S-0840.1/91 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 5350
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 52nd Legislature 1991 Regular Session
By Senators Saling, Patterson, Thorsness, Bauer, Metcalf, Gaspard, Cantu, Amondson, Sellar, Hayner, Stratton, Craswell, Wojahn and Snyder.
Read first time January 29, 1991. Referred to Committee on Higher Education.
AN ACT Relating to requiring English proficiency for faculty and graduate assistants at state institutions of higher education; adding new sections to chapter 28B.10 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the large number of international graduate students has highlighted the need for state institutions of higher education to give careful attention to the issues of language proficiency, sensitivity to cultural differences, and pedagogical skills when making faculty and graduate service appointments. The legislature also finds that the quality of the undergraduate learning experience at many state institutions of higher education is directly affected by graduate teaching assistants who are responsible for a significant percentage of class sections taught in lower-division courses. The legislature recognizes that over the years it has received reports about the problems some students experience in understanding the English language as spoken by some of the graduate teaching assistants employed as instructors at our state institutions. It is the intent of the legislature to assure students and parents that instructors at our state institutions of higher education are proficient in writing and speaking the English language.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28B.10 RCW to read as follows:
(1) A person who has received a faculty or graduate assistant appointment in which that person will be providing classroom instruction, or will work with students in participatory
and activity courses such as clinics, studios, seminars, and laboratories, shall be fluent in both written and spoken English language.
(2) A person who has received a faculty or graduate assistant appointment in which the classroom instruction to be provided is specifically designed to be taught predominately in a foreign language is exempt from subsection (1) of this section.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28B.10 RCW to read as follows:
(1) Each state institution of higher education shall evaluate its instructional faculty and graduate assistants for fluency in English as such fluency pertains to the classroom, laboratory, studio, and seminar setting. Fluency shall be evaluated using varied and appropriate criteria including, but not limited to, personal interviews; peer, alumni, and student observations and evaluations; publications; professional presentations; and tests.
(2) Faculty and graduate assistants whose first or primary language is other than English shall pass the speaking proficiency English assessment kit test with a score of two hundred thirty or above, before an assignment to classroom, laboratory, studio, or seminar duties. Faculty and graduate assistants whose assignments include instruction specifically designed to be provided predominately in a foreign language are exempt from this subsection.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.