Campus officials say students already enrolled in the program will be able to continue to graduation. Students in the pre-nursing major are being encouraged to meet with their academic advisors to discuss their options, which include transferring to other programs.
Going forward, the campus will work to develop partnerships with other California State University campuses and community colleges to ensure a baccalaureate program is available for local nurses who hold a two-year degree. Such a program was an important need identified by area health care providers in recent discussions with the campus.
In a message to the campus community, HSU President Rollin Richmond said the decision was a difficult one.
"Despite the efforts of numerous faculty and staff in the Nursing program, it has become clear that the Department is not going to be able to overcome the substantial challenges facing it," Richmond wrote.
The discontinuance of the program is the result of a campus process that began last year in response to severe state budget cuts.
At the time, the Academic Senate recommended suspending the program, citing its high cost, inability to recruit and retain qualified faculty, and overlap with the program at College of the Redwoods. The University chose to give the program additional time to address the challenges, making additional investments including hiring a tenured Nursing Department Chair/Director and authorizing searches for two tenure-track positions.