Nursing graduates win lawsuit against Iowa Wesleyan

A judge has ordered Iowa Wesleyan University in Mount Pleasant to pay $525,000 to seven 2013 nursing graduates after a jury ruled in favor of the graduates in a lawsuit related to the school's loss of accreditation.

The graduates claimed in the lawsuit filed in October 2013 the university's nursing program lost accreditation March 29, 2013, and officials knew several months earlier accreditation was at risk. The school did not tell nursing students about the change until after they had already graduated, the lawsuit states.

Jennifer Wittman, 35, of Iowa City, already had passed the nursing certification exam and secured a job as a staff nurse at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in August 2013 when she learned Iowa Wesleyan's nursing program had lost its accreditation.

Wittman's plan had been to work for a while and then go to graduate school to become a family nurse practitioner. But most of the top 25 programs required a bachelor's degree from an accredited nursing program.

'It seriously limited my options for grad school,” she said.

Because they didn't graduate from an accredited school, other plaintiffs in the lawsuit struggled to get nursing jobs in the military, Department of Veterans Affairs administration or in other states, Wittman said.

Iowa Wesleyan officials said Thursday they would comply with the judge's order to pay each of the seven graduates $75,000.

'Iowa Wesleyan University recognizes this situation is disappointing for all parties involved,” said Meg Richtman, senior vice president for university advancement. 'The Iowa Wesleyan University nursing program is now nationally accredited, and we continue to provide high-quality nursing education to our students.”

The nursing program regained accreditation in October 2014.

Iowa Wesleyan, a four-year liberal arts college, announced major restructuring in March 2014 that included closing about half the academic programs and laying off dozens of faculty and staff. The cuts were necessary, officials said, because of low enrollment and financial struggles - both of which have been seen at other private colleges.

University President Steve Titus said at that time the school would narrow its academic focus to business, education and nursing.

Wittman, now pursuing a doctorate of nursing practice at the UI, said she doesn't harbor bad feelings for Iowa Wesleyan.

'We're happy because this sets a precedent,” Wittman said. 'I hope it prevents schools from doing this in the future.”