BILL REQ. #:  S-1379.1 

Read first time 02/10/2005.   Referred to Committee on Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education.

     AN ACT Relating to authorizing baccalaureate degrees at selected community and technical colleges on a limited and pilot basis; amending RCW 28B.15.069, 28B.50.020, and 28B.50.140; adding a new section to chapter 28B.50 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that there is increasing demand in all regions of the state for access to baccalaureate education and that this lack of access creates hardships for students, employers, and the entire state of Washington as it seeks to create and sustain a highly skilled, globally competitive work force. However, the current locations of the main and branch campuses of the state's public four-year institutions of higher education constitute a barrier to access for individuals who live or work some distance from a campus. In many cases, it is not reasonable to expect these individuals to relocate and not feasible for them to commute, yet they seek advanced education in a learning environment with faculty contact and direct instruction. Furthermore, graduates with applied science and applied technology degrees in high demand-high skill fields encounter barriers in accessing technically oriented baccalaureate programs. Because they are more geographically dispersed and accessible to a larger proportion of the state's population, community and technical colleges are ideally positioned to provide convenient, affordable access.
     (2) Therefore, the legislature intends to permit, on a limited and pilot basis, selected community and technical colleges to award baccalaureate degrees. At the same time, the legislature reaffirms its longstanding policy that the primary mission of a community college is to serve as a two-year institution of higher education that offers basic skills, academic transfer preparation, work force training, and personal enrichment opportunities while the primary purpose of the state's technical colleges is to respond to the work force needs of employers and labor.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28B.50 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The college board shall select three pilot community colleges and one technical college to develop and offer programs of study leading to a baccalaureate degree.
     (2) Community and technical colleges may submit an application to become a pilot college under this section. The college board shall review the applications and select the pilot colleges using objective criteria, including:
     (a) A documented and demonstrated unmet need for baccalaureate graduates in high demand occupational and technical fields;
     (b) A demonstration that the college has the capacity to make a long-term commitment of resources to build and sustain a high quality program;
     (c) That the college has or can readily engage faculty appropriately qualified to develop and deliver a high quality curriculum at the baccalaureate level; and
     (d) That the college can demonstrate demand for the proposed program from a sufficient number of students and employers within its service area to make the program cost-effective and feasible for the college to operate.
     (3) A college selected as a pilot college under this section may develop the curriculum for and design and deliver courses leading to a baccalaureate degree in no more than three disciplines that have been shown to be in high demand. However, degree programs developed under this section are subject to approval by the college board under RCW 28B.50.090 before a pilot college may enroll students in upper-division courses. Colleges selected as pilot colleges shall be allocated twenty full-time equivalent employees per college during the first year of the biennium and forty full-time equivalent employees per college during the second year of the biennium, funded at the upper-division rate of the regional universities. After securing all required approvals and upon matriculating their first classes of upper-division students, pilot colleges shall be allocated appropriate upper-division full-time equivalent employee levels to sustain cohort enrollment levels, which may be as high as fifty full-time equivalent employees. Upon the graduation of each pilot college's first cohort group, the college shall submit a comprehensive report to the state board for community and technical colleges for subsequent dissemination to the legislature.

Sec. 3   RCW 28B.15.069 and 2003 c 232 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The building fee for each academic year shall be a percentage of total tuition fees. This percentage shall be calculated by the higher education coordinating board and be based on the actual percentage the building fee is of total tuition for each tuition category in the 1994-95 academic year, rounded up to the nearest half percent.
     (2) The governing boards of each institution of higher education, except for the technical colleges, shall charge to and collect from each student a services and activities fee. A governing board may increase the existing fee annually, consistent with budgeting procedures set forth in RCW 28B.15.045, by a percentage not to exceed the annual percentage increase in student tuition fees for resident undergraduate students: PROVIDED, That such percentage increase shall not apply to that portion of the services and activities fee previously committed to the repayment of bonded debt. These rate adjustments may exceed the fiscal growth factor. For the 2003-04 academic year, the services and activities fee shall be based upon the resident undergraduate services and activities fee in 2002-03. The services and activities fee committee provided for in RCW 28B.15.045 may initiate a request to the governing board for a fee increase.
     (3) Tuition and services and activities fees consistent with subsection (2) of this section shall be set by the state board for community and technical colleges for community college summer school students unless the community college charges fees in accordance with RCW 28B.15.515.
     (4) Subject to the limitations of RCW 28B.15.910, each governing board of a community college may charge such fees for ungraded courses, noncredit courses, community services courses, and self-supporting courses as it, in its discretion, may determine, consistent with the rules of the state board for community and technical colleges.
     (5) The governing board of a pilot college offering a baccalaureate degree program under section 2 of this act may charge tuition and fees for upper-division courses at rates consistent with rules adopted by the state board for community and technical colleges, not to exceed tuition fee rates at the regional universities.

