Brief Description: Creating the office of student services.

Sponsors: Representatives Conway, Cox, Sells, Kenney, Simpson and Chase.

Hearing Date: 2/24/05

Staff: Barbara McLain (786-7383).

Background:

Public institutions of higher education typically provide career guidance and job search services for students. At the UW main campus, the Center for Career Services offers such activities as career planning, workshops and seminars, career fairs, internships, on-campus interviews, resource and referral data, placement files and assistance with letters of recommendation, and job postings. The Center for Career Services has 14 staff. At WSU Pullman, Career Services provides similar assistance and also has 14 staff.

At the UW, 25 percent of students are graduate and professional students; at WSU the figure is about 17 percent. Some activities of the career centers are tailored to graduate and professional students, but most are open to all students. In addition to the main career center offices, some professional programs at the UW provide their own career services.

At the state level, the ESD provides a wide range of employment assistance services to members of the public through their WorkSource centers.

Summary of Bill:

A Student Services Office is established as a pilot program within the ESD to coordinate job placement activities and resources for graduate and professional students at the UW and WSU and act as a liaison between the WorkSource program, the business community, and the graduate and professional students. The program begins July 1, 2005, and ends June 30, 2007.

The Student Services Office will create an annual job placement survey to be implemented at the end of the 2005-06 and 2006-07 academic years. The UW and WSU must participate in the survey. Information from the survey will be used by the ESD, and the universities. Some information will be made public for the benefit of students and businesses.

An advisory board is created to oversee the pilot program. The board consists of one representative from the UW and WSU, as well as the director of the Student Services Office. By December 1, 2006, the advisory board will report to the appropriate committees of the legislature on the impact the pilot program has on job placement for the UW and WSU graduate and professional students.

The UW Center for Career Services and WSU Career Services will each hire one full-time staff to facilitate career services for graduate and professional students. Funding for the pilot program must provide for two full-time staff in the ESD Student Services Office, as well as administrative support and coordination of events among the three offices.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on February 15, 2005.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.