SENATE BILL REPORT

EHB 1403

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Higher Education, March 31, 2003

Title: An act relating to exceptional faculty award grants.

Brief Description: Changing exceptional faculty award grants.

Sponsors: Representatives Kenney, Cox, Grant, Fromhold, Jarrett, Conway, McIntire, Benson, Berkey and Upthegrove; by request of State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Higher Education: 3/20/03, 3/31/03 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Majority Report: Do pass as amended.

      Signed by Senators Carlson, Chair; Schmidt, Vice Chair; Horn, Kohl-Welles, Mulliken, B. Sheldon and Shin.

Staff: Jean Six (786-7423)

Background: The 1990 Legislature created the Exceptional Faculty Awards Program, designed to recognize outstanding faculty by providing faculty development awards to individuals or groups. The 1998 Legislature established that a portion of the annual savings incentive account – in which agencies' year-end fund balances are deposited – be dedicated to the program.

Through the end of fiscal year 2001, the college endowments established through this program totaled approximately $8,500,000. The 2002 Legislature obligated the program fund balance ($2,500,000) to partially cover the settlement costs of a lawsuit with part-time faculty, and currently no further awards will be made from this account until additional funds are made available from the savings incentive account.

Under the existing program guidelines, 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. Colleges or their foundations may apply for a maximum of four grants ($100,000) per biennium. Colleges must deposit all funds in a separate endowment account from which only the earnings may be expended for the purposes of the program.

Summary of Amended Bill: The program guidelines for the community and technical college Exceptional Faculty Awards Program are changed. To receive a state match for its endowment, a college and its foundation must raise at least $10,000 rather than $25,000. The biennial limit of $100,000 in matching funds for a single college is removed from statute. Instead, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges establishes a limit.

Money in the endowment fund may be used solely for the grant programs.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill: Reference to the Mader suit is deleted and clarification is added to require that money in the endowment fund may be used solely for the exceptional faculty grant program.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: This provides money to encourage faculty development and recognizes quality teaching. The colleges asked the SBCTC to bring the bill forward to help the smaller colleges participate in the grant program. The main goal is to lower the match; eliminating the $100,000 maximum is not so important. WEA wants the $100,000 maximum removed.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: Representative Phyllis Kenney, prime sponsor (pro); Bill Moore, SBCTC (pro); Ruth Windhover, WEA (pro).