THE FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM
BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM APPROVAL
PROPOSAL FORMAT
COVER SHEET
INSTITUTION:
St. Johns River State College
BACCALAUREATE DEGREE CONTACTS:
PRIMARY
Name: Dr. Melanie Brown
Title:
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Phone: (386) 312-4202
Email: [email protected]
SECONDARY
Name: Dr. Anna Lebesch
Title:
Vice President for Workforce Development
Phone: (386) 312-4062
Email: [email protected]
DEGREE TYPE (BS, BAS, other): Bachelor of Science
DEGREE TITLE: Nursing
TOTAL NUMBER OF CREDIT HOURS: 123
PROPOSED DEGREE SIX-DIGIT CIP CODE (And track, if appropriate):
51.3801 (Track 2
of 2)
PLANNED PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION DATE: Fall 2013
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION/EMPLOYMENT OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES:
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree will be designed for Associate in
Science nursing graduates who hold a current valid unencumbered Florida Registered Nursing
(RN) license. The program will allow them to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to
progress their nursing careers. The curriculum of the program facilitates internalizing the values,
ethics, cultural sensitivity, and obligations of the professional nurse as well as applying critical
reasoning and evidence-based solutions to both clinical practice and management problems in a
broad range of healthcare settings. Furthermore, the BSN program provides the educational
foundation for graduates to transition to advanced studies in nursing.
The proposed Nursing program will provide traditional and nontraditional students with
access to a baccalaureate degree that is both affordable and available within the local service
St. Johns River State College – Nursing Program Approval Application
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district of Clay, Putnam, and St. Johns Counties. The program has been crafted to accommodate
the varying needs of both traditional full-time students and working adults whereby students can
complete the proposed degree at campuses near their homes through a combination of online and
hybrid classes.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPRO
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St. Johns River State College - Nursing Program Approval Application
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Institution: St. Johns River State College
Degree Type: Bachelor of Science
Degree Title: Nursing
The proposed nursing program will provide traditional and nontraditional students with
access to a baccalaureate degree that is both affordable and available within the local service
district. The program has been crafted to accommodate the varying needs of both traditional fulltime students and working adults whereby students can complete the proposed degree at
campuses near their homes through a combination of online and hybrid classes. Associate in
Science in nursing graduates who hold a valid unencumbered Florida Registered Nursing license
will acquire the skills and knowledge necessary for them to progress their nursing careers.
Program curriculum will facilitate internalizing the values, ethics, cultural sensitivity, and
obligations of the professional nurse as well as applying critical reasoning and evidence-based
solutions to both clinical practice and management problems in a broad range of healthcare
settings. Furthermore, the BSN program provides the educational foundation for graduates to
transition to advanced studies in nursing.
A. Planning Process
St. Johns River State College (SJR State) has a long-standing mission objective of
enabling students to earn baccalaureate degrees while remaining in the service district through
forming partnerships with four-year universities. With the appointment of a new President in
November 2008, the College began to reassess how it fulfilled this objective. Particularly
troubling to the College is data on Putnam County, where only 13.7% of residents age 25 and
over hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. This compares with a state average of 25.6% (Appendix
N, page 54).
In January 2009, President Pickens assembled a Bachelor’s Degree Task Force. A Board
of Trustees workshop was held in February 2009 which summarized the current baccalaureate
degree offerings by local colleges in the Florida College System and gave an overview of the
necessary steps for SJR State to become a bachelor degree-granting institution. The College
surveyed various stakeholder groups in March and April 2009, conducted a review of regional
labor markets, and after Board approval, began the formal process necessary for gaining
approval from both the State Board of Education and the Commission on Colleges of the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to offer baccalaureate degrees. The
College became a SACS Level II institution in June 2010 and implemented its first baccalaureate
degrees in January 2011.
