Despite looming campus closure, Penn State DuBois launches new nursing program
The non-credit 18-month certificate program will launch on August 18 and is set to offer a part-time path for students who want to enter the nursing profession. This comes just weeks after the Penn State University Board of Trustees voted to close seven commonwealth campuses, including the one where the new program will take place.
According to a release, courses will be held in the DEF building on the DuBois campus on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. They added that students will get hands-on experience and take part in clinical rotations every weekend at local healthcare facilities.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 'No point in waiting,' PSU trustees vote to close DuBois, 6 other campuses
'We've already had an overwhelming response as the news of our program got out,' Nicki Dufour, program coordinator, said. 'We have more than 30 potential participants and are excited to add to that total now that we have the final approval to move forward.'
The program hopes to prepare students to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN), a requirement to earn licensure in all 50 states.
To apply, interested individuals must complete an online interest form. Applicants will be contacted about the next steps, which include submitting two professional letters of reference and a one-page essay describing their motivation to become a nurse.
It's unclear at this time when exactly the campus will close, but Penn State has previously stated that help and options will be provided to both students and staff when the time comes.
The recommendation to close the campus came after 'persistent and compounding structural challenges' that didn't make the campus viable for the long term. In an official report, they said they've also seen a 46% decrease in enrollment over the last decade and that there is little sign that it will increase.
The committee that made recommendations to close DuBois, Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Shenango, Wilkes Barre and York campuses looked at enrollment trends, demographic forecasts, student outcomes, financial performance, housing occupancy, capital investment needs and geographic proximity to make their determination.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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