Graduate Program Prioritization Criteria and Questions/Elements

Ed.D. in Nursing Education

1. History, Development and Expectations of the Program

a. Provide, to the best of your ability, a brief description of the program’s

history including the evolution of the program over the years. Describe

specific changes that have been made to the program curriculum, changes to

student demographics and the impact of these changes on the program, and

efforts to recruit students to the program. If this is a new program, describe

efforts to build the program and the progress of these efforts to date. (550

words)

The Ed.D. in Nursing Education was developed to address a well-

documented shortage of nurse faculty. State and national data indicate that

there is a critical and growing shortage of nursing faculty which, if not

addressed, threatens the future viability of the nursing profession. To

address this growing workforce problem in nursing education, nursing faculty

and administrators at SCSU and WCSU collaboratively conceptualized and

planned a doctoral program in nursing education in 2010. The Ed.D. in

Nursing Education curriculum, authored by SCSU and WCSU nursing

faculty, responds to the national call for better preparation of nurse faculty as

the focus of the program is on developing expertise in teaching, learning, and

evaluation and conducting research and scholarship that will add to the

science of nursing education and enhance the use of evidence-based nursing education practices.

Through a series of meetings and conversations, the program was

enthusiastically supported by the administration at campuses, as well as the

CSUS leadership and governing board. The program was reviewed and

approved by the appropriate curriculum bodies at both institutions, the

Board of Trustees for the Connecticut State University System, and the

Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education. The substantive change

proposal was approved by the New England Association of Schools and

Colleges in March of 2012, and an on-site evaluation visit was conducted in November of 2013.

The program is collaboratively offered by SCSU and WCSU. The two

institutions share courses, teaching responsibilities, and student advisement

for the program. Students advance through the program as a cohort, and students are admitted every other year into the program.

This program received approval to enroll its first cohort of students on

March 12, 2012. To date, the first cohort of students have completed nine

courses, two residencies, comprehensive exams, and are currently enrolled in

two spring 2014 courses. They will begin their dissertation course work in the

fall of 2014. The present cohort of students has been enthusiastic in their

praise of the program and its ability to meet their learning goals as

developing Academic Nurse Educators. The faculty teaching in the program

has been intellectually stimulated by the caliber of the students in the

program and in the quality of the course work submitted by the students.

Faculty at SCSU and WCSU are committed to achieving program outcomes and are in the process of collecting data to evaluate these outcomes.

Interest in the program has grown over the last two years, as our

students share their experiences with other potential students in the region

and the need for nurses who are prepared to assume a faculty role increases.

The Ed.D. Program Committee has recently completed its review of

applications for the cohort beginning in the Fall 2014 semester. Twenty five new students have been accepted to the program.

b. Is there anything else you would like us to know? (Issues you might choose

to discuss could include visibility of the program, relationships the program

has external to the university, changes in the economic support for the

program, staffing, etc.) (150 words)

We were fortunate to receive a Federal Appropriation Grant of

$300,000 to launch this program. In addition to program development, this

grant enabled us to market our program extensively throughout the state of

Connecticut and nationally, provide faculty development opportunities in

distance learning pedagogy, and acquire technology equipment necessary for

a fully online doctoral program. We will need additional resources to market

our program outside of the state in the future and to provide on-going support

for new and existing faculty in their development related to distance learning,

dissertation advisement, and research/scholarship endeavors.

2. External Demand for the Program

a. Using the data provided, review and explain the relationship between the

program and external factors that impact the:

i. number of applicants and percentage of applicants accepted

ii. 5-year enrollment trends (450 words)

i. Number of applicants/percentage of applicants accepted:

Academic Year Program Applications Accepted Acceptance % 2008-2009 EDD-NUR

2009-2010 EDD-NUR

2010-2011 EDD-NUR 2011-2012 EDD-NUR

2012-2013 EDD-NUR 15 8 53%

ii. 5- year enrollment trends

Fa

08 Sp09

Fa09

Sp10

Fa10

Sp11

Fa11

Sp12

Fa12

Sp13

Fa Avg

Sp Avg

Female 7 7 7 7

Male 1 1 1 1 Total 8 8 8 8

FT

PT 8 8 8 8

The above application/percentage data is somewhat misleading in that

it reflects only the students admitted into the program from SCSU. Since this

is a collaborative program, half of the cohort of students who matriculated in

2012 were from WCSU. In fact, there were 18 applications at SCSU and 17

applications at WCSU. Because of necessary state authorizations are

required for online programs, we were unable to accept 3 applications at

SCSU and WCSU was unable to accept 6.

