Executive Summary
Assembly Bill 867 (AB867) authorized the CSU to offer the post-master’s Doctor of Nursing
Practice (DNP) as a pilot program at three campuses. In November, 2010, CSUF was selected
by the Chancellor as the lead campus for the Orange County/Los Angeles collaborative, working
in conjunction with CSULB and CSULA. The Chancellor suggested a target date of Fall 2012
for admission of the first DNP class.
The DNP is a practice-oriented doctorate, such as the Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Medicine
(MD), Doctor of Optometry, or Doctor of Physical Therapy, in contrast to the research-oriented
PhD. The purposes of the DNP are to develop advanced competencies for evidence-based
practice, teaching, and leadership roles in nursing and to provide an advanced educational
credential for those who require advanced practice knowledge but do not need or want a strong
research focus, such as practice faculty.
The proposed DNP is a post-master’s degree program of 5 semesters and 36 units. Students will
have already completed a master’s in nursing or a related field with between 42 and 72 graduate
units. The DNP builds on the knowledge and skills already acquired at the master’s level.
Students will complete a total of 1000 clinical hours in practicum experiences, inclusive of hours
completed at the master’s level, in Women’s Health Care, Nurse Anesthesia, Nurse Practitioner,
Clinical Nurse Specialist, or Nursing Leadership. CSUF, CSULB and CSULA will offer both
didactic and clinical coursework in advanced nursing specialties already being offered on those
campuses. The doctoral project, the culminating experience, includes a three-semester
Integrative Clinical Scholarship experience, embedded in a clinical setting, where the student
prepares a scholarly doctoral product, such as a pilot study, a program evaluation, a consulting
project or a quality improvement project. The culminating experience is consistent with
accrediting body expectations for the doctoral project. DNP learning outcomes reflect
educational and professional standards including the American Association of Colleges of
Nursing (AACN) Essentials for Doctoral Education. One key enhancement to the DNP offered
at the Orange-LA County CSU Collaborative from the AACN requirements is the addition of a
minimum of 6 units of preparation for the faculty role, including curriculum development and
teaching methods. This additional course work in faculty preparation is required by the
authorizing legislation.
This program meets the mission of the University to assure pre-eminence of learning and to
prepare graduates for challenging careers. It also addresses the strategy that our programs meet
professional certification and other community needs. AACN called for moving the current level
of preparation necessary for advanced nursing practice from the master’s degree to the doctoratelevel by the year 2015 (AACN Position Statement on the Practice Doctorate, 2004). The DNP
will be the required entry to practice for advanced practice nurses that CSUF/CSULB/CSULA
currently prepare at the master’s level. This degree also meets the needs of the community by
preparing diverse students to meet the healthcare needs of an increasingly diverse population and
by preparing additional nurse faculty in order to educate the number of nurses needed to address
the nursing shortage in California.
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Program fees will be charged at the doctoral level in order to provide adequate support for a
rigorous, doctoral culture that will result in excellent student outcomes. There is strong external
support for the DNP program, including the legislature, policy makers in health care, our clinical
partners in nursing education as well as a strong demand from students and employers for the
availability of this degree within the CSU.
Doctor of Nursing Practice
CSU Fullerton, CSU Long Beach and CSU Los Angeles
DNP Core
 Evaluation and Measurement
 Leadership and Management
 Faculty Development
Taught by CSUF/LA/LB Collaborating Faculty
Clinical Practice
and Scholarship
Clinical Practice
and Scholarship
Clinical Practice
and Scholarship
Midwifery
Adult Geriatrics NP
Acute Care NP
Nurse Anesthesia
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Nursing Leadership
Women’s Health Care
Nurse Practitioner (NP)
Community Health
Psychiatric – Mental
Health
Primary Care NP
CSUF
CSULB
CSULA
This diagram indicates the lead CSU campus for each specialty focus. The program is, however,
a regional one and faculty from different campuses may participate in each specialty area giving
unique strength to the program.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR DOCTORAL DEGREE PROGRAM PROPOSALS
(UPS 410.170)
1. Providing high quality programs that meet the evolving needs of our students,
community, and region:
• How does the proposed doctoral program meet identified community and regional needs?
