BILL ANALYSIS
AB 867
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CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 867 (Nava and Arambula)
As Amended August 20, 2010
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |71-7 |(June 3, 2009) |SENATE: |31-1 |(August 24, |
| | | | | |2010) |
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Original Committee Reference: HIGHER ED.
SUMMARY : Authorizes the California State University (CSU) to
establish a three-campus pilot program to independently award a
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, subject to the
following specifications:
1)Limits the pilot program to three CSU campuses as chosen by
the CSU Board of Trustees and to the field of "nursing
practice."
2)Specifies that enrollment and maintenance in the DNP pilot
program shall:
a) Be limited to no more than 90 Full-Time Equivalent
Students (FTES) at all three pilot campuses combined;
b) Not alter CSU's ratio of graduate instruction to total
enrollment; and,
c) Not diminish enrollment growth in CSU undergraduate
programs.
3)Stipulates that the DNP degree shall be distinct from the
doctor of philosophy (Ph.D) degree offered at, or in
conjunction with, the University of California (UC) and shall
allow professionals to earn the DNP degree while working full
time.
4)Requires funding to be provided through the enrollment growth
provided to CSU in the annual Budget Act at the agreed-upon
marginal cost calculation that CSU receives for graduate
enrollment.
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5)Requires CSU to provide any needed startup funding from within
existing budgets for academic program support without
diminishing the quality of program support offered to CSU
undergraduate programs and to seek funding from private and
non-state sources.
6)Requires CSU, the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO), and the
Department of Finance to jointly conduct a statewide
evaluation of the degree pilot program, as specified, and
report to the Legislature and the Governor on or before
January 1, 2017.
7)Prohibits CSU from enrolling any new students in the degree
pilot program after July 1, 2018, however, students who enroll
prior to that date will be permitted to complete their
coursework on or after that date.
8)Codifies legislative intent that this authority is an
exception to the Master Plan for Higher Education (Master
Plan).
9)Repeals this article as of July 1, 2018.
The Senate amendments limit this bill to a three-campus pilot
program, expand the reporting requirements, and sunset the pilot
program effective July 1, 2018.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill was significantly broader,
allowing CSU to award the DNP degree permanently and systemwide.
FISCAL EFFECT : It is the intent of the Legislature that CSU
seek private donations or other nonstate funds to fund startup
costs for the degree pilot program.
COMMENTS : One of the major features of the Master Plan is the
differentiation of functions among the public postsecondary
segments, which focuses limited state resources on a few key
responsibilities in each of the three public sectors, as
follows:
1)UC is the state's primary academic research institution and is
to provide undergraduate, graduate, and professional
education. UC is given exclusive jurisdiction in public
higher education for doctoral degrees (with the exception that
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CSU can award joint doctorates) and for instruction in law,
medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine.
2)CSU's primary mission is undergraduate education and graduate
education through the master's degree including professional
and teacher education. Doctorates can be awarded jointly with
UC or an independent institution, with the approval of CPEC.
3)The California Community Colleges (CCC) have the primary
mission of providing academic and vocational instruction for
older and younger students through the first two years of
undergraduate education.
In 2005, an exception to the Master Plan was approved to
authorize CSU to offer the doctor of education (Ed.D) degree
because data indicated that California lagged behind the nation
in Ed.D degrees per K-12 students, and UC did not offer Ed.D
programs [AB 724 (Scott), Chapter 269, Statutes of 2005].
According to a June 2008 study by the California Institute for
Nursing & Health Care (CINHC), more baccalaureate- and
graduate-prepared nurses will be needed as California strives to
fill a forecasted shortage of 116,000 nurses by 2020. While
numerous studies point to the need for more nurse educators,
they do not identify additional DNP programs as the primary
solution. The California Board of Registered Nurses (CBRN), in
its 2007-08 Annual School Report, found that the most common
barriers to nursing program expansion were lack of clinical
sites and uncompetitive faculty salaries.
In addition to being licensed by the state as RNs, advanced
practice nurses are certified by the state upon completion of an
accredited master's program. In October 2006, the American
Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) issued a
recommendation that advanced practice nurses, including nurse
practitioners, nurse anesthetists, midwives, and clinical nurse
specialists, be prepared with a professional degree beginning in
2015. However, since CBRN accredits California's nursing
programs, it would take action on the part of the state to adopt
professional degree requirements for advanced practice nurses.
According to the AACN, 86 institutions nationwide offer DNP
programs, and more than 50 nursing schools are considering
starting DNP programs. In California, the University of San
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Francisco, the University of San Diego, and the Western
University of Health Sciences in Pomona have DNP programs; one
of the programs is full, and two have capacity for more
students. While UC offers Ph.D degrees in nursing, it does not
currently offer DNPs; although, UC Irvine is considering a DNP
program.
Analysis Prepared by : Sandra Fried / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960
FN: 0006656