Sec. 4   RCW 28B.50.020 and 1991 c 238 s 21 are each amended to read as follows:
     The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the dramatically increasing number of students requiring high standards of education either as a part of the continuing higher education program or for occupational education and training, or for adult basic skills and literacy education, by creating a new, independent system of community and technical colleges which will:
     (1) Offer an open door to every citizen, regardless of his or her academic background or experience, at a cost normally within his or her economic means;
     (2) Ensure that each college district shall offer thoroughly comprehensive educational, training and service programs to meet the needs of both the communities and students served by combining high standards of excellence in academic transfer courses; realistic and practical courses in occupational education, both graded and ungraded; community services of an educational, cultural, and recreational nature; and adult education, including basic skills and general, family, and work force literacy programs and services. However, college districts containing only technical colleges shall maintain programs solely for occupational education, basic skills, and literacy purposes, and, for as long as a need exists, may continue those programs, activities, and services offered by the technical colleges during the twelve-month period preceding September 1, 1991;
     (3) Provide for basic skills and literacy education, and occupational education and technical training at technical colleges in order to prepare students for careers in a competitive work force;
     (4) Provide or coordinate related and supplemental instruction for apprentices at community and technical colleges;
     (5) Provide administration by state and local boards which will avoid unnecessary duplication of facilities or programs; and which will encourage efficiency in operation and creativity and imagination in education, training and service to meet the needs of the community and students;
     (6) Allow for the growth, improvement, flexibility and modification of the community and technical colleges and their education, training and service programs as future needs occur; and
     (7) Establish firmly that except on a limited and pilot basis as provided in section 2 of this act, community and technical colleges are, for purposes of academic training, two year institutions, and are an independent, unique, and vital section of our state's higher education system, separate from both the common school system and other institutions of higher learning, and never to be considered for conversion into four-year liberal arts colleges.