We did not meet our targeted enrollment goal of a full cohort of 25

students in 2012. Two issues posed impediments to achieving this goal. First,

final approval for the program was received on March 2, 2012. This gave the

Coordinators, Graduate Office, and the Ed.D. in Nursing Education Program

Committee a relatively short time to recruit for the program as we were not

allowed to advertise the program until approvals were granted. The second

issue which impacted the ability to enroll the projected full cohort was the

lack of authorization approval for online programs offered to residents from

other states. While we received qualified applicants from Massachusetts,

Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Texas, we were unable to accept

these students due to regulatory program authorization issues. Therefore,

the initial cohort fell short of the target goal by 7 students. As previously

mentioned, the EdD Program Committee has just admitted the full cohort of 25 students beginning in the Fall 2014 semester.

b. Which employers, institutions and/or communities benefit from this

program? Describe how the program meets the needs of the state (e.g.,

economic, cultural, civic, etc.)? (150 words)

The 51-credit program, unlike other doctoral programs available in the

state and region, specifically prepares nurses for the academic faculty role. It

is anticipated that the addition of the Ed.D. in Nursing Education will

enhance the institution’s ability to serve its community and effectively

respond to the workforce needs for professional nurses prepared at the

baccalaureate and graduate levels. The addition of this new doctoral program

will continue to provide opportunities for greater collaborations across academic departments and schools for the benefit of students and faculty.

Given the expectations for scholarly engagement by doctoral faculty

and students, the program also will have a positive impact on the scholarly

contributions made by faculty and students to the field of nursing education.

It is anticipated that the addition of the doctoral program will enhance the

institution’s and nursing program’s visibility and attract highly qualified students to this needed program.

c. Is there anything else you would like us to know? (Issues you might choose

to discuss could include competition from local, regional, and other

institutions.) (100 words)

The Ed.D. in Nursing Education is the first and only doctoral program

specially designed to prepare nurses for the faculty role in Connecticut. Other

doctoral programs in the state (Ph.D.) focus on research and theory

development in nursing or advanced practice roles (DNP) and typically do not

include requisite course work related to teaching in nursing. Graduates of the

Ed.D. in Nursing Education will assume positions in institutions of higher

education with the requisite knowledge and skills that will facilitate success

and promote satisfaction in the nursing faculty role while advancing the

science of nursing education research.

3. Internal Demand for the Program

a. Using the data provided, please describe how courses in your program

serve students in other programs. What percentage of students in your

courses come from other programs? Please provide enrollment data for

graduate courses offered by your department that are required for other

graduate programs. (Some of your discussion in this section may be repetitive,

but is important in understanding the internal demand for the program.)

(100 words)

The courses in the Ed.D. in Nursing Education do not service any other

graduate programs. Students from other graduate programs are not currently

enrolled in any of our courses due to the unique nature of our program which are specifically designed to prepare academic nurse educators. Requirements

for the program include a Masters Degree in Nursing.

b. How is enrollment for your graduate program influenced by enrollment in

your undergraduate program? Is there potential for a formal pathway

between the two programs? (100 words)

Currently the Department of Nursing at SCSU offers a traditional,

accelerated, RN to BSN completion program in Nursing, and an MSN with

tracks in Nursing Education and Family Nurse Practitioner. Many of our

graduates from the undergraduate programs are currently enrolled in our

MSN programs. There is currently no formal pathway between our

undergraduate programs, graduate programs and our Ed.D. in Nursing

Education Program, although this is a possibility for the future. Currently

there are two students in our Ed.D. in Nursing Education Program who were

graduates of our nurse educator track in the MSN program.

c. How reliant are you on non-program students taking your courses? (100

words)

We are not reliant on non-program students taking our courses.

d. Does the program produce services needed by other parts of the campus

(e.g. clinics, testing services)? (100 words)

Not currently

e. Is there anything else you would like us to know? (100 words)

The Ed.D. in Nursing Education is the first distance learning doctoral

program at the University. It may serve as a model for other departments

considering similar programs. The Department was recently awarded a

$98,720 Federal grant from the Nurse Faculty Loan Program. This program

allows enrolled doctoral students to have a portion of their tuition, fees, and

books paid through the loan. Most of the loan is forgiven if students work in

an academic setting following graduation. We have applied for additional

funding for the 2014-2015 year (current in review by HRSA).

