Standard V 1
Standard V: Resources
The program has effectively organized processes and human, fiscal, and physical resources necessary to accomplish its purposes.
The overall budget of the College is set by the Board of Trustees based on funds appropriated by the state legislature. Specific recommendations are submitted through the College structure that begins with the Nursing department, moves through the Nursing Program Director to the Division Planning Committee, and from there is forwarded by the Division Dean to the Instructional Services Council (ISC) and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Then the Vice President for Academic Affairs presents the ISC’s priority list to the President’s Staff where the campus priorities are determined.
The Nursing Program has been fortunate in receiving grants from private donors through the Shoreline College Foundation. These funds are restricted in use by their donors. Within the constraints of the donor specifications and the College policies, the Nursing faculty determines priorities for spending. The Nursing Program Director uses these priorities in determining specific items to be purchased and monitors all budgets. These funds have been used to purchase computer-assisted instruction and interactive video disc programs for student use, a test construction program for faculty use, and scholarships for students. One endowment of $60,000 providing scholarships has been in place for two years. Two endowments, one of $100,000 for student scholarships and a separate one of $10,000 for student emergency needs, were established in July, 2001.
Attached is a three-year analysis of the Nursing Department Budget. The 1999-2000 fiscal year was a year of transition with a newly hired Vice President for Business and a number of changes in how fiscal resources were distributed and recaptured. Prior to 1999, each department had “authority” over a portion of its respective budgets. For example, benefits, postage, and telephone charges were paid from a central pool. Since the arrival of the new Vice President, efforts have been focused on decentralizing the budgets and combining, as much as possible, the various types of budgets (fee based, state support, etc.) into one per department. In addition, each year the budgets are being increased to cover the specific charges associated with each department. For example, last year base budget adjustments were made to cover travel and printing costs. This year professional development funds for full time instructors were placed into the respective division budget. There are currently discussions about moving associate faculty salary allocations directly into the specific department’s budget.
The last few years have brought some improvements but also some confusion as money has been moved from one budget to another without the respective unit administrator being aware of why and how the decision was made. In reviewing our 1999-2000 budget expenses and revenue, it is important to note that at the end of the fiscal year a number of items were moved around to “balance the books,” but the college was unable to update the department’s monthly “Budget Status Reports.” Thus the last month’s “Budget Status Report” for June 2000 did not match the more detailed sub-reports for that month. In an attempt to be as precise as possible, the information specific to the Nursing department budget was taken primarily from the “Salary and Wage Expenditure Report” and “Monthly Operations Expenditure Report” except for the month of June 2000 when the “Budget Status Report” was used.
The 2000-2001 fiscal year has gone more smoothly—items specific to the Nursing program have been documented on a regular basis. However, hard copies of the reports often come three to four weeks after the end of that month’s cycle. The College is aware that there are numerous concerns about our current budgetary system and process and is working on simplifying the budget data reports and timeliness of distribution of these reports. In place now is a biennial budget priority process for capital or large expense items that begins within the departments and ends with the Strategic Planning Committee and the President’s Staff determining which items will be purchased.
Capital Expenditures:
The Nursing faculty has requested several specific items in this category. Their highest priority is the expansion of the current Skills Practice Laboratory space. Although this request has been made each year since the last NLNAC accreditation visit, there is a good possibility that the request might be granted this coming year due to the relocation of another department currently in the space adjacent to the Skills Practice Laboratory area. Therefore, in anticipation of this request being approved, we have requested $10,000 for “construction” that might include some remodeling of the current space. Over the last two years funds have been used to buy stackable chairs for the Laboratory space, upgrade faculty computers, and purchase computer/projector media equipment.
Non-capital Expenditures:
Our practice laboratory fees and sale of bookstore packets cover the supplies for the Skills Practice Laboratory and some of the costs for printing and reproduction. Last year we did purchase a new geriatric manikin for the lab and repaired all the older mannequins bringing them up to current standard. The other costs under this category are funded by the department budget. We do anticipate an increase in printing costs for this year and next year due to inflation. Another large cost to the program is maintaining our professional memberships and paying annual NLNAC accreditation fees. Memberships in the National League of Nurses (NLN) and the Council of Nursing Educators for Washington State (CNEWS) are part of this Nursing budget.
