BILL ANALYSIS
AB 492
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 5, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Anthony Portantino, Chair
AB 492 (Conway) - As Introduced: February 24, 2009
SUBJECT : Community Colleges: nursing faculty.
SUMMARY : Allows temporary clinical nursing faculty at
California Community Colleges (CCC) to teach an unlimited number
of semesters or quarters within any period of three consecutive
years; authorizes a CCC district to employ temporary clinical
nursing faculty even if the hiring of such faculty results in an
increase in the ratio of part-time to full-time nursing faculty
in that CCC district; and makes various related findings and
declarations.
EXISTING LAW
1)Limits temporary clinical nursing faculty at CCC to teaching
four semesters or six quarters in any three-year period until
June 30, 2014. After June 30, 2014, temporary clinical
nursing faculty at CCC are limited to teaching two semesters
in any three-year period.
2)Requires the CCC Chancellor to report to the Legislature and
the Governor by September 30, 2012 regarding the number of
districts that hired faculty pursuant to the aforementioned
law, and the ratio of full-time to part-time faculty for these
districts.
3)Prohibits a CCC district from hiring temporary clinical
nursing faculty if such hiring results in an increase in the
ratio of part-time to full-time nursing faculty in that CCC
district.
4)Establishes legislative intent that at least 75% of the credit
hours taught at CCC districts be taught by full-time
instructors, requires CCC Board of Governors to adopt
regulations to establish minimum standards regarding the
appropriate percentage of credit instruction that should be
taught by full-time instructors, and requires the CCC
Chancellor to calculate specified information relative to
credit instruction hours taught by part-time and full-time
faculty.
AB 492
Page 2
FISCAL EFFECT : This bill is keyed "non-fiscal" by Legislative
Counsel.
COMMENTS : California shortage of nursing faculty : According
to the Board of Registered Nursing 2007-08 Annual School Report,
"expansion in Registered Nurse (RN) education has required
nursing programs to hire more faculty to teach the growing
number of students. Although the number of nursing faculty has
grown by 87.3% since 2000-2001, faculty hires have not kept pace
with the growth in California pre-licensure nursing programs.
In 2007-2008, 170 faculty vacancies were reported, representing
a faculty vacancy rate of 4.7%. Although this vacancy rate is
the lowest reported in four years, RN programs will not be able
to continue their expansion without more faculty."
CCC nursing education programs : According to the CCC
Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) Report on Nursing Education Programs
released in April of 2009, there are 74 CCC campuses currently
operating RN programs, enrolling a total of 13,047
full-time-equivalent students. Enrollments have increased by
about 48% over the last three to four years due to the
development of new programs, and expansion of enrollment
capacity through partnerships with the health care industry, and
federal and state funded programs and grants.
The numbers of temporary CCC nursing faculty has grown in recent
years, while at the same time the number of tenured/tenure track
faculty has remained relatively stagnant. According to
information provided by the CCCCO, in the Fall term of 2002,
there were 571 (52.6%) tenured/tenure track faculty and 515
temporary nursing faculty. By the Fall 2007 term, the number of
tenured/tenure track faculty had dropped to 552 (41.7%) while
the number of temporary nursing faculty grew to 772 (58.3%).
This growth in temporary nursing faculty can largely be
attributed to enrollment expansion efforts funded by grants.
Purpose of this bill : According to the author, California faces
"a dire nursing shortage and an aging population. A major
contributor to the nursing shortage is the fact that our CCC
system, which educates 66% of RNs in California, places many
unnecessary restrictions on nursing faculty." The author
further argues "given that an RN can often earn a higher salary
in the medical field than as CCC faculty, many CCCs are finding
it harder to hire full-time nursing faculty than part-time
AB 492
Page 3
nursing faculty." The author also points to a Legislative
Analysts Office report that "there is no evidence that having a
ratio of full-time to part-time faculty and limiting the amount
of terms that a temporary faculty member can teach within a 3
year period effects student outcomes." The author argues that
this bill grants much needed flexibility to CCC to hire
additional part-time clinical nursing faculty.
Appropriate timing of this bill : SB 1309 (Scott), Chapter 837,
Statutes of 2006, increased, until June 30, 2014, the number of
semesters in a three year period, from two semesters to four
semesters, that temporary part-time clinical nursing faculty are
allowed to teach, provided that it does not result in an
increase in the ratio of part-time to full-time nursing faculty
in the CCC district. The CCC Chancellor is required to submit
to the Legislature by September 30, 2012, a report detailing the
numbers of faculty hired under this statute and the ratio of
full-time to part-time faculty in the CCC districts. CCC
districts are just ending the second full academic year under
these new provisions. In light of this, the committee may wish
to consider if this bill is premature.
Should this bill contain a sunset ? As noted above, existing law
requires the CCC Chancellor to report to the Legislature and the
Governor on the effects the law by September 30, 2012.
Additionally, existing law establishes a sunset for the expanded
use of temporary clinical nursing faculty of June 30, 2014.
This bill expands the number of courses temporary clinical
nursing faculty may teach beyond that contained in existing law
and deletes the sunset date. The committee may wish to require
the sunset date of June 30, 2014 be reinstated.
Related legislation : SB 182 (Ashburn), pending in the Senate
Education Committee, deletes the limitation that temporary
clinical nursing faculty be employed for not more than four
semesters or six quarters within a three year period.
SB 1620 (Ashburn) of 2008 failed passage in the Assembly
Appropriations. SB 1620 would have allowed temporary clinical
nursing faculty at three CCC districts, as selected by the
Chancellor of the CCC, to teach an unlimited number of semesters
between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2012.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
AB 492
Page 4
Support
California Hospital Association
Long Beach City College
Opposition
California Federation of Teachers
California Teachers Association
Faculty Association of California Community Colleges
Analysis Prepared by : Laura Metune / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960