SENATE BILL REPORT

                            HB 1857

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION, MARCH 29, 1993

Brief Description:  Changing travel expense provisions for prospective employees of institutions of higher education.

SPONSORS: Representatives Shin, Brumsickle, L. Johnson, Wood and Romero; by request of State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass. 

     Signed by Senators Bauer, Chairman; Drew, Vice Chairman; Jesernig, Prince, Quigley, Sheldon, and von Reichbauer.

Staff:  Scott Huntley (786‑7421)

Hearing Dates:  March 19, 1993; March 29, 1993

BACKGROUND:

Under current law, institutions of higher education are permitted to pay travel expenses to bring certain prospective employees to a designated place for an interview.  Only applicants being considered for the following positions are eligible for payment of travel expenses:  academic positions above the rank of instructor; or professional or administrative employees in supervisory positions. 

Because members of the faculty in community and technical colleges are considered to be instructors, colleges are not permitted to pay travel expenses to interview prospective faculty members.

SUMMARY:

Four-year institutions of higher education may pay travel expenses for prospective academic employees above the rank of instructor, or for professional or administrative employees in supervisory positions.  Community and technical colleges may pay travel expenses for applicants being considered for full-time faculty positions and for administrative employees in supervisory positions.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  available

TESTIMONY FOR:

It is important to recruit a diverse faculty and it is difficult to bring them in when travel expenses cannot be covered.  Community and technical colleges are attempting to recruit highly qualified faculty members to replace those instructors who are, in increasing numbers, beginning to retire.  One goal of many colleges is to increase the number of faculty from diverse ethnic backgrounds.  In order to compete with colleges in other states for highly qualified instructors, this kind of recruiting tool is needed.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  Representative Shin; Carol Berg-Christiansen, Edmonds Community College; Vallie Soe Fry, Acct. Director, SBCTC