Assembly Bill 867 (AB867) authorized the CSU to offer the post-master’s DNP as a pilot
program at three campuses selected by the Chancellor. CSUF was selected as the lead campus
for the Orange County/Los Angeles collaborative, working in conjunction with CSULB and
CSULA.
The Nursing Doctorate Study (2008), commissioned by the CSU Office of the Chancellor, found
that there was sufficient demand and societal need for additional doctoral nursing programs in
California and that the DNP is the appropriate CSU nursing doctoral degree. It is anticipated that
this degree will help address the nursing faculty shortage in California, which is a necessary
prerequisite to addressing the nursing shortage in California and the United States.
In September, 2010, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) released a
Special Survey on Vacant Faculty Positions for Academic Year 2010-2011 indicating a national
nurse faculty vacancy rate of 880 (6.9%) at 556 schools with most vacant positions either
requiring (55.5%) or preferring (37.1%) candidates with doctoral degrees. The top reasons cited
by schools having difficulty finding faculty were the limited pool of doctorally-prepared faculty
(30.4%) and non-competitive salaries compared to positions in the practice arena (30.2%).
(http://www.aacn.nche.edu/IDS/pdf/vacancy10.pdf). The limited pool of nursing faculty is a
significant factor influencing California’s nursing shortage since new nurses cannot be produced
without having an adequate number of nursing faculty (Forecasts of the Registered Nurse
Workforce in California, Sept. 29, 2009, available at
http://www.rn.ca.gov/pdfs/forms/forecasts2009.pdf).
Other relevant societal needs include the commitment to improved access to healthcare services
as authorized in the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA - PL 111-148),
signed into law March 2010. This act also reauthorizes and strengthens the nursing programs
funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)—the primary source of
federal funding for nursing education. Schools of nursing have long had shortages of doctorallevel faculty, and faculty shortages are the primary reason that more than 50,000 qualified
nursing applicants are turned away each year. The Affordable Care Act addresses nursing
workforce challenges by providing additional money available to nursing students, including
doctoral nursing students who are preparing for faculty careers. These funding streams will be
increased nationally and we anticipate being awarded additional funds to help support our
students in their doctoral studies.
There are 3 DNP programs in Southern California and these programs are all offered at private
universities. Therefore, there is a significant need for offering the DNP in a public university
setting in regards to student access, diversity, and affordability. The fact that the proposed
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program is a 3 campus collaborative (CSU Los Angeles, CSU Long Beach, and CSU Fullerton)
is also a significant strength of this proposal.
This program meets the mission of the University to assure pre-eminence of learning and to
prepare graduates for challenging leadership careers in advanced practice nursing. It also
addresses the strategy that our programs meet professional certification and other community
needs. AACN called for moving the current level of preparation necessary for advanced nursing
practice from the master’s degree to the doctorate-level by the year 2015 (AACN Position
Statement on the Practice Doctorate, 2004). The DNP will be the required entry to practice for
advanced practice nurses that CSUF currently prepares at the master’s level. This degree also
meets the needs of the community by preparing diverse students to meet the healthcare needs of
an increasingly diverse population and by preparing additional nurse faculty in order to educate
the number of nurses needed to address the nursing shortage in California.
• How does the proposed doctoral program meet student needs for such a program?
In California, there are 17,392 licensed advanced practice nurses prepared at the master’s level.
These nurses will need to complete a practice doctorate and programs. CSUF currently prepares
advanced practice nurses at the master’s level but will need to either phase out or convert to a
doctoral preparation format. Thus, all currently enrolled students in our Nurse Anesthetist and
Women’s Health Care concentrations are potential students for the DNP program. Prospective
students, community partners, and alumni, are also inquiring about the DNP program. CSULA
and CSULB will face the same issues relative to their master’s in nursing programs.
