Meeting of the Board of Regents | January 2010

Summary

Issue for Decision (Consent Agenda)

              Should the Regents approve the proposed master plan amendment for Nyack College to offer a licensure-qualifying nursing program leading to the Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing?

Reason(s) for Consideration

              Required by State Statute.

Proposed Handling

This question will come before the full Board at its January 2010 meeting where it will be voted on and action taken.

Procedural History

              Approval of master plan amendments by the Board of Regents is required by section 237 of the Education Law.  Because this would be the first baccalaureate-level program in the major mission area of the health professions at the College, a master plan amendment is necessary.

Background Information

              The Nyack College Board of Trustees, at its February 16, 2006 meeting, adopted a resolution to amend the College’s Master Plan to authorize Nyack College to offer instruction leading to the Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing.

              Nyack College is a Christian liberal arts college of The Christian and Missionary Alliance. The proposed program will support Nyack College’s mission by educating nursing students in a culturally diverse environment that will better prepare them for real world experiences and opportunities to minister to the health care needs of vulnerable populations. The College currently offers baccalaureate degree programs in accounting, biblical and theological studies, business, communications, computer science, criminal justice, cross-cultural studies, education, English, history, interdisciplinary studies, mathematics, music, organizational leadership, pastoral and youth ministries, philosophy, psychology, and sociology. The College has requested registration of a program leading to the Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and eligibility to take the licensure examination for registered professional nursing.

Program

              The proposed program will require completion of 128 semester hours of credit offered over 4 years.  The program includes 55 credits in nursing course work, 25 credits in the biological and physical sciences, 12 credits in the social and psychological sciences, 9 credits in English, 9 credits in biblical/spiritual studies, 6 credits in history, 6 credits in mathematics, 3 credits in interdisciplinary studies, and 3 credits in a fine arts elective.  Students begin nursing courses in the first semester of the second year after completing 34 credits of arts and science course work that includes the first course of a two-course sequence in anatomy and physiology, an introductory chemistry course, and a principles of nutrition course.  Taken concurrently with the first nursing course are the second course in anatomy and physiology and an introductory microbiology course.  Students will begin clinical rotations in the second semester of the second year and complete approximately 600 clinical contact hours over the entire program.  Attendance at campus clinical skills laboratory sessions will add about 75 more clinically-oriented contact hours to the program. Clinical experiences will be scheduled in acute care, ambulatory care, long-term care, pediatric, psychiatric, public health, and rehabilitation settings.     

Enrollment

              Applicants to Nyack College must be high school graduates, with a minimum high school GPA of 2.0, and successful completion of courses in biology, chemistry, and two years of mathematics.  Additionally, students must have a minimum SAT score of 920 or an ACT score of at least 19, obtain a pastoral recommendation, and complete a personal interview.  Progression into the nursing program will require a minimum GPA of 2.7, with a minimum GPA of 2.5 in core courses such as algebra, chemistry, and nutrition.  The College anticipates 30 full-time students will begin the program in fall 2010 and each fall thereafter.  Annual attrition is projected to be about 20 percent.

Faculty

              Currently, there is one full-time faculty member at the College who is involved in program development. Coordinating program development activities is a second individual who is on loan from Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Mount Vernon, Ohio, where she developed a baccalaureate program that received initial approval from the Ohio Board for Nursing in 2006.  Nyack College has conducted interviews for a full-time Director whose responsibilities will largely (75%) be devoted to administrative duties.  During a September 29, 2009 visit to the College, the Assistant Provost noted that the College is prepared to offer the Director’s position to a candidate once the program is approved.  A Laboratory Coordinator will be added by the second semester of the second year.  Prior to the third year of the program, the College plans to hire two more full-time faculty who have expertise in maternal-child and medical surgical nursing.  Before the fourth year, two more faculty with mental health and critical care nursing expertise will be hired.  Nursing faculty must have a minimum of a master’s degree in nursing, with an earned doctorate preferred.  Documented evidence of leadership and expertise in the area of assigned instruction are required. The non-nursing courses will be taught by existing faculty at the College.

Facilities

              The College is currently upgrading its library and has plans drawn for remodeling of space in the Boon Campus Center to accommodate nursing classrooms, faculty offices, a one-bed clinical simulation room, and a five-bed clinical skills laboratory.  Total space dedicated to the proposed program is approximately 3,400 square feet. The College has a one-million dollar gift to fund initial costs and expects to generate about $550,000 in tuition revenue during the first year of operation. In the second year of operation, revenue is projected to increase to about $1.2 million, and by the fifth year of operation total revenue is expected to be about $2.5 million.  Projected expenses range from $635,000 in the first year to about $1.8 million in the fifth year of operation.  Capital expenditures for equipment and remodeling total about $395,000 during the first two years. Thereafter, equipment expenditures are expected to be about $6,500 annually.  The College received $200,000 from the New York State Senate in 2008 to assist with capital funding for classroom and clinical skills laboratory resources. The Education Department’s Office of Audit Services reviewed Nyack College’s audited financial statement for 2007-2009.  Audit Services noted that for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, Nyack College had $1.45 in current assets for each dollar of current liabilities.  This represents the College’s strongest financial position over the last three years with respect to the assets-to-liabilities ratio.

Planning Review

              A canvass was conducted of all institutions in the Mid-Hudson Region. There was one concern raised related to the potential shortage of clinical placement sites for students.  The College has developed clinical placement agreements with 11 health care facilities that will provide students with clinical experience opportunities in acute care, ambulatory care, community health, long-term care, mental health, pediatric, and public health settings.  Collectively, these sites have the capacity to provide a maximum of 234 placements in a given academic year once the program is fully operational.

Recommendation

              It is recommended that the Board of Regents approve the proposed master plan amendment of Nyack College authorizing the College to offer the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Nursing.  This amendment will be effective until January 31, 2011, unless the Department registers the program prior to that date, in which case the master plan amendment shall be without term.

Timetable for Implementation

              If the Board of Regents approves the master plan amendment, the Department will register the program and the institution will proceed to recruit and enroll students.