A contested review of Quest Nursing Education Center’s continuing approval application and its request to admit multiple cohorts dominated a portion of the board's May 16 meeting, with the program’s attorney and program director contesting the NEC report and the subsequent handling of follow-up submissions.

An attorney representing Quest, James Eric Smith, raised procedural concerns about the NEC process: Quest submitted its continuing-approval application in December 2024 and, the attorney said, was not given required missing-item notifications within 30 days. He told the board there were inconsistent instructions from NEC staff about tutoring documentation and that a March unannounced evaluation occurred before the program could implement or demonstrate corrective actions.

Program director Dr. Stacy Alettu said the program has been "working very, very hard to keep our program compliant" and disputed several NEC observations, including assertions about classroom conduct and tutoring. Dr. Alettu described changes the program had made to admissions testing thresholds and adoption of ATI for student preparation and a pre-graduation "boot camp" to promote NCLEX success.

NEC staff (Miss Davila) responded that the NEC report stands as submitted and that follow-up materials had been reviewed but that outstanding concerns remained. Public commenters associated with Quest, including faculty and program staff, disputed specific observational claims in the NEC report and described operational improvements.

Board members asked questions about fees (the program director stated total student cost is $30,000) and the timeline of submissions. At an initial roll-call, several members recorded abstentions; the meeting chair indicated the item would be tabled due to insufficient votes. Later in the meeting counsel advised the board that under applicable civil-code provisions the majority of those who actually voted determines the outcome; counsel stated the motion passed, recording a tally of 3 yes, 0 no, and 3 abstentions.

Why it matters: Quest’s review illustrates how continuing-approval processes can involve both technical program-evaluation issues and procedural due-process questions. The exchange also shows how differing interpretations of meeting and voting rules can affect final outcomes.

What comes next: The board's record indicates NEC follow-up review will continue and that staff will process required documentation. The board directed staff to monitor compliance and will revisit any unresolved deficiencies in future agendas if necessary.