The Texas Board of Nursing approved July 18 an initial Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program at South College’s Dallas campus (Farmers Branch) and imposed an initial enrollment cap tied to the board’s concerns about rapid growth in a first‑time Texas location. The board’s final order limited South College to 20 students per quarterly cohort (up to 80 students per year) while the campus completes faculty hiring and demonstrates consistent clinical placements.

Why it matters: South College operates multiple campuses across several states and presented recent positive outcomes at other locations; Texas members of the board and staff asked that the Dallas launch be moderate in scale so early student and clinical outcomes can be monitored locally before higher-volume enrollment.

What the college presented: Dr. Becky Small (associate dean, South College Dallas) said South College has national accreditation (SACSCOC), a decades-long institutional history and recent ASN program outcomes in other states, including an 88% first-time NCLEX pass rate for initial ASN graduates in 2024. The college said the Dallas campus has a 56,000‑square‑foot leased facility with classrooms, a skills lab and simulation equipment and multiple clinical affiliations; South asked for flexibility to enroll up to 200 students annually in later years but requested a more conservative ramp-up for Texas operations.

Board review and decision: Board members and consultants questioned lab and simulation capacity, clinical hour distribution across specialties (maternal/pediatrics/mental health) and faculty workload for an initial program. Consultants who visited the campus said the facility and simulation planning were adequate but recommended enrollment limits to ensure clinical capacity is not stretched. Allison Edwards moved approval with the conditions in the survey visit report; Ken Johnson seconded. After clarifying language and finalizing how quarterly admissions would be scheduled, the board adopted an order with a maximum of 20 students per quarter for initial operation (80/year) and directed staff to monitor NCLEX pass rates and program compliance.

Next steps: South College will begin initial admissions as approved and must submit the required post-approval reports on faculty appointments, clinical placement execution and early student outcomes. The board noted that the campus may seek expansion later after satisfactory outcomes and fulfillment of conditions.