4. Quality of Program Inputs and Processes

a. Please provide a narrative of how the qualifications and assignments of

your full- and part-time faculty align with and support the program. Please

include a discussion of the challenges and successes the department faces in

providing qualified faculty to meet the needs of the program. In those

programs where it is appropriate, please discuss the integration of adjuncts

into the program’s curriculum. (450 words)

The program is collaboratively taught by faculty from SCSU and

WCSU. Collaboratively, both institutions currently have approximately 22

faculty members who are qualified to teach and provide dissertation

advisement in this new program. Doctorally-prepared faculty who are, or

will be, teaching in the program are educationally and experientially

prepared to teach in this type of doctoral level program. All courses have been

collaborative developed by a core team of SCSU and WCSU faculty and

reflect contemporary issues and concepts related to teaching and learning in

nursing education. Teaching responsibilities are evenly shared by faculty

from both departments of nursing. All students, regardless of their “home” institution, are taught by faculty from both universities.

The administrations at both institutions have made a commitment to

ensuring that the doctoral program has sufficient faculty resources by either

hiring new faculty or redeploying faculty as appropriate at each institution to

address the needs of the doctoral program while at the same time

maintaining the integrity and quality of existing programs. For example, one

full-time faculty position has already been redeployed at SCSU and three

faculty searches are underway. The institutions have planned accordingly so

that current programs at both institutions remain at an acceptable level of

quality. New faculty hired or redeployed will be expected to meet the

following minimal criteria: earned doctorate (Ph.D. or Ed.D.) in nursing or

related field (e.g. education), experience teaching in graduate nursing

programs, evidence of scholarship in nursing and/or nursing education,

experience supervising doctoral dissertations, experience teaching online or

willingness to participate in professional development program. In addition

to meeting minimum criteria, faculty who teach in the program are expected

to demonstrate ongoing expertise and scholarship productivity by

engagement in activities such as, publishing in refereed journals, authoring

books or chapters in books, delivering presentations at professional

conferences, and writing grants.

The dissertation committee will consist of three faculty members: two

faculty from within the department(s) of nursing (one of whom is considered

the lead dissertation advisor) and one additional faculty member who will be

selected based on his/her academic/professional expertise with respect to the

dissertation topic, research methodology or theoretical expertise. The third

committee member may be from nursing or other discipline and be employed at SCSU, WCSU, or another accredited institution of higher education.

To date, only FT faculty have taught courses in the Ed.D. program. We

anticipate qualified adjunct faculty with specialized knowledge and skills

may be hired to teach some courses in the future. Faculty from other

accredited institutions may serve as a third dissertation committee member

on some students’ dissertation committees. Other SCSU or WCSU qualified

faculty may teach some of the courses in our curriculum (e.g. advanced statistics).

b. Briefly describe the merits and logic of your curriculum. (250 words)

The doctoral curriculum responds to the national call for better

preparation of nurse faculty as the focus of the program is on developing

expertise in teaching, learning, and evaluation and conducting research and

scholarship that will add to the science of nursing education and advance

evidence-based teaching practices. The curriculum is based upon profession

standards such as the Core Competencies of Nurse Educators (NLN, 2005).

Additionally, the curriculum reflects the work of the Carnegie Foundation ’s Report (2009) titled Educating Nurses: A Call for Radical Transformation.

The 51-credit program consists of five major components taken in the

following sequence:

Foundations of Teaching in Higher Education (9 credits) provides

students with broad foundational knowledge needed to be effective faculty members in institutions of higher education.

Specialization in Nursing Education (9 credits) addresses the specific

knowledge/skills necessary to teach in nursing programs, including program

development, implementation and evaluation in nursing education; the role

of faculty; classroom and clinical teaching and evaluation in nursing education.

Leadership in Nursing Education (9 credits) focuses on general

leadership theories and concepts, leadership in nursing education, and

development/enhancement of leadership capabilities through a role synthesis experience.

Research Methods (12 credits) provides students with advanced knowledge

and skills to plan and conduct research focusing on nursing education in order to advance the state of the science.

