Mary Jane S. Hanson, PhD, CRNP, CNS, FNP-BC, professor, family nurse practitioner, and director of the graduate nursing and DNP programs, has been elected to the Board of Commissioners for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).   CCNE is an autonomous accrediting agency, contributing to the improvement of the public’s health, and recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit nursing programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels, including programs offering distance education.  As a specialized/professional accrediting agency, CCNE evaluates and makes judgments about the quality of baccalaureate and graduate programs in nursing located in colleges and universities that are accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.  The Board of Commissioners is the final authority on all policy and accreditation matters affecting CCNE.  The Board adopts standards and procedures for the CCNE accreditation process and has final authority over all accreditation actions.  The Board is comprised of 13 individuals who broadly represent CCNE’s community of interest and include nursing faculty, chief nurse administrators,  practicing nurses, and professional consumers.  CCNE currently accredits over 700 nursing programs across the country.