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.