Dissertation Phase (12 credits) provides students with guidance and

mentoring to complete a dissertation in a chosen topic of interest related to nursing education.

c. How dynamic is your program? Please identify and describe what

procedures are in place to provide continued, regular evaluation and review

(include formal and informal activities). Describe the impact of the review on

the program and curriculum (e.g., FAAR data may be used as evidence, as

well as other documentation of changes to the curriculum). (300 words)

Program Evaluation at University Level

At SCSU, all graduate programs are reviewed on 17 criteria every

seven years according to the Procedures for Graduate Program Evaluation

document published by the Academic Standards Committee of the Graduate Council. The review is scheduled for 2018.

Course Evaluation at the Department Level

All courses are reviewed each year during nursing department

curricular meetings. Course summaries are prepared by course faculty and

include: 1) course objectives, 2) links to standards and program outcomes 3)

teaching strategies and evaluation methods, 3) what went well in the course 4) recommendations for improvement.

Program Evaluation at the Committee Level

Program effectiveness in meeting the stated objectives and the

achievement of student learning outcomes will be assessed through a student

portfolio of work produced over the course of the doctoral program, reflecting

achievement of the National League for Nursing’s Nurse Educator Core Competencies (2005).

Comprehensive Examination

Doctoral students are required to complete and pass the

comprehensive exam during the intercession between the fall and spring

semester of the 2nd year in the program. The three exam questions focus on

the core components of the program completed prior to the comprehensive

exam. The first comprehensive exams were given in December 2013 and all students achieved a successful passing grade.

Program Satisfaction

Student Representatives on Program Committee Level

Student input during residency meetings

Student written evaluations of satisfaction with residencies

Alumnae and Employer Program satisfaction surveys

Teaching Effectiveness and Satisfaction with On-line Course Delivery

The Ed.D. Program Committee evaluates on-line courses using the

approved online course evaluation tool at SCSU/WCSU. This tool is

specifically designed to provide insight related teacher ability to facilitate

learning, teacher accessibility, interactive components of online learning

(threaded discussions, interactive assignments) technological components of

online learning (design, graphics, navigation) and assistance (help desk,

support services).

d. Is there anything else you would like us to know? (Issues you might discuss

could include the quality of your incoming students, or a comparison of your

curriculum, courses, assessments, experiences to similar programs. How does

your program better serve students than similar programs offered

elsewhere?) (200 words)

The program is unique in that it is designed to encourage student and

faculty engagement in an online learning environment. Online courses are

delivered using asynchronous learning to enhance access for students who

work full-time. However, synchronous learning activities occur frequently in

each course. Students engage during weekly Vidyo conferences, online chat

rooms, or in wikis. Three (3 day) on-ground residencies provide further

opportunities for student and faculty interaction and team building activities.

Residency One includes an orientation to the instructional technology

utilized in on-line courses and the range of campus and online

support/academic services available to doctoral students. Students engage in

team-building activities with other students and faculty and attend

workshops on academic writing and electronic and campus-based library

resources.

Residency Two occurs at the end of Year 1. Students begin to discuss a

number of topics related to the scholarship of teaching/learning, designing

and conducting scientific research, review the dissertation process, and

discuss how to identify possible committee members.

Residency Three occurs at the end of Year 2. This residency focuses on

qualitative and quantitative research proposal development (students

present their own work), writing for publication, grant writing, along with

individual meetings with potential advisors.

5. Quality of Program Outcomes

a. How does your program use assessment data to ensure quality of student

outcomes? Describe the quality of your program outcomes. (e.g., G.P.A.,

Student Opinion Surveys, course evaluations, alumni surveys, professional

assessment/evaluation, other assessments, participation in groups or

organizations that focus on pedagogy or andragogy. Insert a table listing your

program outcomes. Note that the table does not count in the word limit). (900

words)

Program Outcomes

The overall purpose of this program is to prepare individuals for the faculty

role in nursing education. At the end of the program, learners will be able to:

Synthesize concepts and theories from nursing, higher education, and

related disciplines as a foundation to enact the nurse educator role

Demonstrate expertise in designing, implementing, evaluating, and

improving nursing education to reflect trends in higher education,

healthcare, and nursing practice

Use knowledge of ethical, social, global, cultural, political, and

economic issues affecting nursing education to provide effective

leadership

Contribute to the advancement of the science of nursing education

through intellectual inquiry and creative scholarship

Provide professional leadership to affect change in nursing education

through service to the profession

Function collaboratively in the faculty role within a community of

scholars

Because the EdD in Nursing Education program was just recently

implemented, specific program outcome data is not yet available. In order to

demonstrate the Department’s plan for assessing quality program outcomes, plans for data collection and analysis are presented in the Table below.

