BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular Session
AB 2317 (Mullin) - California State University: Doctor of
Audiology degrees
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|Version: June 20, 2016 |Policy Vote: ED. 9 - 0 |
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|Urgency: No |Mandate: No |
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|Hearing Date: June 27, 2016 |Consultant: Jillian Kissee |
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This bill does not meet the criteria for referral to the
Suspense File.
Bill
Summary: This bill authorizes the California State University
(CSU) to award the Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degree, as
specified.
Fiscal
Impact:
No significant fiscal impact to the state. As with any new
degree program proposed by a campus, it is a local campus
decision to seek approval from CSU Chancellor's Office to
offer new programs. Legislation is needed in this instance
because the new program is a doctorate degree. If a campus
chooses to provide an Au.D. degree program, funding would
largely come from a new tuition fee for the program as well as
funding from within existing campus resource allocations,
including state General Fund. See staff comments.
AB 2317 (Mullin) Page 1 of
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Background: Existing law outlines the mission of each of the state's
segments of postsecondary institutions. It establishes the
University of California (UC) as the sole authority in public
higher education to award doctoral degrees, except that it may
agree with the CSU to award joint doctoral degrees in selected
fields. Existing law also allows the CSU to award a doctoral
degree with independent California colleges and universities but
establishes the primary mission of the CSU as undergraduate and
graduate instruction through the master's degree. (Education
Code Section 66010.4)
The CSU has received special authorization to offer three
doctoral degrees independently: Doctor of Education, Doctor of
Physical Therapy (DPT), and Doctor of Nursing Practice.
(Education Code Section 66040, 66042, and 89281)
An audiologist is a professional who diagnoses and treats
hearing and balance problems. In 2001, the American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association changed its certification
standards for audiologists, requiring a doctorate in audiology
or closely related area, beginning in 2007. Schools that did
not offer a doctorate in audiology would lose their
accreditation. The CSU was offering five master's level
audiology programs and one joint doctoral program between San
Diego State University (SDSU) and UC San Diego (UCSD). To date,
the SDSU/UCSD joint degree is the only public program in the
state. The only other Au.D. degree program offered in the state
is at the University of the Pacific.
Proposed Law:
This bill authorizes the CSU to award an Au.D degree that
complies with certain requirements, including that the degree be
focused on preparing audiologists to provide health care
services.
In addition, this bill:
AB 2317 (Mullin) Page 2 of
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Prohibits enrollment from altering the CSU's ratio of graduate
instruction to total enrollment;
Prohibits the program from diminishing enrollment growth in
undergraduate programs;
Requires that each student in the program be charged fees no
higher than the rate charged for students in audiology
doctoral degrees at the UC; and
Requires any startup funding for the program to come from
within existing budgets for academic support, without
diminishing the quality of program support offered to CSU
undergraduate programs.
Finally, this bill provides that funding on a per full-time
equivalent student (FTES) basis for students in the program is
required to be from within the CSU's enrollment growth levels as
provided in the annual Budget Act. Staff notes that the state
does not consistently specify enrollment levels and related
funding in the state budget and the CSU also uses other
general-purpose resources to support academic programs. This
bill also requires that funding provided from the state for each
FTES be at the agreed-upon marginal cost calculation that the
CSU receives. Staff notes that this is obsolete language that
no longer applies.
Staff
Comments: The CSU indicates that, as with all degrees, it would
approve programs based on several factors, including whether
campus resources are in place to sustain a program and proposals
that would require minimal start-up investments. For campuses
that had master degree programs in audiology, the master degree
curriculum would likely serve as a foundation that would be
updated and revised to reflect a doctoral-level program. This
AB 2317 (Mullin) Page 3 of
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is similar to the transition from the master's degree in
physical therapy to the DPT program. Also, some campuses have
retained faculty from former master's programs that could likely
transition to the Au.D. degree programs.
Similar to any other new degree program, the CSU Chancellor's
Office does not provide allocations for starting up doctorates.
CSU indicates that each program is a local, campus decision as
part of campus' allocation of resources. Program costs would
likely vary by campus and would be funded mostly by an Au.D.
doctoral tuition fee plus varying levels of state and university
general purpose funding, similar to the DPT program.
Recommended
Amendments: Staff recommends the following amendments to remove
references to obsolete funding mechanisms and other technical
changes:
On page 3, strike out lines 16 through 18 and on line
19, strike out "to in the annual Budget Act." Also, strike
out on line 19, "shall".
On page 3, strike out line 20, and on line 21, strike
out "instruction to total enrollment, and"
On page 3, on line 22 strike out "Funding provided" and
strike out lines 23 and 24.
One page 3, line 36, after "startup", insert "and
operation".
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