The director of the nursing program at my city college required students to sign a false statement.

One thing many laypersons don't think about before consulting a lawyer is whether legal action is even worth the trouble. A lawsuit or even arbitration / mediation can be very time consuming. The fact your college is a city college (an arm of the state, and thus subject to certain types of "sovereign immunities," or protections from legal action) could make a potential lawsuit even more time consuming and expensive.

How were the students injured by the director's actions? If the students can't articulate an injury (especially a monetary injury) then they would at best be entitled to "nominal damages" of usually $1.00. Why pay an attorney $1,000 or more to collect $1.00?

Things would be different if you suffered financial damages, certain types of emotional damages, or had your civil rights violated, but in this case you would likely be better off just keeping the question "what legal action may be taken against the director" purely hypothetical.

NOTE: This answer is not intended to be legal advice and should not be construed in that way. This answer does not create an attorney-client relationship and no such relationship may be created absent a signed retainer agreement. The author is licensed in Illinois only, and his answer is for educational purposes alone.