Timeline for Program Evaluation

Type of

evaluation

Mechanism Time frame How data is used to

improve program

Student

satisfaction

with courses

and program

Student

representatives

From

SCSU/WCSU

bring

concerns/suggesti

ons to Ed.D.

Program

meetings

Monthly

during

fall/spring

semester

Year 1, 2, and

3

Student

concerns/suggestions

brought to Ed.D.

Program Committee for

discussion and action

Student

satisfaction

with residency

1,2,3

Students

complete written

satisfaction

survey of end of

Residency 1,2, 3

Student cohort

meeting with

representatives

Yearly during

residency 1,

2,3

Student

concerns/suggestions

brought to program

coordinators and Ed.D.

Program committee for

discussion and action

Student

satisfaction

with courses

and program

Student

representatives

meet with

students during

residency 2 and 3

and discuss

report including

students’

satisfaction with

Yearly during

residency 2, 3

Student reports read by

Program Coordinators,

suggestions for program

improvement enacted

program to date

Students write

report

summarizing

meeting

Student

satisfaction

with on-line

course delivery

and faculty

teaching

effectiveness

Course surveys

sent out by

Blackboard Learn

at end of course

Fall,

intercession,

spring,

summer

Year 1,2,3

Course survey results

read by course faculty

Aggregate data brought

to Ed.D. Program

Committee for

discussion and action

Student

satisfaction

with on-line

course delivery

Quality Matters

Scoring Rubric

(2011-2013)

Sent to students

via Blackboard

Learn

Students submit

responses

anonymously

Yearly in

spring

semester

Beginning in

spring 2014

Faculty reads report

Aggregate data brought

to Ed.D. Program

Committee for

discussion/action

Alumnae

satisfaction

On-line survey

sent to alumnae

at program end

and one year post

graduation

Beginning in

spring of 2015

for first

cohort

Review by QIC

committee and Ed.D.

Committee for

discussion/action

Employer

satisfaction

On-line survey

sent to employers

(with alumnae

approval) one

year post

Beginning in

spring of 2016

for first

cohort

Review by QIC

Committee an d Ed.D.

Program Coordinators

for discussion/action

graduation

Student

Achievement

Of Program

Outcomes

Students submit

major papers to e-

portfolio in

Blackboard Learn

Papers evaluated

by faculty for

quality and

assessment of

student learning

at program end

Major papers

submitted to

e-portfolio at

end of every

course

E-portfolio

evaluation at

cohort end

Beginning in

spring of 2016

Review by committee of

WCSU/SCSU faculty

and QIC Committee

Recommendations for

assignments made to

Ed.D. Program

Committee for

discussion/action

Student

Achievement

of Program

Outcomes

Students will be

required to write

and pass

comprehensive

exams consisting

of three questions

Intercession

Between year

2 and 3

Aggregate data on

student performance

will be brought to Ed.D.

Program Committee for

discussion/action

Student

Achievement

of Program

Outcomes

Completion of

Dissertation

Completion of

Program

Aggregate data brought

to Ed.D. Program

Committee. Discussion/

action brought back to

for course

improvement/changes

Available data to date is summarized below.

Student GPA

The first cohort of students in the Ed.D. in Nursing Education Program from

SCSU are doing well as indicated by their cumulative GPA of a 3.98 (year one).

EDD NUR Fa

08 Sp09

Fa09

Sp10

Fa10

Sp11

Fa 11

Sp12

Fa12 Sp13 Fa Avg

Sp Avg

Students 8 8 8 8 Overall GPA 3.98 3.98 3.98 3.98

Enrollment and Progression

Total Percent

Retention

Students accepted into

program

18 100%

Students enrolled Fall 2012 17 94%

Students enrolled Spring

2013

15 83%

Students enrolled Fall 2013 14 78%

Student Opinion Surveys

Below are some of the comments made by students on course evaluations

from the first year of the program. Sometimes, numerical data does not tell

the whole truth about students’ perceptions of a new program.

“As someone who has taught in university settings since 1996, I was truly

impressed by the amount of work that was not only put into the construction

of this course, but the time spent providing individual feedback for every

assignment. This semester, I also was teaching an on line course, and am

well aware of the time it takes to read and respond to the assignments and

discussions the way you did. I have to tell you, I described you to a PhD

friend of mine, that you were an “educator’s educator”. Someone who not only

lived and understood the content you were presenting, but also someone who

wanted the student to understand and apply it to their own teaching.

