After undergoing an investigation one year ago that led to the surrendering of its nursing program license in September, Aspen University in Phoenix is now being asked to show why its accreditation should not be revoked altogether, ABC affiliate KNXV-TV reported Feb. 2.
The Distance Education Accrediting Commission issued the new notice, which KNXV-TV described as citing "ongoing problems including the quality and integrity of the program."
In a September statement about Aspen University surrendering its nursing program license and moving toward teaching out the remaining enrollees, while not accepting new ones, the DEAC called out the severity of the situation, remarking, "We take the developments at Aspen very seriously. Our primary focus at this time is to support Aspen in a plan of action that is fair and responsive to Aspen students, while maintaining institutional accountability within the established state and national regulatory framework."
In the same memo, the DEAC notes at that time it did not anticipate any issues would arise with Aspen University's efforts to teach out its remaining students, but that it would continue to closely monitor the situation.
At this time, it remains unclear what sparked DEAC to issue a new notice to the for-profit university. KNXV-TV noted that the DEAC board is set to meet Feb. 23 to determine next steps, which could lead to a possible shutdown of the program entirely.
Becker's reached out to Aspen University and DEAC for comment about the new notice and has yet to receive a reply.