AACN and advanced practice associations have endorsed the position that the level of
preparation necessary for advanced practice nursing will be the doctorate by 2015. At present,
the only Doctor of Nursing Practice programs in Southern California are in private universities.
The proposed program will allow students a public university alternative.
2. Ensuring the quality of learning:
• How does the proposed doctoral program provide high quality educational outcomes?
The program has been developed to conform to the AACN’s The Essentials of Doctoral
Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (2006) which outlines the essentials for DNP
curriculum and contrasts that curriculum with PhD preparation in nursing. “Research-focused
PhD programs and practice-focused DNP doctoral programs in nursing share rigorous and
demanding expectations: a scholarly approach to the discipline, and a commitment to the
advancement of the profession. Both are terminal degrees in the discipline, one in
practice and one in research. However, there are distinct differences between the two
degree programs. For example, practice-focused programs understandably place greater
emphasis on practice, and less emphasis on theory, meta-theory, research methodology,
and statistics than is apparent in research-focused programs. …practice-focused doctoral
programs generally include integrative practice experiences and an intense practice immersion
experience. Rather than a knowledge-generating research effort [as in a PhD program], the
student in a practice focused program generally carries out a practice application-oriented “final
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DNP project,” which is an integral part of the integrative practice experience.” (AACN, Doctoral
Essentials, p.3)
The process by which the curriculum was developed included several meetings of a DNP Task
Force at CSUF during 2009-2010, at which time faculty collaborated in the initial draft of the
curriculum plan. When CSUF was selected by the Chancellor as the lead campus for the
Orange-Los Angeles Counties Collaborative, lead faculty from each of the three universities’
Schools of Nursing began intensive phone meetings to compare our respective curricular plans
and develop a unified curriculum. This was taken to Graduate and General Nursing Faculty at
each University for approval. Faculty from all three schools were involved in drafting courses,
which were approved by the nursing faculty at each university and will be moving through
university-wide curricular review at each collaborating campus. The intensive involvement of
faculty at each of the three CSU Schools of Nursing, as well as comparison to accreditation
standards for the DNP degree and to curricula from existing DNP programs assures that the
curricular plan has established measureable and rigorous student outcomes consistent with
doctoral education.
• What ensures that the proposed doctoral program will be staffed by highly qualified
faculty and staff?
Guidelines for hiring now include that nursing faculty will meet the following standards for
faculty positions. These guidelines will continue to be used to assure highly qualified faculty for
the doctoral program:
 MS and completed doctoral degree from an accredited institution, with one of these
degrees in nursing
 Must hold or be eligible for licensure by the California Board of Registered Nurses
 Clinical expertise in a specialty area of nursing, with certification as appropriate
 At least one year of continuous, full-time experience as a registered nurse within the last
five years
 Teaching and curriculum experience preferred
 Evidence of scholarly activity and potential for extramural fund-raising
 Ability to interact successfully within a multicultural environment and to work
harmoniously with students, colleagues and the community
 Experience in using distance education methodologies
Faculty teaching within the DNP Program are expected to participate actively in the governance
of the program and to demonstrate ongoing professional development as faculty and within the
profession of nursing. Faculty will:
 Participate in curriculum implementation and evaluation and instruct courses in assigned
areas of expertise
 Assist students with communication and psychomotor skills, related clinical application
of selected content areas, as well as theses/projects; examinations and other culminating
experiences
 Participate in student advisement
 Provide leadership in coordinating classes and clinical rotations; serve as a liaison to
relevant community organizations
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

Conduct on-going research/scholarly activity in area of expertise and disseminate
findings
Participate in professional and community activities
Participate in academic activities at School, College, and/or University levels
Staff, particularly advising office personnel, will receive in-service education on the DNP degree
program and its policies and procedures so that they may effectively interact with students in the
program. The lead advising staff member participates on the Graduate Program Committee
within the School of Nursing and thus, has direct input into the governance of the DNP Program.
• In what ways will the proposed doctoral program aid the university in recruiting highly
qualified and diverse faculty and staff?
