AN ACT
Relating to incentive grants for innovation and quality; and amending RCW
28B.120.010, 28B.120.020, and 28B.120.040.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE
OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec.
1. RCW
28B.120.010 and 1991 c 98 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
The
Washington fund for ((excellence)) innovation and quality in
higher education program is established. The higher education coordinating
board shall administer the program. Through this program the board may award
on a competitive basis incentive grants to state public institutions of higher
education or consortia of institutions to encourage cooperative programs
designed to address specific system problems. Grants shall not exceed a
two-year period. Each institution or consortia of institutions receiving the
award shall contribute some financial support, either by covering part of the costs
for the program during its implementation, or by assuming continuing support at
the end of the grant period. Strong priority will be given to proposals that
involve more than one sector of education, and to proposals that show
substantive institutional commitment. Institutions are encouraged to solicit
nonstate funds to support these cooperative programs.
Sec.
2. RCW
28B.120.020 and 1991 c 98 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
The
higher education coordinating board shall have the following powers and duties
in administering the program:
(1) To
adopt rules necessary to carry out the program;
(2) To
establish one or more review committees to assist in the evaluation of
proposals for funding. The review committee shall include individuals with
significant experience in higher education in areas relevant to one or more of
the funding period priorities;
(3) To
establish each biennium specific guidelines for submitting grant proposals
consistent with the overall goals of the program. During the ((1991‑93))
1995-97 biennium the guidelines shall be consistent with the following
((priorities)) desired outcomes of increasing access, improving time
to degree, improving student learning, and increasing efficiency and
collaboration between institutions of higher education and the private sector
through projects that may emphasize:
(a)
Minority and diversity initiatives that encourage the participation of
minorities in higher education, including students with disabilities, at a rate
consistent with their proportion of the population;
(b) K‑12
teacher preparation models that encourage collaboration between higher
education and K‑12 to improve the preparedness of teachers, including
provisions for higher education faculty involved with teacher preparation to
spend time teaching in K‑12 schools;
(c)
Multi-institutional or multifaculty development and evaluation of:
(i)
Collaborative instructional programs involving K‑12, community and
technical colleges, and four‑year institutions of higher education to
develop a three‑year degree program, or reduce the time to degree;
(ii)
Instructional technology and multimedia curricular projects; and
(iii)
A degree offered entirely on the internet;
(d)
Individual institutional or faculty pilot projects to:
(i)
Improve efficiency by five percent per year in cost or graduation rate;
(ii)
Improve student retention;
(iii)
Develop competencies and outcomes for general education or university
requirements and degree programs;
(iv)
Contract with public or private institutions or businesses to provide services
or the development of collaborative programs; ((and
(c))) (e) Articulation
and transfer activities to smooth the transfer of students from K‑12 to
higher education, or from the community colleges and technical colleges
to four-year institutions; and
(f)
Other innovative proposals.
After
June 30, ((1993)) 1996, and each biennium thereafter, the board
shall determine funding priorities for collaborative proposals for the biennium
in consultation with the governor, the legislature, the office of the
superintendent of public instruction, the state board for community and
technical colleges ((education)), the ((state board for
vocational education)) work force training and education coordinating
board, higher education institutions, educational associations, and
business and community groups consistent with state-wide needs;
(4) To
solicit grant proposals and provide information to the institutions of higher
education about the program; and
(5) To
establish reporting, evaluation, accountability, monitoring, and
dissemination requirements for the recipients of the grants.
Sec.
3. RCW
28B.120.040 and 1991 c 98 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:
The
fund for ((excellence)) innovation and quality is hereby
established in the custody of the state treasurer. The higher education
coordinating board shall deposit in the fund all moneys received under RCW
28B.120.030. Moneys in the fund may be spent only for the purposes of RCW
28B.120.010 and 28B.120.020. Disbursements from the fund shall be on the
authorization of the higher education coordinating board. The fund is subject
to the allotment procedure provided under chapter 43.88 RCW, but no
appropriation is required for disbursements.
