APPENDIX G
The University of North Carolina
Request for Authorization to Establish a New Distance Education Degree Program or Site
(through which 50% or more of a degree program is provided)
INSTRUCTIONS: Fill in the appropriate blanks and expand the electronic version of this form as required to include other more extensive information. Please submit three copies of the proposal to General Administration. As of January 1, 2010 submission of proposals will be electronic.
Date: 8/7/2012
Constituent Institution: East Carolina University
CIP Discipline Specialty Title: Nursing Practice
CIP Discipline Specialty Number: 51.3818 Level: D
Exact Title of the Proposed Program: Doctor of Nursing Practice
Degree Abbreviation: DNP_ Proposed Date of Initiation: August 20, 2013
Will this program be completely individual access (e.g., online, videocassette, etc.)? Yes
If "yes," primary mode of delivery: Internet
If cohort-based, length of time to complete the sequence: 4 semesters for Post Master’s DNP and 4 years and 1 semester for BSN-to-DNP
List any other UNC institutions that offer similar programs in the same location (if requesting a site-based program) or a similar program online or by individual access (if requesting an individual access program):
There are no other UNC institutions offering a similar online program.
For the following question, please consult "Guidelines for Alternative, Online, or Distance Education Delivery of approved Degree Programs" from the UNC Policy Manual available on the UNC GA Academic Planning website.
Which SACS COC substantive change procedure applies?
Two (prior notification to SACS; Appendix F should be submitted to COC of SACS by the institution, if applicable)
Based on the SACS policy on substantive change, by what date should the campus be notified by UNC-GA of authorization to establish? July 2013
The following items conform to the information required for SACS Substantive Change Procedure One.
1. Abstract (limit to one page or less)
Describe the proposed change; its location; initial date of implementation; projected number of students; description of primary target audience; projected life of the program (single cohort [indicate number of years] or ongoing); and instructional delivery methods.
The College of Nursing (CON) is requesting authorization to establish an online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree at East Carolina University beginning in the fall of 2013. In year one of the DNP program, ECU CON proposes to provide the DNP as an online post-master’s program of study for advanced practice nurses primarily prepared as either Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioners (AGNP) or Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP). In view of the national trend for preparation of advanced practice nurses at the doctoral level, ECU CON faculty anticipate a large demand for such a program from NC nurses who have already earned the master’s degree and nurse practitioner certification, but wish to continue on and earn a doctoral degree. Entry into the post-master’s DNP will require a master’s degree in nursing with a focus in an advanced practice role. During the second year of the DNP program, after the program is well-established, ECU CON will begin moving students currently in the traditional MSN program for AGNP or FNP concentrations immediately into the post-master’s curriculum after they graduate with the MSN degree. The last AGNP and FNP students will be admitted to the current MSN program in 2013. The CON has traditionally maintained approximately 145 FNP and AGNP students in the MSN program.
The CON will accept its first cohort into the post-baccalaureate DNP program in fall 2014. Thus the advanced practice concentrations will transition quite rapidly from traditional master’s degree programs to a post-baccalaureate-to-DNP program. Students will complete 21 semester hours of 6000 level courses before beginning all doctoral level courses. The post-master’s DNP option will remain open after the second year of the program, but will have limited enrollment (approximately 20 students/year) unless additional financial resources become available.
The ultimate entry level degree for the baccalaureate-to-DNP program will be a bachelor of science in nursing. Although initially the program will be focused on preparing AGNPs and FNPs at the DNP level, as other clinical specialties mandate the DNP entry level, the traditional master’s program in those concentration areas will be phased out and the post-baccalaureate-to-DNP program will enlarge. There will continue to be students in the nursing leadership and nursing education concentrations who will need the MSN degree for future employment. Thus, due to high demand, the master’s program in nursing at ECU will continue to be offered for these specialty areas.
