FSCC Nursing Program Remains at Burke Street Campus and Gets Conditional Approval
Loretta George
902 S. Horton
Fort Scott Community College is selling this property at 902 S. Horton. to USD 234.
The Fort Scott Community College Trustees have decided to sell the property it purchased from the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas to move its nursing department into, at 902 S. Horton.
The building will now be purchased by the Fort Scott School District USD 234, with the intention for the transaction to take place before December 31, 2023.
“I would like to stress the decision to sell 902 Horton was based upon an evaluation of our facility needs,” FSCC President Dr. Jason Kegler said. “We see this as an opportunity to move the nursing program back to campus. Subsequent conversations with both nursing faculty and other college employees confirm this was the right decision for Fort Scott Community College and our community.”
“The lease purchase, it is my understanding, began in the summer of 2023, just prior to my arrival,” Kegler said. “The lease purchase was done with the intention of moving nursing to this location.”
“It is my understanding the previous owners of the property at 902 S. Horton were both Mercy Hospital and CHC,” Dr. Kegler said. “The college had planned to utilize the space for nursing, but decided otherwise after bids for the renovation were received. The decision was made because the college administration wanted to explore different options.”
At the December 11 monthly meeting, the FSCC Trustees authorized Dr. Kegler to complete the appropriate transfers of funds and related paperwork to fulfill the debt obligation to CHCSEK. It is the final installment in a lease purchase payment.
The nursing program will remain in the current Burke Street location, with plans to eventually relocate the program back to the main campus, he said.
The Fort Scott Community College Nursing Dept., 810 Burke. Submitted photo.
Also at the December 11 meeting, “The board approved the establishment of a Health Program division within Academic Affairs,” Kegler said. “This division will encompass nursing, allied health, and Emergency Medical Technician (education). There will be responsibility for compliance, oversight, assessment, and potential expansion of the college’s health program options.”
A December 13 announcement from Dr. Kegler about the nursing program:
“On November 21, 2023, a correspondence was posted on social media regarding the current status of the Fort Scott Community College Nursing Program. In that letter, the college vowed to provide updates as information became available about the program.
On November 29-30, a team from the Kansas Board of Nursing (KSBN) conducted a site visit to review first-time pass rates of graduates who had completed the program. The team met with FSCC administration, support staff, students, faculty, and members of the Nursing Program’s Advisory Board.
From discussions with these groups, the team identified for key institutional stakeholders, several strengths and opportunities for improvement. The site visit team would issue a report which included recommendations for the future of the program.
The following Monday, December 4, the college received a draft of the report in which the college was to review for errors of fact. That same day, a Nursing Program Task Force was formed to address items within the report as well as to prepare a response to be presented at the KSBN Education Committee meeting on December 12, 2023. The Task Force consisted of faculty, staff, and administrators. The Task Force will be expanded to include students, community members, alumni, and professionals. A list of action items, with suggested completion dates was established. A partial list of those items included:
• The appointment of an Interim Director
• Cease admissions until the program has rectified concerns related to pass rates and other recommendations from KSBN
• Host forums (Community, Alumni, and Professional) to discuss the Nursing Program
• Work to ensure student representation as active participants in meetings with the advisory board and nursing program faculty.
The action items later became part of a strategic plan for nursing. At the request of KSBN, a copy of the strategic plan was provided to the Education Committee.
FSCC President, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and a Nursing Faculty member, attended the KSBN Education Committee meeting on Tuesday, December 12, 2023. The group presented the strategic plan, as well as additional adjustments which lie ahead for the program. After a brief opportunity for questions, the Committee unanimously voted to accept the recommendations of the KSBN team which conducted the site visit.
This morning, the college was notified that the full board of KSBN voted to permit the FSCC Nursing Program to remain on conditional approval with no new admissions until a follow up site visit is done.
This means that the FSCC Nursing Program will continue to operate and serve the current students who have been accepted into the program.
The College is grateful for the KSBN officials who visited the campus and offered feedback on areas for improvement. We are also appreciative of the community who has a longstanding history of supporting this program. We share an understanding of the importance of our nursing program, not only based on the impact to the college, but also its rich tradition within our community.
We appreciate the support and are excited about the future of FSCC’s Nursing Program.”
