Dismayed students who were told Monday they did not satisfy requirements for admission to the upper division of S.C. State University’s Generic Bachelor of Science in Nursing program this fall will get a second chance to complete the program, but they’ll have their work cut out for them.

On Wednesday, the State Board of Nursing made a modification to their July 26, 2012 ruling regarding SC State University’s nursing program, to allow all current juniors and seniors to move forward in the nursing program. The Board mandated that SC State will have one semester (Fall 2012) to provide remediation for those students who scored below the national average in pharmacology, and provide the opportunity for those students to re-take assessment tests (ATI) in other courses, and score no less than a Level 2. Failure to meet these requirements will result in removal from the program.

S.C. State nursing students who did not pass the ATI test in pharmacology must retake the course and retest during this fall semester. They must attain the national mean or higher in pharmacology in order to progress in the nursing program. This may be lower than Level 2, depending upon the data for that testing period.

In addition, the board ruled that those nursing students who failed to make Level II in other courses will be required to take whatever remedial programs are offered by S.C. State and also retest by the end of the 2012 fall semester. All these students must make Level II in those courses.

The State Board of Nursing commended interim president, Dr. Cynthia Warrick for her leadership and vision for the nursing program and SC State, and is entrusting full confidence in her to ensure that today’s (August 15, 2012) mandate is carried forth.

"Today is a great day at SC State University. I sincerely thank the Board of Nursing for their modification in the previous ruling relative to the SC State’s nursing program. Our students who attended the meeting were true ambassadors for the program, and conveyed to the Board that they were evermore committed to becoming nursing professionals. I will continue to lead this effort along with Mr. Stanley Harris, interim nursing program director, and I assure the Board that SC State will comply with the current mandate. Again, I thank the Board for their renewed confidence in SC State’s nursing program, said Dr. Cynthia Warrick.