“My practice has already been affected by the knowledge learned in this

course. I believe I am better able to fully comprehend some of the practices

we do in academia that relate to theory. In clinical situations, many of the

theories we learned have had great impact. For example, even though I have

been using reflection as a tool, I have improved the assignment based on

other students’ suggestions. Since I do teach an online course, I took a great

interest in these discussions/articles. I learned a great deal when we

discussed web based learning and strategies to assist students with distance

learning. Overall, I found the class very interesting and applicable to

practice. One of the reasons I entered an EdD program specific to nursing

education was that it would enhance my practice and I do believe with the

both courses I took this semester, it will do just that!”

“The instructors teaching style was very helpful in enabling me to meet my

educational goals. Her comments always provided me the encouragement

that I needed when I was feeling overwhelmed. This was a class course. I

felt that all of the content was very appropriate and explained many aspects

of academic life. I think this course could help all academics.”

Student Satisfaction with Residencies

To date, students have completed two residencies. Students have provided

positive feedback regarding the quality of the residencies and how they have

contributed to their success in the program.

6) Size, scope and productivity of the program

a. How many credit hours does the program generate? (table generated by

OMIR)

Data not provided by OMIR.

b. What degrees or certificates are awarded? (This is a simple list of degrees

and will list only one degree or certificate unless you are one of the programs

approved to report your data in combination)(in table form with item c)

An Ed.D. in Nursing Education will be awarded following successful

completion of the program. The first graduates of the program are

anticipated in August 2015.

c. How many degrees or certificates have been awarded (five year data)?

None to date. We anticipate awarding our first degrees in August 2015.

d. Using the data provided, present and discuss the record of the graduate

faculty in research/creative activity. (200 words)

Type of Publication 2009-

2010

2010-

2011

2011-

2012

2012-

2013

Book, Chapter in Scholarly Book-New

0 0 1 2

Book, Scholarly-Revised 0 0 0 1

Journal Article, Academic Journal

0 1 0 0

Journal Article, Professional Journal

1 0 1 0

Other 1 2 0 0

a. Professional Presentations

Presentation Type 2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

2012-2013

Keynote/Plenary Address 0 0 0 1

Oral Presentation 0 4 3 2

Poster 1 2 3 1

b. Professional Conference Participation

Role 2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

2012-2013

Attendee 5 12 46 9

Other 1 2 4 3

c. Contracts, Grants and Sponsored Research

Type 2009-

2010

2010-

2011

2011-

2012

2012-

2013

Grant 0 3 2 2

Sponsored Research 0 1 0 0

The above data does not appear to be complete. Unfortunately, faculty

compliance in accurately completing the FAAR has been low. Faculty

members have consistently delivered presentations and published on

pedagogical strategies, such as simulation and cumulative capstone

experience, and associated learning outcomes. An internal audit of

productivity (via faculty CV’s) reveals that during the 2008-2011 academic

years, 23 publications were produced by the faculty in the Department of

Nursing. Faculty presented 28 papers or posters at local, regional, and

national conferences. During the 2008-2011 timeframe, a sum total of

$69,587.00 was awarded in internal grants and $347,553.00 was awarded in

external grants. All faculty have actively served in professional organizations

and have engaged in productive service at both the Departmental and

University levels. Several faculty have been presented with research and

scholarship excellence awards, such as the Nightingale Award for Excellence in Nursing and various research awards.

e. What types of student or student/faculty research or creative activity have

been developed and or produced (e.g., include theses, dissertations, special

projects)? (100 words)

Students begin dissertation work in the fall 2014. Students have

written major papers in their courses: adult theory critique paper, concept

analysis paper, a teaching effectiveness evaluation paper, a curriculum

evaluation paper, a teaching philosophy, and a literature review (to name a

few). Many of these papers could be considered for publication. One of the

current EdD students has recently had her abstract accepted for podium

presentation at the upcoming National League for Nursing Education

Summit in September in Phoenix, AZ. Also, students will attend a

Publication Workshop during Residency 3; we are encouraging students to

consider publishing these manuscripts.

f. In your narrative discuss how all these data impact or have impacted the

size, scope or productivity of your program. (200 words)

Outcome data is not yet available as this is a new program.

g. Is there anything else you would like us to know (this might include a

discussion of equipment purchased solely for the purposes of the graduate

program). (100 words)

In order to conduct synchronous learning sessions, the Department

purchased access to the Vidyo conferencing system. The Vidyo system is

hosted by the Office of Information Technology at WCSU. All instructional

EdD faculty have a Vidyo account and are able to conduct videoconferencing

from their desktops and/or laptops. Additionally, we have retrofitted one of

our existing rooms in the Nursing Classroom Building into a videoconference

room using this technology. Collaborative EdD Program and Curriculum

Committee meetings with SCSU and WCSU are often conducted in this space.

