This University’s Entire Nursing Faculty Resigned. How Did it Get That Far?

• The entire nursing faculty at Dickinson State University in North Dakota recently resigned, citing workload and accreditation concerns.
• The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) issued DSU’s nursing program Continuing Accreditation for Good Cause, noting a lack of evidence that DSU’s nurse administrator had “sufficient time for the assigned role responsibilities.
• The resignations, according to the National Consortium of Academic Nurse Educators (NCANE), highlights “a critical and growing crisis in nursing education: the shortage of qualified nurse educators.”

Weeks before the start of the fall semester, the entire faculty of a North Dakota university’s nursing program resigned, triggering a domino effect that prompted the university president’s resignation and could impact more than 100 students.

Dickinson State University’s seven-person nursing faculty cited workload and accreditation concerns as the tipping point for their exit, according to the Dickinson Press.

In the days since the early July exodus, the North Dakota Board of Nursing (NDBON) has pushed back on statements from then-DSU President Stephen Easton and vowed to continue working with the university to revive the program.

Meanwhile, some industry organizations point to this as a byproduct of the nurse educator shortage. 

What Led the Nursing Faculty to Resign?

The Dickinson Press reported on July 10 that the resignations stemmed from “ongoing disputes between the nursing faculty and DSU administration over new credit hour production requirements” and apprehensiveness about meeting accreditation standards.

Faculty contracts require all DSU educators, regardless of department, to “fulfill 24 credit hours and 320 modified credit production hours” for the 2024-25 academic year, according to The Dickinson Press.

Easton said in a statement the former faculty believe the “guideline of 160 credits per semester should not apply to them.”

However, former faculty like Teresa Bren, told the local newspaper the “modified credit production formula is unattainable under the current conditions” and signing a contract she knew she couldn’t fulfill would be unethical. 

Accreditation Concerns

The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) issued DSU’s nursing program Continuing Accreditation for Good Cause, which requires a follow-up report due in Spring 2025. ACEN’s actions report noted a lack of evidence that DSU’s nurse administrator had “sufficient time for the assigned role responsibilities.”

A “for good cause” qualification is granted when, according to ACEN, a program has met the following criteria: 

• Demonstrated significant recent accomplishments in addressing non-compliance. 
• Documented its potential to remedy deficiencies within the extended period as defined by the commission. 
• Provided assurance that it’s not aware of any reasons, other than those identified, why the accreditation could not be continued for good cause. 

Last month, the NDBON voiced its own concerns about DSU, according to the Dickinson Press.

“The report cited the limited time full-time faculty members have for planning, implementing, evaluating, and updating the program due to the heavy teaching workload,” the newspaper reported. “The report also noted that, with the heavy workload, faculty would have limited time for academic advising, clinical coordination of preceptor assignments and professional development.”

DSU vs. North Dakota Board of Nursing

Days after the initial coverage, Easton himself chose to resign, alleging in a statement released Monday, July 15, that the NDBON told him he “cannot fight for our students” or look for new faculty.

“If I cannot do whatever I can for students, including looking for faculty members so they can continue their education, I cannot do my job, because fighting for students is my job,” he said.

Easton said in the statement that the day after he received the faculty resignations, he informed the NDBON of the university’s efforts to “rebuild” the faculty, which included posting the vacancies, contacting local professionals who are licensed to practice in the state, and seeking assistance from “sister institutions.”

He then alleged that the NDBON found DSU in “noncompliance with the requirement of having the nurse administrator provide oversight” for the hiring process.

“As the North Dakota Board of Nursing probably realizes, though perhaps not because it did not interview me, it is not humanly possible to hire a nurse administrator quickly,” Easton said, detailing the hiring process for the North Dakota University System. 

The NDBON issued its own statement, contradicting Easton’s account and denying it forced his resignation: 

 Rather, on July 12, 2024, the ND BON issued a standard notice to DSU of multiple nursing program shortcomings for review at the ND BON board meeting on July 25, 2024, resulting from the lack of faculty from a mass resignation by DSU’s nursing administrator and professors on or around July 10 and 11, in conjunction with previous survey results of DSU’s nursing program, detailing significant discord between Mr. Easton, administration, and the nursing faculty on June 4, 2024.

The State of DSU’s Nursing Program

Easton said in his statement that “though we love DSU Nursing,” the university can’t spend more than $500,000 to produce 16 registered nurses (the number eligible to take the NCLEX from most recent graduating class). University administration, he said, has encouraged the program to “innovate” to achieve success.

“A big part of the problem, at least in my judgment, is that it takes four years to become an RN at DSU, but only two years at many other ND institutions,” Easton said. “It is very difficult to convince a potential student that they should spend four years at DSU to become an RN, when they can become an RN in two years at many other institutions in North Dakota and elsewhere.”

When Easton’s efforts to shift to a two-year RN program with a four-year bachelor’s degree weren’t working, he said he “switched strategies to boost DSU Nursing’s financial stability.” This included notifying faculty he wouldn’t require the shift to a two-year RN program.

NDBON will continue working with DSU “to restore its nursing education program” following Easton’s resignation. 

The North Dakota Nurses Association said in a position statement released July 18 that it held an open forum in which DSU students expressed “discontent with the university’s communication efforts.”

“We extend our solidarity to the DSU nursing students and faculty who are currently grappling with uncertainty and a lack of clear communication regarding program changes,” the NDNA stated. “Timely action is critical. DSU students deserve immediate transparency and clear communication regarding the future of the nursing program.”

Maryville State University and DSU have since entered into a collaborative agreement, the Dickinson Press reported.

Industry Context

The resignations highlight “a critical and growing crisis in nursing education: the shortage of qualified nurse educators,” according to the National Consortium of Academic Nurse Educators (NCANE).

“It is imperative that we take immediate and decisive action to support and strengthen nursing education,” NCANE said in a statement released July 12. “By doing so, we ensure the preparation of future generations of nurses who are vital to the health and well-being of our communities.” 

As Nursing CE Central previously reported, faculty age, a wave of retirements, and higher compensation in other settings have been named as contributing factors to the faculty shortage, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. 

The Bottom Line

Nursing students at Dickinson State University in North Dakota remain in limbo following the resignation of the entire DSU nursing faculty and the DSU president. Educators cited workload and accreditation concerns in their exit, while the president alleged he was forced to resign by the state board of nursing. The BON denied the accusation and said it would continue to work with the university to rebuild the nursing program. 

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