The DNP program is anticipated to add to the pool of qualified, diverse nursing professionals
who will be able to assume faculty positions. The curriculum includes preparation at the
advanced nursing practice level, as well as preparation for the faculty role. The DNP will provide
preparation to address the rapid expansion of knowledge underlying practice; increased
complexity of patient care; national concerns about the quality of care and patient safety;
shortages of nursing personnel which demands a higher level of preparation for leaders who can
design and assess care; shortages of doctorally-prepared nursing faculty; and increasing
educational expectations for the preparation of other members of the healthcare team (AACN,
2010). The CSU is known for its excellence in recruiting diverse faculty, staff and students. The
DNP will follow in that tradition. There are 3 DNP programs in Southern California and these
programs are all offered at private universities whose tuition is prohibitive to many students,
especially those from minority backgrounds. Therefore, there is a significant need for offering
the DNP in a public university setting in regards to student access, diversity, and affordability.
The CSUF/CSULA/CSULB will be able to recruit from this enhanced pool of doctorally
prepared nurses to fill faculty positions for undergraduate and master’s level graduate education.
Across the pilot DNP sites in the CSU system, the Chancellor’s statewide working group is
working to assure that the DNP program is being developed so its graduates can meet CSU
standards for retention, promotion and tenure.
3. Enhancing scholarly and creative activity:
• Will the proposed doctoral program benefit faculty scholarship? If so, how, and to what
extent?
Students will complete a three semester culminating doctoral project involving clinical
scholarship embedded in a clinical practice setting. Supervising faculty for the doctoral projects
will benefit from enhanced opportunities for faculty engagement in a broader range of clinical
settings than currently available. Because students will be expected to present and publish, it is
anticipated that faculty in their supportive roles as faculty mentors, will acquire additional
opportunities for professional presentations and publication. Doctoral students will also be able
to serve as expert student assistants to enhance ongoing faculty research and scholarship.
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Due to the implementation of the DNP program across the Los Angeles-Orange Counties CSU
collaborative, it is anticipated that enhanced opportunities for cross-campus scholarly activity
will be afforded to faculty and DNP students.
4. Making collaboration integral to our activities:
• What types of collaborative relationships will result from the doctoral program?
As mentioned above, doctoral project work within clinical settings will facilitate entry to
expanded clinical sites that need advanced graduate students to work on clinical problems that
have the potential to improve practice and patient outcomes within healthcare. This will provide
opportunities for clinical practice and academic/educational collaboration that will benefit not
only the clinical site but also the University by providing opportunities for faculty scholarship
and practice within the community. Increased collaboration with clinical sites will also enhance
clinical course offerings at the undergraduate and master’s levels within the School of Nursing.
In addition, the collaborative model between CSUF/CSULA/CSULB will strengthen ties
between the three universities and their Schools of Nursing and provide opportunities for
collaboration between the faculties on scholarly problems of clinical interest, as well as
providing opportunities for evaluation of curricular and student outcomes within the DNP
program.
5. Increasing student access to new learning opportunities:
• How will the proposed doctoral program enhance student access to high quality
programs, for currently-matriculated students as well as for potential students?
The DNP program will provide an avenue for affordable doctoral education in nursing for our
current students completing their master’s work, as well as for potential students. Students
desiring doctoral education in nursing practice do not currently have an affordable option.
Private university DNP programs have program fees that exceed $60,000 for a two-year course
of study. Therefore, there is a significant need for offering the DNP in a public university setting
in regards to student access, diversity, and affordability. The University of California does not
offer the DNP, only the PhD. The program has been designed to conform with the essentials of
doctoral education prescribed by AACN and with legislative mandates to prepare graduates that
can help address the nursing faculty shortage in California.
The DNP offers preparation for nurses to address the changing demands of this nation's complex
healthcare environment which require the highest level of scientific knowledge and practice
expertise to assure quality patient outcomes. The Institute of Medicine, The Joint Commission,
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and other authorities have called for reconceptualizing
educational programs that prepare today’s health professionals (AACN, 2010).
