WC NEWS

The Weatherford College Board of Trustees received an update from the Alesia Armstrong Wiggs School of Nursing at its meeting on Thursday afternoon, underscoring the program’s quality, innovation and critical role in addressing the statewide nursing shortage.   
WC President Tod Allen Farmer began the presentation by praising the nursing team.  

“You can look far and wide, and you will not find a better faculty or a better nursing program than what you can find here at Weatherford College,” he said.  

The presentation was led by nursing program leaders Lori Boyd, director of vocational nursing; Melanie Sharp, director of the Associate Degree Nursing program; and Dr. Ashley Brown, director of the Bachelor of Science in nursing program.  

They highlighted several key accomplishments from each of their areas, starting with exceptional student outcomes. The LVN program achieved a 100 percent NCLEX licensure pass rate in 2024, with the 2025 unvalidated scores at 95.5 percent. The ADN program’s current pass rate is 95.58 percent.  

The LVN program is a vital entry point, providing students with the opportunity to quickly enter the profession.  

“It’s life-changing for someone who has a minimum wage job that is not leaving them fulfilled or helping them feel impactful in any way for them to come to a 12-month, rigorous three-semester program, and leave and then make an impactful difference on people’s lives and make $35 an hour doing it,” Boyd said. “I think that is the definition of transformative education.”  

To further support these students, the LVN program launched the first evening vocational nursing program in Texas in 2024, designed to provide a pathway for full-time workers and single parents. The pilot group is scheduled to graduate this coming spring.  

For the ADN program, 151 new registered nurses are scheduled to graduate from the Weatherford and Wise County campuses in December.  

But these numbers are a long way from bridging the state’s 60,000-person nursing shortage. Sharp explained how an aging workforce, population growth and high burnout rates are keeping nursing an in-demand profession.  

And there are students ready to learn.  

Sharp reported the ADN program received more than 300 applicants for just 160 available spots in the fall semester. Both WC campuses currently run both day and evening nursing programs, yet approximately 80 to 100 highly qualified students were turned away primarily due to limited classroom space and clinical placement spots.  

Board Chair Dan Carney shared a point of personal observation, noting high praise from Tarrant County medical administrators for WC graduates, who are viewed as highly prepared and ready to work. Sharp added that area hospitals are actively seeking WC graduates.  

Brown reported 130 students in the online BSN program for the fall and anticipates its largest applicant pool this spring, further indicating the high demand for WC’s nursing education.  

“We were on a conference call with the advisory committee last week,” Brown said, “and one of the CNO’s (Chief Nursing Officer) said, ‘I want Weatherford College students. They’re the best. They’re the most prepared and ready to hit the ground running.’”   
   
In his report to the board, WC President Tod Allen Farmer:  

• Recognized Fredrick Sanders on his recent induction into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame.  
• Congratulated board member Tom Vick on being named a distinguished alumnus of Austin College.  
• Reported on the success of the Coyote volleyball team and their upcoming appearance in Tennessee for the national volleyball tournament.
• Announced the retirement of Kathy Renken, instruction librarian, and Tammi White, health and human sciences administrative assistant.  
• Announced the resignation of Adam Parish, EMS instructor; Sierra Cherryhomes, WC Wise County cosmetology instructor; and Courtney Malone, catering cook.   
     
  In other business, the board:  
• Approved the minutes from the Oct. 9 meeting.  
• Approved the financial reports ending Sept. 30.  
• Approved the annual review of local policy appropriations and revenue sources.  
• Approved a contract quote from Flair Data Systems for the purchase of wireless access points.  
• Approved a Carahsoft Cooperative Contract quote from E&I Cooperative Services for Arctic Wolf managed detection and response.  
• Approved an increase to the thresholds for formal competitive solicitations and for board of trustees’ approval to align with new state laws.
• Approved the disposal of obsolete and surplus items through online auction.  
• Received written reports from WC Wise County, academic and student services.  
• Received the 2024-25 equities in athletics report.