Although the College’s initial baccalaureate degrees were not nursing, the original 2009
baccalaureate degree surveys indicated a strong interest in the College developing such a degree
(Appendix J, pages 44-48). Furthermore, comments from recent student surveys indicate that
students are still interested in such a degree. In fall 2011, an administrative sub-group was
charged with additional data gathering concerning a baccalaureate degree in nursing. The group
produced a report (Appendix B, page 29) that was submitted to the District Board of Trustees
and included curriculum information, program need data, collaboration information, as well as
financial impact to both the students and the College. At the October 2011 District Board of
Trustees meeting, approval was given to submit a Letter of Intent to the Florida Department of
Education for a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. Excerpts from District Board of Trustees
meeting minutes are found in Appendix A, page 27.
The President and his leadership team attended meetings with various groups and
institutions regarding the College’s baccalaureate nursing degree initiative. President Pickens
met with President Delaney of the University of North Florida and President Abare of Flagler
College prior to the District Board of Trustees granting approval for SJR State to submit its
Letter of Intent. Flagler College is the only regionally accredited postsecondary institution
headquartered in the service area and the University of North Florida, although not in the service
area, is the public university where most of SJR State’s students transfer to. Neither president
indicated that they would have an opposition to SJR State developing a Bachelor of Science
degree in Nursing. The College also communicated with St. Leo University whose Northeast
Florida Center is located on the College’s campuses. Minutes of these meetings are found in
Appendix D, E and F (pages 31-33). Appendix G (page 34) is an excerpt from an advisory board
meeting showing that the Nursing Advisory Board endorsed the proposed program. Appendix H
(page 35) is a list of organizations and individuals College representatives met with while
developing the proposal. Appendix P (pages 55-74) contains letters of support for the nursing
program.
B. Program Implementation Timeline
In November 2011, the College notified the Division of Florida Colleges of its intent to
offer a baccalaureate degree in Nursing. The College is planning to notify the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) in August 2012 of its intention to offer an
additional baccalaureate degree and will submit a prospectus during fall 2012.
Upon approval by both the State Board of Education and SACS, the College will hire a
12 month full-time faculty member with a doctorate in-field to administer and teach in the
program. The earliest date that upper division courses would begin is August 2013.
C. Workforce Demand/Unmet Need Specific to Program Area
An analysis of regional labor market information, economic data on regional business
and industry, the number of graduates produced by area educational programs in field, and
survey data from, and conversations with, stakeholder groups indicate that there is both a
demand and unmet need for this program. The College’s research using Economic Modeling
Specialists, Inc. (EMSI) datasets indicates that there will be an average of 104 annual openings
in SJR State’s service district in the next five years. In 2009, area colleges produced 77 graduates
in Nursing. These graduates were all associate degree graduates from St. Johns River State
College who were eligible to become registered nurses. The number of baccalaureate degree
graduates in the region was zero.
EMSI’s Complete Employment dataset (4th quarter 2011) indicates that the current
median hourly earnings for registered nurses are $25.28. Moreover, this occupation is expected
to grow from 2011-2016 at a rate that is higher than both the state and national average.
The College considered additional factors in establishing need: national education trends
in the registered nursing profession – current trend is for health care providers to increase the
number of nursing baccalaureate degree hires; local education trends – although ASN graduates
are currently hired by local health care facilities many require a BSN for career advancement;
and planned local expansions in healthcare facilities in Clay and St. Johns Counties. (Appendix
K, page 49)
D. Facilities and Equipment Specific to Program Area
St. Johns River State College will not need any new facilities for this program. Existing
administrative space and classroom and laboratory facilities will be sufficient. Hybrid and online
courses will utilize the same learning management system and web conferencing system that
existing courses use.
E. Library/Media Specific to Program Area
The results of a recent needs assessment for this program showed that the three fullservice SJR State Libraries currently own a collection of 2,780 print titles, 2,683 eBook titles, 13
print journals, 85 audiovisual materials as well as 14 online databases that provide access to
approximately 13,228 resources. Planned acquisitions of books, eBooks, and media to augment
and improve the existing Nursing Collection will specifically address curriculum at the 3000 and
4000 course level. No additional library staff will be needed for this program.