The current profession environment requires nurses prepared to process the rapid expansion of
knowledge underlying practice; increased complexity of patient care; national concerns about the
quality of care and patient safety; shortages of nursing personnel which demands a higher level
of preparation for leaders who can design and assess care; shortages of doctorally-prepared
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nursing faculty; and increasing educational expectations for the preparation of other members of
the healthcare team (AACN, 2010). Without access to doctoral preparation for advanced
practice in nursing, our students will be denied the level of education, which is recognized as
necessary to lead nursing practice and to educate post-secondary students in nursing programs.
• How will the doctoral program affect faculty commitment to students at other levels,
beginning undergraduate; advanced undergraduate, and master’s?
The DNP program will not affect commitment to students at other levels. Nursing students enter
the major at the advanced undergraduate level, after completion of pre-requisites, or at the
master’s level. The post master’s DNP program is anticipated to provide a source for recruiting
new faculty that can teach at both levels. The three collaborating CSU campuses have given a
commitment to the Chancellor that undergraduate enrollments will not be compromised due to
the added DNP FTES. The accommodation for additional FTES by campus will be made within
current graduate programs.
Fullerton:
To accommodate additional FTES in DNP, enrollments will be reduced as needed in
School Nursing MS and in the Kinesiology MS program where growth has surpassed the
department’s preferred limit.
Long Beach:
CSULB School of Nursing has been in contractual agreement with our partnering health
care agency (Long Beach Memorial Medical Center) since 2004. The stipulation is that
CSULB will continue to admit 36 state supported “Basic BSN” pre-licensure students per
semester. Long Beach Memorial Medical Center will continue to fund the admission of
54 Trimester BSN pre-licensure students per semester (Grant supported). Additionally,
once every three years CSULB is approved by the state to admit 48 Accelerated
BSN/Entry Level MSN/(ELM) second degree pre-licensure students. The university is
committed to admitting these numbers as specified.
CSULB is committed to admitting its Masters degree (MSN) and certificate students
nursing students in all clinical specialties a minimum of once a year. The number ranges
from 128-185 per year. In the Fall 2010 semester, CSULB had 496 BSN students and 321
MSN. The approximate ratio between undergraduate and graduate is 5:3. Normally,
CSULB has a 5:4 ratio of undergraduate to graduate students, but in the fall 2010, due to
budgetary cuts, 75 graduate students to the family nurse practitioner program were not
admitted. They were admitted in the Spring of 2011. This addition brought CSULB to
back to the 5:4 undergraduate to graduate ratio.
Los Angeles:
To accommodate additional FTES in the DNP program, enrollments will be reduced as
needed in the current MSN Program.
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6. Increasing external support for university programs:
• How much external support exists for the proposed doctoral program?
The DNP program has extensive external support, beginning with the California Legislature who
authorized the pilot program to address the need for advanced nursing education to meet the
needs for healthcare for Californians and to address the faculty shortage in post-secondary
nursing programs throughout the state. The Nursing Doctorate Study (2008), commissioned by
the CSU Office of the Chancellor, found that there was sufficient demand and societal need for
additional doctoral nursing programs in California and that the DNP is the appropriate CSU
nursing doctoral degree. Prospective students, community partners, and alumni, are inquiring
about the DNP program, including the possibility of offering a cohort model for the DNP at a
regional healthcare institution.
During the pilot period, based on limits imposed by AB867, student enrollment will be limited
by the Chancellor’s allocation of FTES which we anticipate will be 30-40 students annually.
This number of student slots will not meet the demand for this degree program. AACN and
advanced practice associations have endorsed the position that the level of preparation necessary
for advanced practice nursing will be the doctorate by 2015. This initiative is transforming
nursing educational needs in California, where there are 17,392 licensed advanced practice
nurses prepared at the master’s level. These nurses will need to complete a practice doctorate
and programs such as those at CSUF that currently prepare advanced practice nurses at the
master’s level will need to either phase out or convert to a doctoral preparation format. Thus, all
currently enrolled students in our Nurse Anesthetist and Women’s Health Care concentrations
are potential students for the DNP program, as well as students from Cal State Los Angeles and
Cal State Long Beach’s existing nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist concentrations at
the master’s level
Kaiser Permanente has provided a $60,000 planning grant to CSUF to help defray development
costs for the DNP program. Once the program is approved, it is anticipated that the DNP
program will be able to attract additional sources of external support.
