The Texas Board of Nursing voted July 18 to grant initial approval to Southern Careers Institute (SCI) to establish an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing program at its Brownsville campus, with an initial annual admission of 30 students. Board staff and consultants recommended approval following a May/June survey visit; the board’s action imposed the standard board conditions and reporting requirements.

Why it matters: Brownsville and the Rio Grande Valley have persistent nursing shortages; SCI said its program would add training capacity and draw from a strong pipeline of allied-health graduates in the Valley. The proposal described an accelerated 16‑month full‑time program geared to working students and included a plan for federal student aid, institutional scholarships and other affordability measures.

What SCI told the board: SCI co-owner Matthew Hawes said the company has invested more than $800,000 in simulation labs and program build-out at the Brownsville campus and emphasized a ready pipeline of local MA and CNA graduates. Proposed dean Teresa Tillman described a 16-month, four-term curriculum with emphasis on clinical hours; the proposal included affiliating agreements with nine local facilities for acute, post-acute, long-term and specialty clinical placements. Tillman said the program will emphasize remediation, coaching and student success services and described a two-full-time‑faculty start plan with additional hires as cohorts expand.

Board scrutiny and conditions: Board members asked about faculty workload, weekend clinical scheduling, facility readiness and sustainability. Staff said they verified the campus build-out and equipment during a June visit and judged it adequate for initial operation. The board required that SCI complete its hires, finalize clinical placement schedules, and meet the board’s monitoring conditions prior to high‑volume enrollment or expansion.

Outcome: Ken Johnson moved approval; Maisie Jamieson seconded. The board approved SCI’s Brownsville ADN with conditions and standard follow-up reporting, and staff will monitor NCLEX pass rates, faculty hires and fulfillment of clinical placements. SCI said it has signed several clinical affiliation agreements and will begin recruiting for the January 2026 start if conditions are satisfied.