News and Updates

SGSC’s Dr. Scott Thigpen elected to ACEN Board of Commissioners

Dr. Scott Thigpen DNP RN has been elected to the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) Board of Commissioners for a three-year term. The 17-members of the ACEN Board of Commissioners are elected by ACEN-accredited nursing programs. 

ACEN is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to accredit all types of nursing education programs, including the clinical doctorate, master’s/post-master’s certificate, baccalaureate, associate, diploma and practical nursing programs. ACEN also accredits nursing programs in United States territories, including: Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam. The CHEA recognition allows ACEN to accredit international nursing programs which include Scotland, Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, Turkey and Jordan; countries having programs with a candidate status include Jordan, Kuwait and Columbia. ACEN-accredited programs continue to demonstrate positive outcomes for students, including the success rates for the licensure and certification examinations as well as high program completion rates and job placement rates.

Dr. Thigpen is a professor of Nursing at South Georgia State College (SGSC). SGSC maintains full ACEN accreditation for the Associate and Baccalaureate of Nursing programs through spring 2027. For more information about SGSC nursing programs, email nursinginformation@sgsc.edu