• What impact will this support have on the institution?
This support will enable the Schools of Nursing to recruit and retain talented students, faculty
and staff who wish to be affiliated with a recognized program that include preparation at the
doctoral level for advanced nursing practice, as well as to enlist individual and corporate
donations for the University.
7. Ensuring resources:
• How will resources be obtained for support of the doctoral program?
The Chancellor’s Office is working with the DNP pilot sites throughout California to determine
appropriate student fees to assure that the DNP program is financially viable. These discussions
have begun through joint conference calls and face-to-face meetings to determine the workload
demands of initiating and maintaining a doctoral culture in nursing. While the appropriate
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student fees have not yet been calculated, the fee structure will be developed through the
statewide DNP Planning Group with input from all DNP pilot CSU sites. The fees will likely be
in the range of current Ed.D. student fees. When the DNP fees are developed, the Chancellor
will submit them to the Board of Trustees for review and approval.
• What will ensure that the doctoral program will be sufficiently funded to support
learning at the highest level?
Based on the California State University Provost meeting of October, 2006, it is important that
academically sound and economically viable workload principles are essential for a sustainable
doctoral program. The following system workload principles were proposed to ensure academic
and fiscal soundness, which were shared as an exemplar with the DNP working group, as it
develops a proposal for DNP fees:






Workload adjustments are in general support of additional work outside of formal
classroom setting, including but not limited to doctoral project supervision, scholarly and
creative activities and other expectations related to participation in a doctoral program.
Workload adjustments are not tied to doctoral course instruction per se. Faculty who
teach courses in a doctoral program will not receive additional time for class preparation
simply because a course is within a doctoral program.
Chairing a doctoral project committee normally receives stipulated workload credit.
Decisions regarding course load release for doctoral project supervision are made in
consideration of overall supervision demand and faculty resources.
The appropriate administrator on each campus will provide program funds to support
course load reductions in general support of the doctoral program.
In all allocations, appropriate administrators may make modifications in order to assure
that the programs sustain academic quality and remain economically viable.
Faculty members are expected to maintain scholarly and professional qualifications to
serve as faculty in doctoral courses. Allocation of funds and release time may include
support of faculty scholarship and professional development.
• How will resources allocated to the doctoral program affect other programs being offered
by the university?
Resources allocated to the doctoral program will enhance the quality of programs offered
throughout the School of Nursing. The commitment that the program will be economically
viable means that the educational enrichment that a doctoral culture within the collaborating
Schools of Nursing will contribute to expanded opportunities for scholarship for faculty and
students throughout nursing, as well as, within other departments whose focus can benefit the
composition of the doctoral project committees that will supervise DNP students’ research.
Additional enhancement of library resources will benefit students throughout the University who
need to conduct library research in the area of healthcare.
xii
• In what ways will external resources for the doctoral program benefit the department/
program offering the doctoral program?
The requirement that doctoral students conduct their culminating doctoral project within a
clinical setting will enhance broad and reciprocal relationships with healthcare settings
throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties. This external resource will not only benefit
students completing their doctoral research, but will also provide additional opportunities for
faculty practice within our community partners. In nursing, a practice profession, additional
practice and scholarship opportunities enrich faculty’s professional skills and their scholarly and
creative activities.
The energy developed through enhanced practice and scholarship opportunities will enrich
education provided throughout the Schools of Nursing to undergraduate and graduate students
alike. External support and resources through enriched clinical opportunities will also provide
additional venues for nursing capstone projects at the baccalaureate level and for master’s
projects.
• Are there adequate support services available to service the doctoral programs?
Budgeting for the proposed DNP program includes additional funding for the library, in order to
provide appropriate support services for the DNP program. Information technology has
concurred that current resources are appropriate as MS student enrollments will be reduced to
meet the increase in DNP student enrollments.
