Meeting of the Board of Regents | October 2010

To:                                           The Honorable Members of the Board of Regents

From:                                      Joseph P. Frey

Subject:                                  Briarcliffe College: Bachelor of Science Degree Program in Healthcare Administration at its Bethpage and Patchogue campuses

Date:                                       September 28, 2010

Authorizations:

SUMMARY

Issue for Decision

Should the Board of Regents approve a master plan amendment authorizing Briarcliffe College to offer a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree program in Healthcare Administration at its Bethpage and Patchogue campuses?

Reason(s) for Consideration

Required by State regulation.

Proposed Handling

The question will come before the full Board at its October 2010 meeting where it will be voted on and action.

Background Information

 Briarcliffe College seeks to offer a B.S. program in Healthcare Administration at its main campus in Bethpage, Nassau County, and its branch campus in Patchogue, Suffolk County.  If registered, the proposed programs would be its first baccalaureate programs in the disciplinary area of Health Professions.

The Department conducted a canvass of all degree-granting institutions of higher education on Long Island.  Five institutions responded with no comments/objections to the proposed programs.

The Department has determined that the proposed programs meet the standards of registration set forth in the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.

 
Recommendation

It is recommended that the Board of Regents approve a master plan amendment to authorize Briarcliffe College to offer Bachelor of Science degree programs in Healthcare Administration at the College’s main campus and Patchogue branch campus.  This amendment will be effective until October 31, 2011, unless the Department registers the proposed programs prior to that date, in which case master plan amendment shall be without term.

Information in Support of the Recommendation

Briarcliffe College, Bethpage, Nassau County, seeks the Regents approval of a master plan amendment to offer programs in Healthcare Administration leading to the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree at its main and Patchogue branch campuses.  Master plan amendment is necessary as the proposed program will be the College’s first baccalaureate degree program at each campus in the discipline of Health Professions.

Briarcliffe College was established in 1966 as the Briarcliffe Secretarial School.  It received Regents authorization to award degrees in 1980, and changed its name to Briarcliffe College upon receiving accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. In 1982, the Regents authorized Briarcliffe to open a branch campus in Patchogue, Suffolk County.

At its main campus, Briarcliffe offers a variety of associate degree and baccalaureate level programs.  At the associate degree level, it is authorized to offer programs in the discipline areas of Business, the Fine Arts, the Physical Sciences, and the Social Sciences.  At the baccalaureate level, it is authorized to offer programs in the discipline areas of Business, the Fine Arts, and the Physical Sciences.  Its Patchogue campus is authorized to offer associate degree programs in the discipline areas of Business, the Fine Arts, the Physical Sciences, and the Social Sciences and baccalaureate programs in the discipline area of Business.

The 120 credit curriculum in Healthcare Administration consists of a 66-credit core in the Liberal Arts and Sciences, a 48-credit core in a Healthcare Administration content area, and six credits of general electives. 

The College’s projected enrollment across both campuses during the first year of the programs is 50 new full-time students.  Enrollment is expected to increase to 114 new students in the fifth year.  Overall enrollment for full-time, part-time, continuing, and transfer students is expected to reach 250 in the programs’ fifth year.

Across both campuses, nine full-time faculty members and eight adjunct faculty members will serve the program.  Four hold Ph.D. or other terminal degrees; the remaining 13 hold master’s degrees in appropriate programmatic areas.  The College also expects to hire six additional faculty members, including a program director who will serve the institution and the program on a full-time basis.  This individual will possess either a Ph.D. or a terminal medical degree.  One additional full-time faculty member will be hired as well as four adjunct instructors.

The proposed programs will prepare graduates to enter the medical and health care services industry in entry-level administrative and management positions. They are unique in their focus on the managerial aspects of health services organizations.  This includes a focus on the needs of hospitals, medical offices, residential care facilities, home healthcare providers, insurance carriers, and community care facilities for the elderly.  According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for medical and health services managers is expected to grow 16 percent faster than average for all occupations from 2008 – 2018, as the healthcare industry is expected to expand and diversify.  According to the State Labor Department, the demand for qualified graduates is expected to increase 9.8 percent just on Long Island during the period 2006 – 2016.

Only two institutions on Long Island offer similar programs of study, neither of which is graduating students in sufficient numbers to meet the expected demand separately or in combination.  While more than 370 new positions are projected on the Island during this period, for the eight-year period ending 2007-08 a total of only 75 similar baccalaureate degrees and 17 similar master’s degrees were conferred, for a total of 92 students receiving a related degree during the last eight years.  Not only will the proposed program help alleviate the anticipated shortage of well-prepared healthcare administrators, but because Briarcliffe College serves many first-generation college students from communities that have historically been underrepresented in the managerial ranks, the proposed program addresses issues of equity and access.

            The Department canvassed all degree-granting institutions on Long Island.  Five institutions responded.  Two institutions – New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Island Drafting and Technical Institute had no comment on the proposed program.  Three institutions - SUNY at Old Westbury, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and St. Joseph’s College had no objections.