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                                  ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 494

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State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By House Committee on Higher Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Sommers, G. Nelson, Grimm, Niemi, Vander Stoep, Hastings, Braddock, Miller andK. Wilson)

Read first time 3/4/85 and passed to Committee on Rules.

AN ACT Relating to Washington State University and Eastern Washington University; and adding new sections to Title 28B RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     Washington State and Eastern Washington Universities shall establish a joint center for higher education in Spokane on or before January 1, 1986.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     (1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the joint center for higher education shall administer the following programs offered in the Spokane area by Washington State University and by Eastern Washington University outside of its Cheney campus:

          (a) All undergraduate degree programs in engineering and technology;

          (b) All graduate degree programs; and

          (c) All other seminars, courses and programs of any type.

          (2) The joint center for higher education shall not administer the intercollegiate center for nursing or undergraduate degree programs other than those relating to technology offered by Eastern Washington University in Spokane.

          (3) Disputes regarding which programs are to be administered by the joint center for higher education shall be arbitrated by the council for postsecondary education, or its successor agency.  The decision of the arbitrating agency shall be binding.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     (1) The joint center for higher education shall be administered by a board consisting of:

          (a) Two representatives of Eastern Washington University appointed by the president;

          (b) Two representatives of Washington State University appointed by the president;

          (c) One representative of the community colleges in the Spokane area selected by the Spokane community college district; and

          (d) Two citizens residing in Spokane county, who shall be chosen by the other board members.

          (2) Each of the seven members shall have one vote.  The members shall select a chairperson.  A majority of the voting members shall constitute a quorum for conducting business.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     The board of the joint center shall hire a director and may hire other staff as necessary to carry out its duties.  The director shall have the status of resident dean at the center and of dean at both Washington State and Eastern Washington Universities.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     Washington State University and Eastern Washington University shall share equally in the administrative costs of the center unless modified by agreement between the two universities.  The center shall contract for financial services, or provide such services through other means as agreed upon by the two universities.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.     (1) The board of regents of Washington State University and the board of trustees of Eastern Washington University shall be responsible for achieving improved cooperation between the two institutions.  The boards shall investigate the potential for coordination and consolidation of selected programs and the joint use of resources, and shall consider the broader public interest, educational quality and efficient use of public funds in their deliberations.

          (2) The boards shall meet periodically for the purposes identified in subsection (1) of this section and shall report to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature on their actions and recommendations by January 1 of the years 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7.     Sections 1 through 6 of this act shall constitute new sections in Title 28B RCW.