Passed by the Senate April 27, 1991

Yeas 38 Nays 4

President of the Senate

Passed by the House April 26, 1991

Yeas 97 Nays 0

Speaker of the

House of Representatives

Approved

Governor of the State of Washington

CERTIFICATE

I, Gordon Golob, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SENATE BILL 5475 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth.

Secretary

FILED

Secretary of State

State of Washington

AN ACT Relating to higher education; amending RCW 28B.108.010, 28B.108.030, and 28B.108.070; adding new sections to Title 28B RCW; adding new sections to chapter 28B.80 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28B.15 RCW; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the quality of undergraduate education is enhanced by association with graduate assistants from other countries who can effectively communicate their knowledge and diverse cultural backgrounds.

It is the intent of the legislature to assist the institutions in their effort to improve the quality of undergraduate education at the state's four-year colleges and universities. Attainment of an excellent education is facilitated when communication is clear, concise, sensitive to cultural differences, and demonstrative of proven pedagogical skills. It is the further intent of the legislature to assure students and parents that graduate teaching assistants at our state institutions of higher education are able to communicate effectively and understandably with undergraduate students.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The Washington state legislature affirms the following principles:

(1) Washington's college and university students are entitled to excellent instruction at the state's institutions of higher education. Excellent education requires the ability to communicate effectively in college classrooms and laboratories.

(2) The presence of students, faculty, and staff from other countries on Washington's college campuses enriches the educational experience of Washington's students and enhances scholarship and research at the state's colleges and universities.

(3) With the exception of courses designed to be taught primarily in a foreign language, undergraduate students shall be provided with classroom instruction, laboratory instruction, clinics, seminars, studios, and other participatory and activity courses by a person fluent in both the spoken and written English language.

(4) Persons of all nationalities, races, religions, and ethnic backgrounds are welcome and valued in the state of Washington.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The governing board of each state university, regional university, state college, and community college shall ensure that the principles in section 1 of this act are implemented at its institution of higher education.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The council of presidents, in consultation with the higher education coordinating board, shall convene a task force of representatives from the four-year universities and colleges. The task force shall:

(1) Review institutional policies and procedures designed to ensure that faculty and teaching assistants are able to communicate effectively with undergraduate students in classrooms and laboratories;

(2) Research methods and procedures designed to improve the communication and teaching skills of any person funded by state money who instructs undergraduate students in classrooms and laboratories;

(3) Share the results of that research with each participating university and college; and

(4) Work with each participating university and college to assist the institution in its efforts to improve the communication and pedagogical skills of faculty and teaching assistants instructing undergraduate students.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The legislature finds that sick leave policies for faculty members and administrators at the state's institutions of higher education are inconsistent. The legislature further finds that sick leave policies for faculty and administrators at some institutions of higher education differ substantially from policies for other state employees. It is the intent of the legislature that sick leave policies are uniform and consistent for all faculty and administrators hired after May 1, 1992, at the state's community colleges, regional universities, state college and research universities.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The higher education coordinating board, in consultation with the state board for community college education, shall study institutional sick leave policies and shall recommend a mandated uniform and consistent policy for all faculty and administrators hired after May 1, 1992, at all public higher education institutions. By December 1, 1991, the uniform policy, and proposed legislation to implement that policy, shall be submitted to the senate and house committees on higher education.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The higher education coordinating board shall establish an advisory committee on access to higher education for students with disabilities. The committee shall include but need not be limited to representation from the following: Students with disabilities, coordinators of services for students with disabilities, the governor's committee on disability issues and employment, and agencies and organizations that work with or represent persons with disabilities.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. In consultation with the advisory committee on access to higher education for students with disabilities the board shall:

(1) Inventory existing campus and agency resources available to address the accommodation needs of students with disabilities;

(2) Distribute the inventory to institutions of higher education and to the superintendent of public instruction for further distribution to appropriate personnel in the K-12 system;

(3) Survey institutions of higher education and students with disabilities to identify specific services that have been requested but not provided;

(4) Report the results of the survey, with recommendations on a phased plan to meet identified needs in priority order, to the governor, the house of representatives and senate higher education and fiscal committees, and the institutions of higher education;

(5) In coordination with the state board for community college education, conduct a state-wide training workshop for coordinators of services for students with disabilities.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. Sections 7 and 8 of this act are each added to chapter 28B.80 RCW.

Sec. 10. RCW 28B.108.010 and 1990 c 287 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.

(1) "Institution of higher education" or "institution" means a college or university in the state of Washington which is accredited by an accrediting association recognized as such by rule of the higher education coordinating board.

(2) "Board" means the higher education coordinating board.

(3) "Eligible student" or "student" means an American Indian ((~~student as defined by the board in consultation with the advisory committee described in RCW 28B.108.030,~~)) who is a financially needy student, as defined in RCW 28B.10.802, who is a resident student, as defined by RCW 28B.15.012(2), who is a full-time student at an institution of higher education, and who promises to use his or her education to benefit other American Indians.

Sec. 11. RCW 28B.108.030 and 1990 c 287 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

The higher education coordinating board shall establish an advisory committee to assist in program design and to develop criteria for the screening and selection of scholarship recipients. The committee shall be composed of representatives of the same groups as the screening committee described in RCW 28B.108.020. ((~~These~~)) The criteria shall assess the student's social and cultural ties to an American Indian community within the state. The criteria shall include a priority for upper‑division or graduate students. The criteria may include a priority for students who are majoring in program areas in which expertise is needed by the state's American Indians.

Sec. 12. RCW 28B.108.070 and 1990 c 287 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

The higher education coordinating board may request that the treasurer deposit ((~~five hundred~~)) fifty thousand dollars of state matching funds into the American Indian scholarship endowment fund when the board can match the state funds with an equal amount of private cash donations. Private cash donations means moneys from nonstate sources that include, but are not limited to, federal moneys, tribal moneys, and assessments by commodity commissions authorized to conduct research activities, including but not limited to research studies authorized under RCW 15.66.030 and 15.65.040.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 13. It is the intent of the legislature to enable Washington residents who have actively served in the Persian Gulf combat zone to attend any Washington institution of higher education at 1990 tuition rates.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 14. A new section is added to chapter 28B.15 RCW to read as follows:

A veteran of the Persian Gulf combat zone shall be exempted from increases in tuition and fees at any public institution of higher education that occur during and after their period of service, and shall not be required to pay more than the total amount of tuition and fees established for the 1990-91 academic year, if the veteran could have qualified as a Washington resident student under RCW 28B.15.012(2), had he or she been enrolled as a student on August 1, 1990, and if the veteran's adjusted gross family income as most recently reported to the internal revenue service does not exceed Washington state's median family income as established by the federal bureau of the census. For the purposes of this section, "a veteran of the Persian Gulf combat zone" means a person who during any portion of calendar year 1991 served in active federal service as a member of the armed military or naval forces of the United States in a combat zone as designated by the president of the United States by executive order.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 15. Sections 13 and 14 of this act shall expire on June 30, 1994.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 16. Sections 1 through 4 of this act are each added to Title 28B RCW.