BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 867
AUTHOR: Nava and Arambula
AMENDED: April 14, 2009
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: July 15, 2009
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Nancy Anton
SUBJECT : California State University: Doctor of Nursing
Practice Degree.
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes the California State University (CSU)
to award a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree subject
to specified conditions.
BACKGROUND
Current law provides that the primary mission of the CSU is
undergraduate and graduate instruction through the master's
degree. It specifies that CSU (1) shall offer
undergraduate and graduate instruction through the master's
degree, and (2) may offer doctoral degrees jointly with the
University of California (UC) or other independent
institutions of higher education provided they are approved
by the California Postsecondary Education Commission
(CPEC). Current law also authorizes CSU to independently
award the Doctor of Education (Ed.D) degree focused solely
on preparing administrative leaders for California public
K-14 schools.
In setting forth the missions and functions of California
public and independent institutions of higher education,
current law provides, among other things, that UC "has the
sole authority in public higher education to award the
doctoral degree in all fields of learning, except that it
may agree with the CSU to award joint doctoral degrees in
selected fields."
ANALYSIS
This bill authorizes CSU to award the Doctor of Nursing
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Practice (DNP) degree to prepare nurses for advanced
practice nursing and prepare clinical faculty to teach in
postsecondary nursing education programs subject to the
following specifications:
1) The DNP program shall be designed to enable students
to earn the degree while working full time.
2) DNP program funding shall be from within CSU's annual
Budget Act appropriation for enrollment growth.
Initial funding shall be from within existing budgets
for academic programs without diminishing the quality
of undergraduate academic programs. In addition,
enrollment in Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
programs:
a) Shall not alter the CSU ratio of graduate
instruction to total enrollment.
b) Shall not diminish enrollment growth in
university undergraduate programs.
c) Shall be funded at the marginal cost
calculation that the CSU receives for graduate
enrollment.
3) If CSU establishes a DNP degree program, it shall
report annually on the status of the program/s to the
California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC),
the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO), and the
appropriate legislative budget subcommittees prior to
the meeting of legislative budget hearings.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Where will the funding come from ? The bill requires
that initial funding be "from within existing budgets
for academic programs support, without diminishing the
quality of program support offered to CSU
undergraduate programs." The bill also specifies that
ongoing funding come from enrollment growth without
altering the graduate/undergraduate instruction ratio.
Given these limitations, where will the funding come
from: graduate programs? If so, which ones? Private
funds? A mix of both? Staff recommends that the bill
be amended to identify the funding source(s).
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2) What about Master's level nursing programs ? It is not
clear if the DNP programs authorized by this bill are
intended to replace or supplant master's level nursing
programs. Information from the author's office
indicates that this is not their intent. Accordingly,
staff recommends that the bill be amended to include
language so clarifying. This language would
essentially be the same language that was included in
SB 1288 (Scott) of last session.
3) CPEC approval ? Current law generally requires
colleges to seek and receive approval by CPEC prior to
commencing new programs of study. The bill is unclear
if the CSU DNP programs authorized by this bill are to
be subject to or exempted from this process.
Information from the author's office indicates that it
is not their intent to exempt these programs;
accordingly, staff recommends that the bill be amended
to clarify that although this bill authorizes CSU to
offer DNP degree programs, such programs are still
subject to existing review and approval processes.
4) Are DNP programs the answer to the nursing faculty
shortage ? While numerous studies point to a shortage
of nursing faculty one of the contributing factors to
the overall shortage of nursing faculty, they do not
identify additional DNP programs as the primary
solution. For example, one of the difficulties in
recruiting/retaining nurse faculty is that their
salaries may be only half what can be earned as a
clinical nurse. A June 2008 study by the California
Institute for Nursing & Health Care (CINHC) identified
seven critical areas for strategic nursing education
redesign and additional DNP programs were not one of
their recommendations. The most common barriers to
expanding nursing programs were lack of clinical sites
and lagging faculty salaries. In addition, a CSU
Advisory Committee found that an Ed.D program - which
CSU is already authorized to provide - which focuses
on nursing should likely meet the need for nursing
faculty and a survey of CSU and community college
nursing directors found that the Ed.D was the
preferred doctoral degree for nursing faculty.
5) Existing DNP programs have capacity . In California
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there are currently three higher education
institutions which offer DNP programs: University of
San Francisco, University of San Diego and the Western
University of Health Sciences (in Pomona). While one
program typically runs at capacity, the other two do
not. In addition, UC Irvine is considering offering
such a program. If there is available capacity in
existing DNP programs, does it make sense to alter CSU
mission's to authorize them to also offer such
programs?
6) Premature ? A March 2009 report from the California
Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) indicates
the need to understand nursing education and supply
issues within the context of statewide program
planning, which they are undertaking. Given this, is
it premature for CSU to expand their nursing degree
offerings before CPEC has completed its study project?
7) Why not a joint doctorate? Current law authorizes CSU
to offer a joint doctorate with the University of
California. Should this option be explored prior to
authorizing CSU to establish its own nursing doctoral
degree program?
8) Prior legislation . On April 17, 2008, the Senate
Education Committee heard and passed (9-0) Senate Bill
1288 (Scott) which would have authorized CSU to offer
DNP degree programs. SB 1288 was held in the Senate
Appropriations Committee.
SUPPORT
American Nurses Association/California
American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees
Asian Americans for Community Involvement
California Hospital Association
California State Student Association
California State University
Coast Community College District
Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce
Joint Venture Silicon Valley
Oxnard Chamber of Commerce
San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce
Silicon Valley Leadership Group
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Thousand Oaks-Westlake Village Regional chamber of Commerce
OPPOSITION
None received.