Samuel Merritt University

“The Board of Regents shall have the authority to organize itself an to form committees, as it deems appropriate. The Board shall have the following standing committees: Executive Committee, Finance Committee, Audit and Compliance Committee, and Podiatric Medical Education Advisory Committee. Each Committee shall have a charter approved by the Board defining its functions, membership, duties and powers. Each committee is supported and staffed by a member of the President's Cabinet appointed by the University President.”

“The information and data used in form 990 is gathered, calculated, and compiled by the university's controller. Upon completing these steps, the information is forwarded to the executive vice president & treasurer for review and approval. Once approved, the information and data is uploaded electronically to the university accounting firm's data collection website, for preparation of the form 990. Once completed, the form 990 is forwarded to the controller to ensure that information that had been provided electronically was entered onto the form 990 correctly. The controller and the executive vice president & treasurer review the form 990 for completeness and accuracy. After which, the form is presented to the audit committee and copies are circulated to the board of regents for review and comments. Subsequently, the form 990 is filed with the internal revenue service. The full filing copy is made available to the to the public through the posting on the university's finance office website.”

“Process to monitor transactions for conflicts of interest: employees are educated on the conflict of interest policy and the need to make disclosure as part of annual compliance education. In addition, annually a disclosure statement is completed by all directors, officers and key employees. On this statement the individual will list a wide range of information which includes business relationships, employment relationships, property interests, and those of related parties. If there is a potential conflict of interest related to a particular transaction, the interested individual must disclose the existence and nature of the relationship. The board chair may appoint a disinterested person or committee to investigate the conflict. The board may consult with the office of the general counsel as necessary. Until the potential conflict is resolved, the board chair (or committee chair as applicable) may request the individual to not participate during related presentations and discussions. In all circumstances involving an actual conflict, the interested individual shall leave the room prior to the board's final discussion and vote.”

“Process for determining compensation: the executive committee of the samuel merritt university board of regents retains ultimate discretionary authority over all elements of compensation to assure that organizational purposes are appropriately being served. The executive committee uses credible data sources and maintains an objective "arms length" decision-making process, ensuring the integrity of samuel merritt's executive programs and consistency with the organization's overall mission. In order to ensure external competitiveness, national, california and local market area compensation data comparisons are reviewed. Competitive analysis includes: (a) base salary, (b) total cash (base salary + annual incentive), (c) total direct cash (base salary + annual incentive + long term incentive) and (d) total remuneration (base salary + annual incentive + benefits and long term incentive). This analysis includes comparable organizations and geographic considerations. For the most senior executive positions, national comparisons for organizations similar in size, scope and complexity as samuel merritt are most appropriate since it is a national marketplace in which samuel merritt competes for executive talent. On the other hand, because california's underlying compensation structure is higher than national data (especially in the bay area), regional pay adjustments may be made. Officers and key employees of this organization undergo a review and compensation committee approval annually, and such approval is recorded in the minutes. The 2024 executive compensation approval was completed in february 2024.”

“Availability of governing documents, coi policy & financial statements: samuel merrit university posts its current and past audited financial statements at samuelmerritt.edu. Other documents are also located at this website including the mission statement, history, and links to policies. The governing documents and conflict of interest policy are not available to the public at this time.”

“Samuel Merritt University educates students to become highly skilled and compassionate health care professionals who positively transform the experience of care in diverse communities.”

“Samuel merritt university, originally founded in 1909, is a fully accredited health sciences institution located in oakland, california with campuses in sacramento, san mateo, and fresno. The university also offers select degrees online. Values: a learning environment where we challenge ourselves and our students to think critically, seek mastery and act compassionately. A collegial environment where we are fair, respectful and behave with integrity. A collaborative environment where we partner with one another and with others in the community. An innovative environment where we take reasoned risks and move nimbly. A results-oriented environment where we provide and expect exceptional performance and service. Programs undergraduate degree program: the university offers a bachelor of science in nursing (bsn). In addition, smu offers an accelerated bachelor's of science in nursing (absn) and an rn to bsn bachelor's of science. Graduate degree programs - master's level: smu offers several master's degree programs: master of occupational therapy, master of science in nursing - family nurse practitioner, master of science in nursing - case management, master of science in nursing - clinical leadership education, master of social work, master of health administration, and master physician assistant. The university also offers two entry-level master of science in nursing degree programs. Post-professional graduate degrees in nursing include programs in nurse anesthesia (crna), case management (cm), and family nurse practitioner (fnp). Graduate degree programs - doctoral level: the university offers several doctoral degrees: doctor of podiatric medicine, doctor of physical therapy, doctor of nursing practice, and doctor of occupational therapy. Online degree programs: smu offers several of its degrees in the online modality: master of science in nursing (post-professional fnp), rn to bsn bachelor's of science, and doctor of nursing practice. Faculty and students (fall 2024) number of full-time faculty: 170 student/faculty clinical ratio: 8.0 to 1 samuel merritt students: total students: 1,926 undergraduate students: 735 graduate students: 1,191 men: 23 % / women: 77% accreditation: regional accreditation: wasc senior college and university commission (wscuc). Specialized accreditation: accreditation review commission on education for the physician. Facilities: instructional facilities 250-seat fontaine auditorium (not located in fresno facilities); john a. Graziano memorial library including study rooms and computer labs (not located in fresno facilities); motion analysis resource center (marc) (not located in fresno facilities). Other laboratories include therapeutic exercise, exercise physiology, occupational therapy, anatomy, nursing, podiatric medicine, biomechanics, physical diagnosis, and health sciences simulation center (hssc). Other facilities student lounges, study space, and exercise facilities (not located in fresno facilities).”