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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Version: June 20, 2016 |Policy Vote: ED. 9 - 0 | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Urgency: No |Mandate: No | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Hearing Date: June 27, 2016 |Consultant: Jillian Kissee | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ? 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 ? 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 ? 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". -- END --