Veronica Wilkerson Johnson

IDSL 895
Two Legislative Mandates that have affected community
college governance
A Federal mandate that is affecting community colleges and the
entire nation in various ways is the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enacted
December 31, 2013., also referred to as Obamacare, since it is an
initiative sponsored by President Barack Obama, This law essentially
represents a government takeover of health care and is purported to
insure affordable health care for all people in the U.S.
According to U.S. Rep Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, who represents
Michigans 8th District in Congress, in an article entitled " Lets ride this
trainwreck together If a government health care plan is good enough
for my constituents, then its good enough for the people who passed
it." (Knight, Kelsey, Washington. Detroit News, 9-25-13) "The new mandate has been fraught with delays and broken promises.
Millions of Americans have lost their employer-provided health
insurance due to burdensome mandates, premiums for hard working
families have spiked under the law and an unsettling trend of a
permanent part-time workforce has resulted."
In:
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130925/OPINION01/309250005#
ixzz2ggPvTwHi "
Because the ACA has increased employer-provided health insurance,
as well as the premiums for employees, a trend of a permanent parttime faculty workforce has begun in community colleges as well as at
other establishments across America, and this will ultimately impact
the Lansing Community College in its decisions to hire additional
adjunct faculty and other part-time or contractual personnel.
Congressman Rogers further stated (Detroit News, 9-25-13) "I have
spoken with a number of small business owners about how the
mandate will affect them. On a number of occasions Ive been told that
firms are refraining from hiring new employees, despite having work
for them, because an increase in employment would take the company
over the threshold to provide health insurance. A chef and owner of an
up-and-coming restaurant says he will have to make do with his
current staff. And a construction contractor could use more hands but
cannot take the increased strain of the ACA on his business. On a
national scale, many more businesses have announced their plans on

how to cope with this job-killing law. Trader Joes will no longer provide
benefits to part-time workers, SeaWorld will reduce hours for up to
18,000 part-time workers and Stryker laid off more than 1,000
employees." The Lansing Community College, like so many other
colleges and
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universities, is watching cautiously to determine the ultimate impact
the ACA will have on their employment, fiscal year budget changes and
ultimately their healthcare compliance processes.
-------------------------A state mandate that has affected community colleges is the
State of Michigan (Enrolled House Bill No. 4057, May 10, 2002) which
mandates a "Background Check" for every student in a Long-Term Care
Nurse Aide/Patient Care Technician (PCT) Program or any course which
contains this content along with a clinical component.
Because of this mandate, the Lansing Community College has had to
insure that this background check condition is met for all students
seeking participation in the Long-Term Care Nurse Aide/Patient Care
Technician (PCT) Program.
This Bill states in Section 20173 (1) (Michigan Compiled Laws, 2002)
that "a health facility or agency that is a nursing home, county medical
facility, or home for the aged shall not employ, independently contract
with, or grant clinical privileges to an individual who regularly provides
direct services to patients or residents in the health facility or agency if
the individual has been convicted of one or more of the following:
(a) A felony or an attempt or conspiracy to commit a felony within the
15 years immediately preceding the date of application for
employment or clinical privileges.
(b) A misdemeanor involving abuse, neglect, assault, battery, or
criminal sexual conduct or involving fraud or theft against a vulnerable
adult as that term is defined in section 145m of the Michigan penal
code, or a state or federal crime that is substantially similar to a
misdemeanor described in this subdivision within the 10 years
immediately preceding the date of application for employment or
clinical privileges."
The Lansing Community College must expend the necessary
manpower and allocated resources to insure that this condition is met,

and has done so unfailingly since 2002.

Both the federal and state mandates highlighted in this review speak
to the respect, compliance, continual astuteness and awareness that
community college leaders must demonstrate in order for their
institutions to keep pace with the policies that govern our land. Higher
education has been a force for growth and stability in America, and
certainly in Michigan, because the leaders listen, participate and
comply.
Feedback6/25/148:28AM
Yourtwoexamplesofhowexternalpoliciesmakealocalimpactwerewellchosen.Nicejob.
Don