The CSU system plans to have a 10% set-aside for student aid programs. Since students in the new
doctoral program will be regularly enrolled students at CSUF they will have access to the services
available through the Financial Aid office. The expectation is that our students will be fully employed,
mid-career professionals. Thus, it is unlikely that there will be much demand for teaching or research
assistantships. However, these arrangements could be managed through employment of doctoral students
in available part-time teaching positions if they are qualified and interested in such positions. Students in
this program are likely to rely on student loans and self financing. Every effort will be made to develop
scholarship funds and specialized financing arrangements.
• How will faculty workloads reflect the additional time required for directing doctoral
candidates?
Based on the California State University Provost meeting of October, 2006, it is important that
academically sound and economically viable workload principles are essential for a sustainable
doctoral program. The following system workload principles were proposed to ensure academic
and fiscal soundness in EdD programs, which were shared as an exemplar with the DNP working
group, as it develops a proposal for DNP fees:

Workload adjustments are in general support of additional work outside of formal
classroom setting, including but not limited to dissertation supervision, scholarly and
creative activities and other expectations related to participation in a doctoral program.
xiii

Workload adjustments are not tied to doctoral course instruction per se. Faculty who
teach courses in a doctoral program will not receive additional time for class preparation
simply because a course is within a doctoral program.
 Chairing a doctoral project committee normally receives stipulated workload credit.
Decisions regarding course load release for doctoral project supervision are made in
consideration of overall supervision demand and faculty resources.
 The appropriate administrator on each campus will provide program funds to support
course load reductions in general support of the doctoral program.
 In all allocations, appropriate administrators may make modifications in order to assure
that the programs sustain academic quality and remain economically viable.
 Faculty members are expected to maintain scholarly and professional qualifications to
remain in the graduate group. Allocation of funds and release time may include support
of faculty scholarship and professional development.
There is strong commitment within each University in the CSUF/CSULA/CSULB collaborative
to ensure appropriate faculty workload to support development of a doctoral culture that will
support strong academic quality throughout the DNP program in order to develop doctoral
project supervision, scholarly and creative activities and professional development required of
doctoral faculty.
8. Expanding connections and partnerships with our region:
• How will the proposed doctoral program facilitate connections and partnerships?
The collaboration between CSULA, CSULB, and CSUF in developing and delivering the
doctoral program will facilitate connections and partnerships between the faculty in the
respective Schools of Nursing. This collaboration is expected to result in additional
opportunities for shared research on clinical and educational topics related to nursing practice
and to the development of advanced practice nurses at the doctoral level. Sharing faculty
resources between the three universities will facilitate further enhancement of a doctoral culture
in nursing at all three schools. Students’ doctoral project work within clinical settings will
facilitate entry to expanded clinical sites that need advanced graduate students to work on
clinical problems that have the potential to improve practice and patient outcomes within
healthcare. This will provide opportunities for clinical practice and academic/educational
collaboration that will benefit not only the clinical site but also the University by providing
opportunities for faculty scholarship and practice within the community. Increased collaboration
with clinical sites will also enhance clinical course offerings at the undergraduate and master’s
levels within the School of Nursing.
9. Strengthening institutional effectiveness, collegial governance, and our sense of
community:
• What are the details of governance for the doctoral program?
Governance of the doctoral program will follow the governance model for all programs within
the School of Nursing, with the exception that a Memorandum of Understanding will be
developed between the collaborating CSU campuses. The Chancellor’s Office is working with
Vice-Presidents, Deans, and Directors of each campus to facilitate development of appropriate
MOUs statewide. Key graduate program nursing faculty from each campus are also involved in
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the statewide working group, as well as in implementation team meetings as the DNP program is
developed and operationalized. Faculty from each campus are involved in approving the DNP
program and its policies and procedures. Ongoing faculty involvement will be specified in the
MOU so that faculty will be integral to the ongoing governance and modification of the DNP
program.