7) Revenue and other resources generated by the program

a. What are the sources and how much revenue does the program generate

through student enrollments?

There were no revenue reports provided. The program began in fall

2012. See the attached Appendix for a resource summary prepared for our

NEASC substantive change report.

b. What are the sources and how much additional revenue does the program

generate through fees such as laboratory or special user fees? (50 words)

Students pay $900/residency (three required residencies)

c. What are the sources and how much revenue does the program generate by

services (e.g., external or to other programs)? (50 words)

None are generated

d. In the narrative on this section discuss how the revenues and other

resources impact the size, scope and productivity of your program? (100

words)

e. Is there anything else you need us to know? (You may wish to discuss grant

activity, gifts to the University, etc.) (100 words)

The program has received federal funding through the Nurse Faculty

Loan Payment. This grant funding has allowed students to receive loan

forgiveness for up to 85% of their education if they practice as nurse

educators for 4 years following graduation. To date, $98,000 has been

received. An additional application for funding for the next Academic Year

has been submitted and is currently under review by the US Department of

Health and Human Services HRSA.

8) Costs and other expenses

a. What are the total costs of the program? (table)

Data not provided.

Tuition and fee costs are higher for the EdD in Nursing Education

program as compared to graduate tuition and fees for other programs. In fact,

the tuition costs for this academic year are $1009.00 per credit ($2,917.00 for a 3-credit course).

b. What is the ratio of costs to revenues? (table)

Data not provided.

c. What investment in new resources does the program require? (200 words)

In order to continue to build upon a successful new doctoral program,

continued investment in faculty development is required. Due to the

availability of faculty development funding received via the federal

appropriation grant, three SCSU nursing faculty completed the iTeach

Essentials course designed to prepare faculty for online instruction.

Additional funds are necessary to support faculty in taking this course (or

similar types of courses on online instruction) in order to build a cadre of well-qualified online instructors.

d. What demonstrable efficiencies exist in the way the program is operated (e.g., summer courses; cross-listed courses, etc.)? (100 words)

The ability to collaborate with the Department of Nursing at WCSU

has provided the program with opportunities for efficiencies. We are able to

build upon the expertise and experience of faculty at each institution.

Although two courses are usually offered per semester, the Department teaching responsibilities here for include one of the courses.

Also, in order to facilitate timely program completion, the program is designed to include coursework during summer and intersessions.

9) Impact, justification, and overall essentiality of the program

a. How does this program connect to the University’s mission statement

and/or the Graduate School’s mission statement? (100 words)

Goal One (SCSU Strategic Plan) is to strengthen undergraduate and

graduate programs. Clearly the launch of a new doctoral program in nursing

education strengthens the graduate education programs here, providing a

model for further growth at SCSU.

Goal Four (SCSU Strategic Plan) is to become a regional leader in the

use of technology to support learning. The Ed.D. in Nursing Education is the

first distance learning doctoral program in the system. Faculty at SCSU

spend considerable time learning how to incorporate best practices in online

pedagogy and how to support student success in a distance learning format.

b. How does this program respond to societal needs that the institution

values? (e.g., producing a critical thinking, educated citizenry; improving the

state’s workforce; meeting health care needs of the community, etc.)? (100

words)

The Ed.D. in Nursing Education Program is the only one of its kind in

the State of Connecticut and one of very few across the country uniquely

designed to prepare nurses for academic faculty roles. The Ed.D. in Nursing

Education was developed to address a well-documented local and national

shortage of nurse faculty. If not addressed, a shortage of threatens the future viability of the nursing profession.

c. To what extent does this program help the institution differentiate itself from similar programs at peer institutions? (100 words)

In keeping with the universities’ mission to provide exemplary

education in the liberal arts and professional disciplines and to meet the

workforce needs of the State of Connecticut, the Ed.D. in Nursing Education

program builds on SCSU’s long standing tradition of excellence in preparing

educators and nurses for beginning and advanced roles and combines content

knowledge and expertise that is not fully available to learners completing a

Ph.D. in Nursing, a Ph.D./Ed.D. in Education or a DNP (Doctor of Nursing

Practice).

