Could a voter referendum be Northwestern Michigan College's eventual route to four-year nursing degrees and relief for the acute local nursing shortage?

The controversial issue of allowing community colleges, which historically offer two-year degrees, to offer four-year degrees – the domain of universities – is readying for debate once again in Lansing. 

Three years ago, the state passed legislation which allowed for the first-ever bachelor programs at community colleges in specialized occupational areas. In December 2013, NMC became the first community college in Michigan to award bachelor degrees – in maritime/marine technology majors. Originally a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) was on that list, but was removed due to opposition, largely from the state’s 15 public universities.

NMC officials stated shortly thereafter that until it it’s able to offer its own bachelor of science in nursing degree, "it will be looking for additional four-year college and university partnerships as one solution to the area’s critical need for a bachelor nursing program.”

Now a bill is expected to be re-introduced to the state legislature that would require Michigan community colleges to ask voters if they support certain four-year bachelor programs being offered at the two-year community college level – led by the demand in the workforce for registered nurses, in particular those with bachelor degrees.

“I’ve thought about it a lot and I like the notion,” says NMC President Timothy Nelson of the referendum amendment. “The taxpayers and elected board of trustees are the hallmark of a community college … and instead of having the state decide, it lets the voters decide if they think something is financially viable. I like the bill.”

The voter referendum concept is actually an amendment to legislation first introduced last June by Sen. Mike Shirkey (R-Clark Lake) – the second attempt to allow certain community colleges to offer a BSN along with additional vocational and occupational programs.

Says Sen. Shirkey’s office of the amendment: “This way, each unique community college area in Michigan could directly control which degrees they want their community college to be able to offer at the bachelor level. This is a customized approach.”

The amendment is also said to address some of the concern voiced by the Michigan Association of Universities.

“While we still anticipate universities to be opposed, the new language should give them some assurance against one of their objections, which was that they did not want for every community college to be able to offer nursing,” adds a representative in Shirkey’s office.

Munson Medical Center employs approximately 1,200 registered nurses; about half have a BSN, according to Jim Fischer, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer. While registered nurses can either hold associate or bachelor degrees, Munson, like many other health care institutions, is requiring nurses without BSNs to obtain one within five years of hiring. It has job postings for more than 70 nursing positions right now.

“If a local community partner, such as Munson, needs this education, we need to figure out how best to design it,” Nelson adds, whether that is by voter referendum or through other resources.

Nelson says he’s “hopeful” the legislation will pass. “It’s a good approach,” he says, but he adds the college isn’t going to sit idly by to see if it happens but to continue to pursue other options to offer the degree.

If the bill becomes state law, would NMC pursue a referendum?

“That depends on what happens, when it happens, and on our partners,” says Nelson. “If that is a solution, yes, we’d pursue what we could.”