FINAL BILL REPORT

                   SB 6770

                          C 127 L 00

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Allowing exceptional faculty awards to be used for faculty development and in‑service training.

Sponsors:  Senators Kohl‑Welles, Sheahan and Costa; by request of State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.

Senate Committee on Higher Education

House Committee on Higher Education

Background:  The 1990 Legislature established the Exceptional Faculty Awards Program, a state matching grant program that assists community colleges and technical colleges to provide awards for the recognition of exceptional faculty.  The program was well-received and 1995-96 depleted the original allocation of $1.35 million.  The 1998 Legislature decided that a portion of the education savings account should be a permanent revenue source for the exceptional faculty program.

 Each public community or technical college or its foundation is eligible to apply to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) for grants in increments of $25,000 when the college can match the state funds with equal cash donations from private sources.

The proceeds from the endowment fund are to be used by the colleges to pay expenses for faculty awards which may include:  in-service training, temporary or substitute replacement costs directly associated with faculty development programs or conferences, publication and dissemination of exemplary projects, etc.  Each year, the colleges are required to report to the SBCTC and the Legislature on program income and uses in making the awards.

Summary:  Use of the award is expanded to include improvement of the faculty as a whole.  Faculty development activities become eligible for a matching grant.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate 410

House971

Effective:June 8, 2000