COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Rep. Don Carlson, Republican Co-Chair; and

Rep. Phyllis Kenney, Democratic Co-Chair

BILL ANALYSIS

 SB 6770

Brief Description: Allowing exceptional faculty awards to be used for faculty development and in-service training.

Background: The Washington Community College Exception Faculty Awards Program was created by the Legislature in 1990 to help community colleges create endowments for funding awards granted to exceptional faculty members.  The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) administers the program.  The colleges designate how the award will be used.

Each community or technical college is eligible for matching trust funds for grants in increments of $25,000 when the college can match the state funds with equal cash donations from private sources.  The institutions are responsible for soliciting private donations, investing and maintaining its endowment funds, administering the faculty awards, and reporting to the governor, the SBCTC and the Legislature.

The funds may be used by the colleges to pay expenses for faculty awards.  Under the current law, this includes: in-service training, temporary substitute or replacement costs directly associated with faculty development programs, conferences, travel, publication and dissemination of exemplary projects; to supplement the salary of a holder of a faculty award; or to pay expenses associated with holder=s program area.

The funds may not be used to supplant existing faculty development funds.

Summary:  Faculty awards may be made to individuals, groups or the faculty as a whole, and may be used for faculty development activities.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.

Prepared for the House Higher Education Committee

by Tracey Taylor, Research Analyst (786-7196)

Office of Program Research

February 22, 2000