncertain future for students involved in Marywood University`s nursing program.
They left the science building on campus after learning from school officials the program has lost its accreditation.
“What I personally doing is I`m switching my major because if they don`t get accreditation back I don`t want to waste my time in the nursing program,” said freshman Julie Iasavoli.
“Transfer, I don`t know what else to do. I`m out of the physicians’ assistant program. I`ve already successfully transferred into the nursing program, not aware they`re accreditation was on the line,” said freshman Emily Lawrence.
School officials say the program been accredited by the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission since 1988 and that the denial was based on findings the program had not complied with certain standards.
The commission's website says it is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the accrediting body for all types of nursing education programs. It provides oversight in regard to federal funding eligibility.
Virginia Sharff is a junior and was hoping to make a career change into the nursing field. Now she`s not sure that will happen.
“We were just kind of hit with this. I mean, we had an idea this was coming, we were under the impression that everything was fine and now we don`t know, we don`t know what our options are,” said Sharff.
The school says it is appealing the decision and asks students to have faith.
That`s tough for Carlin Shey who is graduating this May.
“It`s been four years and I`m lucky enough to have a job at a local hospital but losing the accreditation, I don`t know if possibly they could revoke the job. I mean it`s really up in the air. There`s no certainty at all,” said Shey.
Parents were also invited to attend the meeting.
“Is there going to be some kind of financial reimbursement?” said parent Audrey Aleman. “I took out loans, my daughter took at loans, we have a lot of money invested in this program, came here because of this program.”
Marywood says the nursing program will remain open.
The school is also seeking accreditation with another firm, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing in Education.