WHEREAS,
Chapter 370, Laws of 1985, created the Washington Higher Education Coordinating
Board to plan, coordinate, and provide policy analysis for higher education and
to represent the broad public interest above the interests of individual
colleges and universities; and
WHEREAS,
Section 4, chapter 370, Laws of 1985, requires the board to prepare and update
a master plan for higher education and requires the Legislature, by concurrent
resolution, to "approve or recommend changes" to the master plan and
its subsequent updates; and
WHEREAS,
The provisions of the master plan that are approved by the Legislature become
state higher education policy unless legislation is subsequently enacted to
revise those policies; and
WHEREAS,
The Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board submitted the initial master
plan to the Legislature in December 1987, and submitted updates to the plan in
December 1992, January 1996, and January 2000; and
WHEREAS,
During the process used to develop the 2000 master plan, the board consulted
with students and families, educators, business, labor, and civic organizations
representing a cross-section of Washington citizens; and
WHEREAS,
The board learned that the need and expectation for higher education among
Washington citizens will continue to grow through the next decade, because of
population increases as well as the demands of the state's increasingly
technology-based economy; and
WHEREAS,
The board identified the challenge of meeting future demand for college
education should a greater proportion of Washington citizens seek upper
division and graduate level study by the year 2010; and
WHEREAS,
The board spelled out its commitment to continuing to expand enrollment
opportunities for Washington students, to keep public higher education
affordable for students and families, and to provide financial assistance to
those who cannot otherwise afford to go to college; and
WHEREAS,
The board identified five specific goals for the state to address higher
education needs in the next ten years:
(1)
Making student learning the yardstick by which institutional accountability,
effectiveness, and efficiency is measured;
(2)
Linking students' participation in higher education to their achievement in the
K-12 grades;
(3)
Providing the information citizens need to make the best use of the learning
pathways available to them;
(4)
Enhancing higher education opportunity through greater use of e-learning
technologies and by increasingly efficient use of public facilities; and
(5)
Helping colleges and universities meet student needs and compete in an
increasingly competitive and complex education marketplace; and
WHEREAS,
The board challenged itself, students, and families, the public and private
institutions, the private sector, and the state to each accept its individual
responsibilities and to collaborate in the development of solutions; and
WHEREAS,
The board described an implementation plan to guide the state's response to the
needs of higher education and to estimate the costs of the strategies,
including the necessity to develop an enrollment accommodation plan that
identifies where capacity exists and what the highest priorities should be;
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the Senate of the State of Washington, the House
of Representatives concurring, That the Washington Higher Education
Coordinating Board be commended for its dedication and commitment to the State
of Washington in producing the 2000 update of the master plan for higher
education titled "The 21st Century Learner"; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Legislature thank the board for describing many
of the challenges facing the state in its attempts to provide the postsecondary
education and training our citizens need to fulfill their personal goals and
participate fully in the world of the twenty-first century; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Legislature reaffirm its commitment to create
postsecondary opportunities in response to documented demand from citizens for
access to high-quality education and training programs; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the board reexamine its assumptions with regard to
projected upper division and graduate enrollments, and that the plan reexamine
the role of the community and technical colleges in meeting the postsecondary
needs of a significant portion of Washington's population; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the board reexamine its assumptions with regard to
the capital needs of the community and technical colleges and the four-year
institutions of higher education, including their branch campuses; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the board, in consultation with the office of
financial management, work collaboratively with the public and independent
two-year and four-year universities, private vocational schools, and
appropriate legislative committees, to prepare an enrollment accommodation
plan, contemplate various growth scenarios, identify related operational and
capital needs, and examine alternatives to address the identified budget needs;
and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the board communicate regularly with the appropriate
legislative committees and the governor regarding the assigned tasks and report
back with its results and findings before proceeding with the development of
its biennial budget recommendations; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Legislature approve the following recommendations
of the 2000 update of the master plan:
(1)
The goal that, by the year 2010, Washington's system of postsecondary education
needs to provide opportunities for additional students to enroll in
high-quality education and training programs;
(2)
That solutions to the challenge may be found in strategies that (a) make
student learning the yardstick by which institutional accountability,
effectiveness, and efficiency is measured; and (b) link students' participation
in higher education to their achievement in the K-12 grades;
(3)
Provide the information citizens need to make the best use of the learning
pathways available to them, and support outreach efforts designed to ensure
that the higher education system reflects the diversity of the state's
population;
(4)
Expand the use of e-learning technologies and use public facilities to the
fullest extent possible; and
(5)
Help colleges and universities meet student needs and compete in an
increasingly competitive and complex education marketplace; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the board proceed with implementation of the 2000
update of the master plan; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the board proceed with the implementation of the 2000
update of the master plan as described in "The 21st Century Learner"
and modified by this resolution, and report to the 2001 Legislature on progress
toward implementing its strategies.