d. Is there anything else you would like us to know? (100 words)

10) Opportunity analysis of the program

a. Describe the external opportunities for strengthening your program. (300

words)

As previously mentioned, the EdD in Nursing Education program is a

collaborative program with WCSU. While the efficiencies of sharing resources

is a very beneficial aspect of the program, challenges remain in terms of

strengthening collaboration among Departments. In order to continue in

providing a high quality program, faculty must continue to work together in

terms of ensuring consistency of courses offered between the two

Departments. In fact, one of the consistent comments from students has been

that courses from one school are more challenging than courses from the

other. This issue has been discussed with the respective Deans from both

programs. Strategies have been planned and are currently in place in order to

address consistent rigor between the two Departments.

b. Describe the internal opportunities for strengthening your program. (300

words)

Most of the faculty in the Department do not have previous experience

providing advisement with doctoral dissertations. In order to address these

faculty development needs, a Faculty Development Grant was prepared (and

funded). In fact, we will be bringing two outside experts on campus later this

semester to provide a program for faculty in regards to best practices with

doctoral advisement. Additional faculty development opportunities in regards

to dissertation advisement will be planned.

As the second doctoral program on the campus, there are internal

opportunities for collaboration with the EdD in Education Leadership faculty.

We can benefit from their experiences in providing doctoral education over

the past decade. While we have had several conversations with that program,

especially in relation to program development, there are additional

opportunities for collaboration. In fact, we plan to invite faculty from that

program to the upcoming Faculty Development program that we have this

semester. We are also considering instituting an annual Doctoral Symposium,

including faculty and students from both doctoral programs.

As a program within the School of Health and Human Services, we

also have further opportunities for interprofessional collaboration with

faculty from other Departments in the school. Additionally, as students begin

to develop their dissertation committees, we anticipate participation from

interested faculty across the campus.

Institution: Southern Connecticut State University and

Western Connecticut State University

Program: Ed.D. in NURSING Education Program

Original Revised Revised Revised Revised

Projection Actual Variance Projection Projection Projection Projection

Year 1 Year 1 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

PROJECTED ENROLLMENT 2012-2013 2012-2013 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017

25 17 (8) 14 14 0 0

Cohort 2 25 25 25

25

25 17 (8) 14 39 25 50

Year 1 Year 1 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

REVENUES 2012-2013 2012-2013 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017

406,725 253,800 (152,925) 321,038 608,271 602,156 776,481

Tuition Set-Aside - (11,843) (11,843) (24,381) (38,081) (27,500) (40,000)

Other Sources 4,375 32,490 28,115 30,000 30,000 30,000 30,000

411,100 274,447 (136,653) 326,657 600,190 604,656 766,481

Year 1 Year 1 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

EXPENDITURES 2012-2013 2012-2013 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017

92,926 59,958 (32,968) 63,000 197,170 203,086 209,178

Full Time Support Staff 80,000 0 (80,000) 0 63,041 63,598 64,172

Teaching Adjunct Faculty 10,152 88,300 78,148 92,715 83,700 11,094 114,240

Non-Teaching Adj Program Coordinator 20,304 15,650 (4,654) 20,916 21,540 22,188 22,848

Fringe Benefits 83,908 47,607 (36,301) 52,989 109,635 119,986 164,175

Total Personnel 287,290 211,515 (75,775) 229,620 475,086 419,952 574,613

Other Expenses 20,100 7,904 (12,196) 23,600 23,600 23,600 23,600

Overhead (@ 20% of PS expenses) 61,478 14,160 (47,318) 35,326 73,090 59,993 82,088

Equipment 2,500 0 (2,500) 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500

371,368$ 233,579$ (137,789)$ 291,046$ 574,276$ 506,045$ 682,801$

Annual Surplus / (Deficit) 39,732$ 40,868$ 1,136$ 35,611$ 25,914$ 98,611$ 83,680$

Cumulative Change 39,732$ 40,868$ 1,136$ 76,479$ 102,393$ 201,004$ 284,684$

Cohort 3

SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY and

WESTERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY

Ed.D. in NURSING Education Program

RESOURCE SUMMARY at 9/27/13

Cohort 1

TOTAL ENROLLMENT

Extension Fund (Part Time Tuition)

TOTAL NEW REVENUES

Full Time Faculty

TOTAL NEW EXPENDITURES