• What structure/procedures are in place to assure that CSUF faculty have appropriate
opportunities to participate fully in defining the doctoral program and modifying it as
needed?
CSUF Faculty have been involved in the development of the DNP program along with faculty
from CSU Long Beach and CSU Los Angeles, following usual curricular development and
approval processes on each campus. The Bylaws of the School of Nursing at California State
University, Fullerton, are established by the approval of the Faculty of the School of Nursing and
define the duties of the faculty, its committees and officers, the rules of operation for the Faculty,
and provide for election or appointment of representatives from the School of Nursing Faculty to
the College (Health and Human Development), University, and other affiliated committees on a
local, state and national level.
The twofold purpose of the General Faculty is to facilitate involvement of members of the
faculty and administration of the School of Nursing in:
A. Communication and joint planning to achieve the goals of the School of Nursing and the
University.
B. Shared authority and interdependent responsibility for decision-making and governance.
The guiding principle of these bylaws is that, in the operation and administration of the School of
Nursing, all recommendations, decisions, or actions on policies significantly affecting the School
of Nursing are taken only with prior approval of the General Faculty and consistent with UPS
documents. The model of full faculty involvement in communication and decision-making will
be followed and specified in the MOU that will be developed between the collaborating
campuses.
• How will the doctoral program affect accreditation?
The DNP doctoral program will be submitted to WASC as a substantive change to current
campus offerings. The program will meet WASC requirements for doctoral programs, as well as
conforming to the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education’s (CCNE) requirements for
DNP programs. This is demonstrated by complying with the essentials for doctoral nursing
education as specified by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).
CCNE accredits all levels of nursing education found within CSUF. Each accreditation process
is separate from one another; each level of nursing education (BS, MS and DNP) is supported by
its own self-study and accrediting site visits and receives its own accreditation.
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• How will relationships developed within the proposed doctoral program enhance faculty
and student learning?
Students will complete a three semester culminating doctoral project involving clinical
scholarship embedded in a clinical practice setting. Supervising faculty for the doctoral projects
will benefit from enhanced opportunities for faculty engagement in a broader range of clinical
settings than currently available. Because students will be expected to present and publish, it is
anticipated that faculty in their supportive roles as faculty mentors, will acquire additional
opportunities for professional presentations and publication. Doctoral students will also be able
to serve as expert student assistants to enhance ongoing faculty research and scholarship.
Due to the implementation of the DNP program across the Los Angeles-Orange Counties CSU
collaborative, it is anticipated that enhanced opportunities for cross-campus scholarly activity
will be afforded faculty and DNP students.
• How will administrative procedures that are convenient to students be assured?
The Graduate Student Handbook for Nursing will be updated to include policies and procedures
for DNP students. At a minimum, the handbook will include all elements required by Title V
and the Chancellor’s Executive Order on the DNP degree. The handbook will be accessible to
students on the School of Nursing’s website.
DNP Student Handbook contents:
(1) requirements for admission with classified standing;
(2) policies on the transfer of credit earned at other institutions;
(3) policies on professional ethics and academic integrity;
(4) policies on student fees;
(5) provisions for advising and mentoring;
(6) policies and procedures for petitioning for a variance in academic requirements;
(7) policies and procedures for obtaining a leave of absence or for withdrawing from the
university;
(8) policies and procedures regarding student grievances;
(9) policies on harassment and discrimination;
(10) policies and procedures for establishing and amending a plan of study;
(11) requirements for satisfactory progress in the program;
(12) policies on academic probation;
(13) policies and procedures for requesting accommodation for disability;
(14) requirements for clinical practicum embedded in the program;
(15) requirements for advancement to candidacy;
(16) policies and procedures for the formation of a committee for administering a
qualifying assessment;
(17) doctoral project requirements;
(18) policies and procedures for the formation of a committee for supervising the
culminating doctoral project;
(19) forms to be completed by students in the course of the degree program;
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(20) the names and areas of expertise of faculty members affiliated with the degree
program;
(21) policies and procedures for IRB;
(22) policies and procedures for administrative probation and dismissal.
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