Each year the Library/Media Center allocates a specific amount of dollars to spend on the Nursing program. The funds have ranged from $8,815 to $11,549 per year over the last three years. Due to the Library/Media Center being renovated and closed for the next academic year, the print periodical subscriptions were reduced for the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 academic years. Online subscriptions were consequently increased. Part of the current online subscription is for ProQuest, which includes all the periodicals, and the Health Module. The figure for 2000-2001 and the projection for 2001-2002 reflects the addition of Ebsco Health Source Plus.
Faculty:
During the 1999-2000 fiscal year, two faculty were on sabbatical for two quarters and one quarter, respectively. For 2000-2001 we have had one faculty member resign in December 2000 and another person who had to take medical leave during winter and spring quarters 2001. The fluctuation in full time and part time faculty has caused some unexpected changes in our expenditures in this area. Full time faculty are paid at a higher level than part time instructors. For faculty on sabbatical, their salaries are maintained at either the hundred percent or eighty-six percent level. For a person on medical leave, we still pay that person’s salary and in addition hired part time faculty to cover her duties. Therefore, our salary costs for the last two years have been higher than in a normal year where everyone is working only in their assigned positions. The College does work closely with the unit administrator to ensure that sufficient funds are available for these types of situations.
Full time faculty receive an automatic $400 per year for professional development. They also may request an additional $500 through a shared pool of funds and another $180 from the professional/technical pool. Part time faculty are eligible for $125 each from the general fund and $125 each from the professional/technical pool each year. These amounts are not guaranteed but are awarded until the overall fund is expended for the year. Part time nursing faculty have usually been able to take full advantage of these funds. Due to the State’s requirements that instructors in professional/technical programs be vocationally certified, almost all of the faculty use all of their funds.
Several times each year guest lecturers are invited to address the students in theory. Several hundred dollars are used for this. The Program Director also receives approximately 26 extended days during summer and quarter breaks to handle student advising, information sessions on the program, and complete other administrative duties.
Staff:
A full time, eleven-month secretary senior is assigned to the nursing program. Her duties include typing exams and syllabi, handling travel, distributing student evaluations, assisting with the processing of nursing admissions applications, work orders, and other needed tasks. An admissions evaluator reviews the nursing applications and determines the number of points that are to be awarded. This is an hourly position. All professional/technical students at the College are eligible to receive tutoring assistance from student tutors. The Carl Perkins funds support this service. The amount listed in the budget report reflects the amount actually spent for pre-nursing and nursing students.
Revenue:
The Nursing Program’s departmental budget includes funds allocated to cover salary costs for all full time and part time nursing faculty, non-capital expenditures except for the institutional library costs, and the admissions evaluator. These funds include state supported revenue, classroom and lab fees, bookstore packets, nursing application fees. The secretary senior is paid by the Health Occupations and Physical Education Division budget. Capital expenditures and some equipment costs come from the general funds that the College maintains. The tutoring assistance also is subsidized by Carl Perkins funds.
Overall Assessment of Budget Resources:
For the last two years some adjustments have been made to increase the Nursing Program’s budget to address increased costs in travel, part time faculty salaries, and supply costs. If our base budget requests for the 2001-2002 fiscal year are approved, we anticipate having sufficient funds to meet all of our expenses. We also are pleased that the College is working towards having an annual review of base budgets so that adjustments can be made on a regular basis if needed.
Nursing Faculty Salaries:
Most of the full-time Nursing faculty are at Step 9 on the salary grid. All part time faculty salaries are determined using the associate faculty salary grid. (See Shoreline Community College Federation of Teachers Local No. 1950 Contract, on site.)
The College has established an hourly stipend of $25 for part time instructors. The part time nursing faculty each receive a total of $625 each quarter per “team” in which they teach to perform up to 25 hours of additional duties in their role as an instructor, such as attending team meetings and time spent arranging clinical sites.
See Appendix 5-A for an overview of the Budgets for 1999-2000, 2000-2001, and 2001-2002 Academic Years. Complete budget documents are available as Exhibits on site.
The nursing program at Shoreline Community College is located in the 2300 building. The building provides three major classrooms and two smaller rooms for student instruction. The largest room seats 155 students and the other two rooms seat 40 each. The two small rooms are adequate for 16 to 20 persons. Division head, department head, faculty and secretarial offices are also housed within this building. Each full time faculty member has a private office with desk, ergonomic chair, computer, printer, file cabinet, bookcase, and side chair for a visitor. The part time faculty members share three offices. A skills practice laboratory is housed in the basement of the building. There is also a lunchroom for faculty and staff.