2. Background information
Provide a clear statement of the nature and purpose of the change in the context of the institution’s mission, goals, and strategic plan; evidence of the legal authority for the change (to be provided by UNC General Administration in authorization letter).
For more than 65 years, the mission of East Carolina University has included support of courses and degree programs for students located beyond the borders of the campus. Historically, these off-campus programs were offered at specific sites and outreach centers, often involving the placement of university support staff, teaching faculty, and resources at locations such as military bases and community colleges.
East Carolina University engaged a variety of resources to establish direction, guiding principles, and support systems required to appropriately respond to the state’s commitment to improved access to higher education. Faculty and administrators provided considerable input.
Major strategies emerging from these planning efforts included:
•Commitment to focus on delivery of complete academic programs instead of a random selection of courses
•Commitment to use regular campus faculty, not adjuncts, to deliver most courses
•Investment in student and faculty support services to facilitate development and deployment of academic programs
•Investment in an infrastructure and services to support electronically offered courses
•Development of a planning process prior to approving programs to be offered in distance education format
Distance education is now at the very core of the way ECU operates. The DE initiative has brought an added richness and diversity to the campus. DE funding has brought a significant number of new tenure track faculty members to the campus and has invigorated academic discussions in every academic unit.
Incoming students, traditional and non-traditional, will expect to learn at some level online, if not completely online. ECU’s ability to be globally ready, to provide access to all citizens, to improve public education, to serve to transform and sustain the economies of its regions, and to be a major influence in the improvement of healthcare in eastern North Carolina depends on how well it embraces, supports, manages, and deploys distance education and online learning both on campus as well as off campus.
ECU Tomorrow: A Vision for Leadership and Service stands as ECU’s long-range strategic plan. This plan, approved by the Board of Trustees, sets forth ECU’s mission, vision, values, five strategic directions, and core competencies.
ECU’s first strategic direction as published in “ECU Tomorrow” is Education for a New Century. Increasing access to higher education is seen as one of the university’s core competencies. Listed there are the goals:
· We will expand our distance education programs, delivering a high-quality East Carolina education to the thousands of North Carolinians who cannot be campus residents.
· We will tailor programs to the needs of working adults through distance education models.
The proposed DNP program supports the strategic plans of both East Carolina University and the University of North Carolina system. The UNC Tomorrow plan guides UNC to “proactively anticipate and identify the needs facing our state both now and into the future and, consistent with its mission, develop and implement responses to those needs” (2007). One of the greatest needs of NC is to improve the health and wellness of citizens and this is a major strategic initiative found in the UNC Tomorrow plan. ECU is situated amid the largest military community in the state and serves some of the poorest counties in the state. ECU Tomorrow emphasizes engagement with these communities to advance health and economic prosperity. The DNP program faculty, students, and graduates will work to address these needs. In addition, the DNP program helps ECU advance its reputation as the Leadership University. These graduates will be expertly prepared to assume leadership roles in quality initiatives, clinical program management and executive nursing.
3. Assessment of need and program planning/approval
Discuss the rationale for the change, including intended audience and an assessment of need (include results of surveys or special studies), evidence of inclusion of the change in the institution’s ongoing planning and evaluation processes; and documentation that faculty and other groups were involved in the review and approval of the new site or program.
According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), “In response to changes in health care delivery and emerging health care needs, additional knowledge or content areas have been identified by practicing nurses. Further, the knowledge required to provide leadership in the discipline of nursing is so complex and rapidly changing that doctoral level education is needed” (AACN, 2004).
Based on this knowledge assessment, changes in the level of education of advanced practice nurses were recommended. (AACN, 2004). AACN recommended increasing the level of preparation necessary for advanced nursing practice roles from the master’s (MSN) to the doctoral level (DNP) with a target date of 2015 for widespread implementation. As of 2015, the DNP would replace the MSN as the educational entry level expected for advanced practice nurses, including
· certified nurse midwives (CNMs),
· certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs),
· clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), and
· nurse practitioners [certified] (NPs).