F. Academic Resources Specific to Program Area
The College will draw from its current pool of qualified instructors as it develops and
implements this baccalaureate degree program. Upon program approval, to ensure compliance
with SACS requirements, the College will hire one new full-time faculty member with a terminal
degree in-field whose primary responsibility will be to teach upper level courses and provide
overall program coordination. The College will add one full-time faculty member with terminal
degree in-field in the second year.
G. Cost to Students
The anticipated cost (tuition and fees) for four years of study at SJR State is $12,925.50
based on 2011-2012 figures. There are no state universities in the service district. Neither of the
two nonpublic institutions in the service district – Flagler College and St. Leo University – offer
a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
H. Academic Content
The Nursing program is an open access program. Eligible students will have completed
an Associate in Science in nursing degree with a minimum of a 2.0 GPA and hold a current valid
unencumbered Florida Registered Nursing license.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing is a 123 credit hour program. The 51 credits of post
associate-degree courses include 18 credit hours of lower-level general education/common
prerequisites and 33 credit hours of upper-level coursework. Upper-level course work is
comprised of 11 courses with an NUR prefix with students choosing either a 9 credit hour
clinical or a 9 credit hour leadership and management concentration.
I. Enrollment, Performance and Budget Plans
The enrollment for the first year is estimated to be 30 students. In subsequent years this
will increase leading to a projected enrollment of 60 students by the fourth year.
The budget plan provides for start-up costs of $129,700 for the first year of operation and
$179,600 for subsequent years. The percentage of budget allocated to instructional costs is
approximately 90%. Revenue will come from state funding and tuition and fees. In addition, SJR
State has received commitments from two area hospitals to provide instructional support: Orange
Park Medical Center is committing a three year grant for $32,000 per year; Flagler Hospital will
provide Ph.D. qualified adjunct instructors as an in-kind contribution to the program. In the event
state funding is not available, the College has more than adequate revenue to fund this program
from auxiliary services such as ticket revenue from athletics, the Thrasher-Horne Center for the
Arts, and Florida School of the Arts; rentals at the Thrasher-Horne Conference Center, ThrasherHorne Center for the Arts, and other facilities; food service revenue; and bookstore revenue.
These funds are not budgeted for any recurring needs and would be available for the proposed
degree program in the event state funds are not appropriated.
J. Plans of Action if Program must be Terminated
In the event the program must be terminated, the College will provide notice of the
termination and the opportunity for currently-enrolled students to complete their program of
study. Further admissions will be closed. Those on track to complete the program will have up to
three years to complete the requirements for the degree.
Baccalaureate Degree Program Proposal Recommendations from the Division of Florida Colleges Baccalaureate Review Team
for Consideration by the Commissioner of Education A collaborative review was conducted by the Baccalaureate Review Team members, including staff from the
Division of Florida Colleges and the Florida Colleges Budget Office. Written recommendations were submitted to
the college by the Review Team, college staff revised the proposal, and submitted the final proposal, which is now
complete and ready for consideration by the Commissioner of Education.
Questions or concerns should be directed to Patricia Frohe at (850) 245-9481 or [email protected].
College
St. Johns River State
College
Degree
Type
BS
Degree Program
Nursing
Date Submitted
to SBOE
05/10/12
No alternative proposals were received for this program.
“Within 45 days following receipt of a completed proposal by the Division of Florida Colleges, the Commissioner of Education shall recommend approval or disapproval of the proposal to the State Board of Education.” Section 1007.33 (5)(e), F.S.
Comments
Summary
A
St. Johns River State College (SJRSC) engaged in a thorough planning
process to develop the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree
program, which is designed for Associate in Science in Nursing (ASN)
graduates to allow them to progress in their nursing careers. This process
included surveying students, community members, employers, and college
staff (page 44-48), as well as meeting with various stakeholders and local
businesses to help plan and garner support for the program (pages 55-74).
College representatives also met with colleagues at other institutions (page
35) when developing the curriculum and compiled a review document of
other nursing programs (pages 36-43).