Scheduling for the classrooms is centralized. Nursing, medical technology, and health care information programs have priority in the 2300 building. Classroom space can also be scheduled elsewhere on campus as the need arises. Scheduling of classrooms is an increasing problem as the Health Care Information classes grow and the Nursing classes need to be scheduled in relationship to the complex teaching schedules of the faculty and the availability of clinical sites.
In the 2300 building one room is used for faculty computer support. This room contains two new Windows based computers and two laser printers. In addition, there is an older computer which is Windows based, that also runs DOS programs and is attached to a Scantron grading machine. This computer houses a grade book program in which grades are automatically entered from the Scantron scanner. In addition all full time faculty have computers in their individual offices. Technology support services are very helpful and respond to faculty needs promptly.
Another room in this building houses computers for student use. There are sixteen computers, two laser printers and three laser disk players attached to computers. Most CAI programs are installed on a central server and are available on all the computers plus computers in the main campus computer laboratories. The space available for computer use in the 2300 building is very crowded at the times of the week that the nursing students are on campus. At other times, there are many vacant work stations. Students are reluctant to go to other campus computer labs because they prefer to stay in the 2300 building. We continue to encourage students to use all of the resources available to them.
A large reception/secretarial area is at the entry of the 2300 building. This area provides space for the department’s two secretaries and work-study students. Equipment available within this area includes three computers, a printer, a typewriter and a copy machine. The secretarial area and a nearby room have storage shelves, locked file cabinets and a secured storage area for student and selected faculty files.
An array of portable audiovisual equipment is available for use in the classrooms. Each classroom has an overhead projector on a podium. Equipment that can be moved into the classroom based on need includes an interactive video/computer system with laser disc players and a VCR, three VCRs with monitors, tape players, a video camera, slide projectors, and two LCD projectors with computers. This equipment meets the needs of the nursing program for effective instruction.
Practice laboratory equipment includes four demonstration beds (purchased in 1992), five highest quality practice mannequins, a medication cart, various demonstration items, and disposable supplies. Intravenous pumps are rented each quarter in order to have the latest equipment available.
The 2300 building was constructed in 1971 and is routinely maintained. By virtue of its age, the facility is in need of redecorating. The carpet was replaced and the inside of the building was repainted approximately 10 years ago. During the fall, 1992 accreditation visit, the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Colleges recommended a larger nursing practice laboratory. The health occupations and physical education (HOPE) division has made annual budget requests for a larger, more modern practice laboratory since that date. The only change that has occurred is the addition of glass block windows to create some natural lighting and improve the learning environment. See Table16.1 for a summary of the 2300 building facilities.
Table 16.1 Summary of Facilities
Room / Square footage/seating CapacityClassrooms
2308 / 2500 ft , capacity 1552305 / 896 ft , capacity 40
2316 / 336 ft , capacity 16
2346 / 896 ft , capacity 40
2327 / 396 ft , capacity 20
Laboratories
2329 / 338 ft , capacity2351 / 589 ft
Offices
Division Dean / 304 ftDepartment Head / 186 ft
Reception/Clerical / 357 ft
Copy room / 231 ft
Faculty computer room / 155 ft
Faculty offices / 12 @ 96 ft & 1 @ 117 ft
Support space
Faculty lounge / 352 ftStorage area 2306 / 586 ft
A variety of clinical agencies are used to meet the learning outcomes of the Shoreline Community College Nursing Program. The agencies are varied in complexity and degree of specialization. Throughout the six quarters of the program, students rotate through skilled nursing facilities, retirement centers, hospitals, ambulatory clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, birthing centers, mental health facilities, and schools. See Appendix 4-D for a complete description of these health care facilities used for student placement.
Clinical sites are chosen based on the types of patients available, the availability of registered nursing role models, times the site is available, and the ability of the site to support the number of students in the clinical group. Clinical groups are maintained at 1 instructor to10 or fewer students.
The Ray W. Howard Library/Media Center (LMC) serves the community college, residents of the area and other libraries. The Library/Media Center plays an influential and pivotal role in the learning and instructional life of the college. Beginning in the fall of 2000, the Library/Media Center building started a complete renovation. Over seven million dollars will be used to create a state-of-the-art building housing the library and media collections and associated services, a 100-seat open computer lab, a digital teaching classroom and a television studio/ITV classroom.