There is ample indication that the proposed program will attract quality students. The demand for the College of Nursing master’s program is very strong, as online programs provide educational access for many who otherwise would be unable to pursue graduate study. The FNP and AGNP concentrations, for example, have many more highly qualified applicants than can be accepted for each class cohort. This past year there were 219 qualified applicants for 50 slots. Fifty students were accepted, but the college was forced to reject the applications of another 179 students, many of whom were extremely strong and well-qualified. To date, one student studying at ECU withdrew from the Family Nurse Practitioner concentration to enroll in a DNP program. The College receives weekly inquiries regarding the DNP degree at ECU from nurse practitioners seeking the clinical doctorate.
In April 2012 the College surveyed all its alumni who graduated since 1972 and for whom email addresses were available. They were asked to indicate their level of interest in the DNP, ranging from “none” to “significant.” There were 619 respondents, of whom 190 (31%) indicated a “significant” interest and another 139 (23%) indicated a “moderate” interest.
The College also surveyed its currently-enrolled baccalaureate students and master’s students. There are currently 544 master’s students of whom 271 responded to the survey. Of these, 105 (39%) indicated a “significant” interest and 79 (29%) indicated a “moderate” interest in the DNP. Similar results were obtained from the currently-enrolled baccalaureate students. There are currently 666 students at that level of whom 265 responded to the survey. Of these, 111 (41%) indicated a “significant” interest and 79 (29%) indicated a “moderate” interest in the DNP.
Since the DNP is a terminal replacement for the MSN degree for advanced practice nurses, the job market and the predicted applicant pool would be the same as the applicant pool and job market for MSN-prepared advanced practice nurses. While the DNP constitutes an enhanced level of preparation, it does not create a new role for advanced nursing practice. Instead the DNP provides advanced practice nurses with additional knowledge and skills that better prepare them to address evolving and increasingly complex societal needs for safe, cost-effective, patient-centered, and accessible care.
Requiring three years for the DNP versus two years for the MSN can be understood to mean that if no enrollment growth monies are available in higher education in North Carolina (NC) to cover one additional year of education for advanced practice nursing students, then the number of CNMs, CRNAs, CNSs, and NPs entering the NC workforce is likely to decrease by as much as 33%-- unless nurses seek DNP degrees from other states. No predictions have been made regarding what percentage of NPs entering the NC workforce will go outside of NC to obtain the DNP degree.
The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty (NONPF), that sets standards for both Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGNP) and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) programs has been insistent in acknowledging the DNP as the entry level for advanced practice by 2015. In addition, by 2025 nurse anesthetists will be required to have the DNP degree to meet eligibility requirements for taking their national certification examination. CNSs and CNMs have not yet agreed upon a date by which the DNP will be their expected educational level for being eligible for certification or entry into practice.
The applicant response to the AACN mandate requiring a DNP as entry into advanced practice has been both immediate and overwhelming. In 2002 there were 70 students in DNP programs nationally; by 2011 (nine years later) this number had grown to 8973 (over 100-fold). In 2011 alone, 1581 advanced practice nurses earned the DNP degree. There are currently 182 DNP programs enrolling students throughout the country (in 37 states and the District of Columbia). Faculty of the ECU College of Nursing (CON) propose a DNP degree program that will provide a rigorous curriculum that prepares advanced practice nurse leaders to meet the evolving needs of individuals residing in increasingly complex environments.
Each of the University’s distance education programs begins in the academic department. Faculty members work with staff from the Office of Continuing Studies to begin the planning process. Each program has a coordinator that is a full time faculty member. They develop a program design that includes both the instructional requirements and the academic resources available to meet the needs of a widely dispersed group of students.
They work to ensure that prospective students are made aware of the programs available to them and student services to support these programs are incorporated into the planning process. The Office of Institutional Planning, Assessment and Research ensures that university surveys are made available to distance education students and that their participation is encouraged.