Planning Process
Meetings were held with the University of North Florida (UNF) (not located
in the service district, but the closest state university), Flagler College (FC),
and St. Leo University (SLU) regarding the proposed degree. All three
institutions were supportive of the BSN proposal (pages 31-33). A list of
additional planning and supporting documents is located on page 26.
B
Program Implementation
Timeline
The projected implementation date of upper division enrollment is August
2013. The complete timeline of implementation activities is located in
Section B of the proposal.
C
Workforce Demand/Unmet
Need Specific to Program
Area
• The college demonstrates a
clear need for a BSN degree
program in the region to
provide local RNs the
opportunity to advance in
their careers.
There were 2,156 related jobs in the service district in 2011, and that total is
projected to increase to 2,489 by 2016 with 104 average annual job openings.
There is no state university located within the service district, and neither FC
nor SLU offer nursing programs in the region. Therefore, no baccalaureateprepared nurses are being produced in the region.
SJRSC produced 77 ASN graduates in 2009, which leaves an employment
gap of 27 jobs for Registered Nurses (RN) in the region. However, this does
not take into account current RNs who will require a bachelor’s degree for
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career advancement. The college cites data regarding the counties that
comprise the service district from the Florida Center for Nursing, stating that
60.1% of RNs in Clay County, 71.4% in Putnam County, and 55.4% in St.
Johns County do not have at least a bachelor’s degree. The college also
discusses local and national trends in the profession to increase the number of
BSN-prepared hires (pages 49-50). Three new healthcare facilities that will
generate additional jobs are also being developed in the region.
D
Facilities and Equipment
Specific to Program Area
Nursing classrooms and laboratories are available on all three campuses, and
online courses will utilize the college’s existing learning management
system. No new facilities or equipment will be needed.
E
Library/Media Specific to
Program Area
The college has allocated funds for the next three fiscal years for the
acquisition of books, eBooks, and media materials to augment the college’s
existing collection to support this program.
F
Academic Resources Specific
to Program Area
SJRSC currently has eight full-time and 11 part-time faculty members who
can teach in this program. The college plans to hire two full-time faculty
members at the doctoral level, one of whom will serve as program director.
Additional adjunct instructors with terminal degrees will also be hired.
G Cost to Students
The cost for four years of study at SJRSC and the other regional
postsecondary institutions is as follows:
SJRSC = $12,925.50
FC = $58,040
SLU = $30,360
H Academic Content
This 123-credit hour program is composed of 36 General Education credits,
54 credits of lower level specialized courses, and 33 credits of upper level
specialized courses. Students will choose a clinical or leadership and
management concentration. Specialized accreditation will be sought from the
National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. Flagler Hospital has
also committed to provide Ph.D.-qualified adjunct instructors as an in-kind
contribution to the program.
I
Enrollment, Performance and
Budget Plan
The college anticipates 30 enrolled students during year one, with enrollment
doubling to 60 students in years two through five. Projected expenditures
during the first year total $129,700 and will increase to $179,600 in years two
through five. SJRSC plans to fund the program through Community College
Program Funds and a grant from the Orange Park Medical Center, and
auxiliary services revenues can be used if needed. The program is projected
to become self-sustaining in year two.
J
Plan of Action if Program
Must be Terminated
If the program is terminated, further admissions will be closed and faculty,
staff, and students will be notified. Current students will have up to three
years to complete the program and will receive information and advising
regarding transfer options.
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Comments: St. Johns River State College analyzed numerous existing BSN programs to inform their curriculum
development (see Appendix I, starting on page 36, for a program comparison chart). The need for baccalaureate-trained
nurses is clear and convincing. In addition, there is a growing demand in the industry for RNs with baccalaureate degree
credentials.
Recommendation: Approve
Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, Division of Florida Colleges
__________________________________________
Date 4/19/12
Recommendation: Approve
Chancellor, Division of Florida Colleges
__________________________________________
Date 4/20/12
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