HOUSE BILL REPORT

E2SSB 6216

BYSenate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Saling, Gaspard, Bauer, Patterson, Patrick, Conner and Rinehart; by request of State Board for Community College Education)

Creating the Washington community college exceptional faculty awards program.

House Committe on Higher Education

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (13)

      Signed by Representatives Jacobsen, Chair; Spanel, Vice Chair; Van Luven, Ranking Republican Member; Basich, Bennett, Doty, Fraser, Heavey, Jesernig, Miller, Prince, Rector and Wood.

House Staff:Susan Hosch (786-7120)

Rereferred House Committee on Appropriations

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (19)

      Signed by Representatives Locke, Chair; Silver, Ranking Republican Member; Youngsman, Assistant Ranking Republican Member; Brekke, Brough, Dorn, Ferguson, Inslee, May, McLean, Nealey, Peery, Rust, Sayan, Spanel, Sprenkle, Valle, Wang and Wineberry.

House Staff:      Sherie Story (786-7142)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 2, 1990

BACKGROUND:

In 1985, Washington instituted an innovative program to attract and retain outstanding faculty.  In the Distinguished Professorship Program, public and private funds are matched to support preeminent scholars at the public four- year universities and college.  Since the advent of the program, 22 professorships have been funded.  The community colleges have requested that a similar program be created for outstanding community college faculty.

SUMMARY:

The Washington Community College Exceptional Faculty Award Program is established.  The program will be administered by the State Board For Community College Education.  The board will set priorities and guidelines, and will evaluate requests for matching funds.

Community colleges are eligible to apply for a $25,000 faculty grant when they can match the state funds with an equal amount of private cash donations.  Each community college is limited to four grants totaling $100,000 in any biennium.

Once granted, the faculty award becomes the property of the community college. The award may be named in honor of a donor, benefactor, or honoree of the college. The college will annually determine the use of the award.

The state and private monies will be deposited in a local endowment fund.  The college may augment the endowment with additional unrestricted private donations.  The principal of the endowment fund must not be invaded.

The proceeds of the endowment fund will be used to pay expenses associated with the faculty awards. These expenses include in-service training, temporary substitute or replacement costs associated with faculty development programs, conferences, travel, and publication and dissemination of exemplary projects.  The proceeds may also be used to supplement the salary of the holder of the award; or to pay expenses associated with the holder's program area.  Program funds must not be used to replace existing faculty development monies.

The Community College Faculty Award Trust Fund is created.  The fund will be administered by the state treasurer.  State funds appropriated for the program will be deposited in the trust fund and invested by the treasurer.  At the request of the State Board for Community College Education, the treasurer will release state matching funds to the designated community college's local endowment fund.  No appropriation is necessary to spend money from the trust fund.

For the first year of the program, each community college is guaranteed an opportunity to receive one grant.  In addition, the process for determining local awards is subject to collective bargaining, but the actual dollar awards are not bargainable.

Fiscal Note:      Available.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    (Higher Education) John Winesdorfer, Washington Education Association; Greg Alarid, Washington Federation of Teachers; and Fred Romero, State Board for Community College Education.

(Appropriations) No one.

House Committee - Testified Against:      (Higher Education) No one.

(Appropriations) No one.

House Committee - Testimony For:    (Higher Education) By providing community colleges with an incentive to raise matching funds, this legislation encourages them to become more visible and involved in their local communities.  The program is designed to meet the unique needs of the community college system. Representatives of the faculty, the trustees, and community college administrators have all agreed to the provisions of the program.

(Appropriations) None.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      (Higher Education) None.

(Appropriations) None.