The University of La Verne Faculty Senate this week voted to approve a new bachelor of science in nursing program, moving this piece of the planned College of Health one step closer to becoming a reality.
The Faculty Assembly also considered the BSN program at their meeting this week. Their discussion, however, happened in a closed session. Assembly members, including all full time faculty, will have a chance to vote on the program electronically later this month.
Should the Assembly also vote to approve the BSN program, the program will move forward with a projected first cohort enrolled as soon as fall 2022.
The Senate vote on Monday, which included 17 “yes” votes, three “no” votes and three abstentions by senators, came a week later than originally scheduled, after the Senate voted Nov. 29 to table the vote over concerns for how the new program would be funded.
Several faculty members at the Senate meeting expressed support for the BSN program as a savvy and timely addition to the University, noting the service it would provide at a time when there is a tremendous need for nurses.
Mackay MorganArmstrong, ASULV president and junior kinesiology major who attended the Senate meeting, said she knows a lot of people interested in nursing and health care who are excited about the College of Health.
Though she added, “I want to encourage faculty and staff to bring up their concerns, and for administration to listen to their concerns.”
Funding concerns were brought to the Senate by members of the Faculty Budget and Compensation Committee, whose members noted that budget cuts to existing programs during the past three years had contributed to year-end surpluses.
FBCC members and other faculty who spoke at the Senate meeting said they did not want year-end surpluses – some of which came about by withholding of faculty cost of living raises during the past two years – to be used to fund the new program.
In addition to voting “yes” or “no” on the BSN program, Faculty Assembly members will also have a chance to vote on a resolution that states: “The University commits that no funds will be declared surplus unless and until all cuts from the previous year have been fully funded and all employees have received a cost-of-living increase.”
The resolution was authored by Professor of Political Science Jason Neidleman.
—Lindsey Pacela