Sec. 5   RCW 28B.50.140 and 2004 c 275 s 58 are each amended to read as follows:
     Each board of trustees:
     (1) Shall operate all existing community and technical colleges in its district;
     (2) Shall create comprehensive programs of community and technical college education and training and maintain an open-door policy in accordance with the provisions of RCW 28B.50.090(3). However, technical colleges, and college districts containing only technical colleges, shall maintain programs solely for occupational education, basic skills, and literacy purposes, except as provided for in the pilot program in section 2 of this act. For as long as a need exists, technical colleges may continue those programs, activities, and services they offered during the twelve-month period preceding September 1, 1991;
     (3) Shall employ for a period to be fixed by the board a college president for each community and technical college and, may appoint a president for the district, and fix their duties and compensation, which may include elements other than salary. Compensation under this subsection shall not affect but may supplement retirement, health care, and other benefits that are otherwise applicable to the presidents as state employees. The board shall also employ for a period to be fixed by the board members of the faculty and such other administrative officers and other employees as may be necessary or appropriate and fix their salaries and duties. Compensation and salary increases under this subsection shall not exceed the amount or percentage established for those purposes in the state appropriations act by the legislature as allocated to the board of trustees by the state board for community and technical colleges. The state board for community and technical colleges shall adopt rules defining the permissible elements of compensation under this subsection;
     (4) May establish, under the approval and direction of the college board, new facilities as community needs and interests demand. However, the authority of boards of trustees to purchase or lease major off-campus facilities shall be subject to the approval of the higher education coordinating board pursuant to RCW 28B.76.230;
     (5) May establish or lease, operate, equip and maintain dormitories, food service facilities, bookstores and other self-supporting facilities connected with the operation of the community and technical college;
     (6) May, with the approval of the college board, borrow money and issue and sell revenue bonds or other evidences of indebtedness for the construction, reconstruction, erection, equipping with permanent fixtures, demolition and major alteration of buildings or other capital assets, and the acquisition of sites, rights-of-way, easements, improvements or appurtenances, for dormitories, food service facilities, and other self-supporting facilities connected with the operation of the community and technical college in accordance with the provisions of RCW 28B.10.300 through 28B.10.330 where applicable;
     (7) May establish fees and charges for the facilities authorized hereunder, including reasonable rules ((and regulations)) for the government thereof, not inconsistent with the rules ((and regulations)) of the college board; each board of trustees operating a community and technical college may enter into agreements, subject to rules ((and regulations)) of the college board, with owners of facilities to be used for housing regarding the management, operation, and government of such facilities, and any board entering into such an agreement may:
     (a) Make rules ((and regulations)) for the government, management and operation of such housing facilities deemed necessary or advisable; and
     (b) Employ necessary employees to govern, manage and operate the same;
     (8) May receive such gifts, grants, conveyances, devises and bequests of real or personal property from private sources, as may be made from time to time, in trust or otherwise, whenever the terms and conditions thereof will aid in carrying out the community and technical college programs as specified by law and the regulations of the state college board; sell, lease or exchange, invest or expend the same or the proceeds, rents, profits and income thereof according to the terms and conditions thereof; and adopt ((regulations)) rules to govern the receipt and expenditure of the proceeds, rents, profits and income thereof;
     (9) May establish and maintain night schools whenever in the discretion of the board of trustees it is deemed advisable, and authorize classrooms and other facilities to be used for summer or night schools, or for public meetings and for any other uses consistent with the use of such classrooms or facilities for community and technical college purposes;
     (10) May make rules ((and regulations)) for pedestrian and vehicular traffic on property owned, operated, or maintained by the district;
     (11) Shall prescribe, with the assistance of the faculty, the course of study in the various departments of the community and technical college or colleges under its control, and publish such catalogues and bulletins as may become necessary;
     (12) May grant to every student, upon graduation or completion of a course of study, a suitable diploma, ((nonbaccalaureate)) degree or certificate. ((Technical colleges shall offer only nonbaccalaureate technical degrees under the rules of the state board for community and technical colleges that are appropriate to their work force education and training mission. The primary purpose of this degree is to lead the individual directly to employment in a specific occupation. Technical colleges may not offer transfer degrees.)) Only pilot colleges under section 2 of this act may award baccalaureate degrees. The board, upon recommendation of the faculty, may also confer honorary associate of arts degrees upon persons other than graduates of the community college, in recognition of their learning or devotion to education, literature, art, or science. No degree may be conferred in consideration of the payment of money or the donation of any kind of property;
     (13) Shall enforce the rules and regulations prescribed by the state board for community and technical colleges for the government of community and technical colleges, students and teachers, and promulgate such rules ((and regulations)) and perform all other acts not inconsistent with law or rules ((and regulations)) of the state board for community and technical colleges as the board of trustees may in its discretion deem necessary or appropriate to the administration of college districts: PROVIDED, That such rules ((and regulations)) shall include, but not be limited to, rules ((and regulations)) relating to housing, scholarships, conduct at the various community and technical college facilities, and discipline: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That the board of trustees may suspend or expel from community and technical colleges students who refuse to obey any of the duly ((promulgated)) adopted rules ((and regulations));
     (14) May, by written order filed in its office, delegate to the president or district president any of the powers and duties vested in or imposed upon it by this chapter. Such delegated powers and duties may be exercised in the name of the district board;
     (15) May perform such other activities consistent with this chapter and not in conflict with the directives of the college board;
     (16) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, may offer educational services on a contractual basis other than the tuition and fee basis set forth in chapter 28B.15 RCW for a special fee to private or governmental entities, consistent with rules ((and regulations)) adopted by the state board for community and technical colleges: PROVIDED, That the whole of such special fee shall go to the college district and be not less than the full instructional costs of such services including any salary increases authorized by the legislature for community and technical college employees during the term of the agreement: PROVIDED FURTHER, That enrollments generated hereunder shall not be counted toward the official enrollment level of the college district for state funding purposes;
     (17) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, may offer educational services on a contractual basis, charging tuition and fees as set forth in chapter 28B.15 RCW, counting such enrollments for state funding purposes, and may additionally charge a special supplemental fee when necessary to cover the full instructional costs of such services: PROVIDED, That such contracts shall be subject to review by the state board for community and technical colleges and to such rules as the state board may adopt for that purpose in order to assure that the sum of the supplemental fee and the normal state funding shall not exceed the projected total cost of offering the educational service: PROVIDED FURTHER, That enrollments generated by courses offered on the basis of contracts requiring payment of a share of the normal costs of the course will be discounted to the percentage provided by the college;
     (18) Shall be authorized to pay dues to any association of trustees that may be formed by the various boards of trustees; such association may expend any or all of such funds to submit biennially, or more often if necessary, to the governor and to the legislature, the recommendations of the association regarding changes which would affect the efficiency of such association;
     (19) May participate in higher education centers and consortia that involve any four-year public or independent college or university: PROVIDED, That new degree programs or off-campus programs offered by a four-year public or independent college or university in collaboration with a community or technical college are subject to approval by the higher education coordinating board under RCW 28B.76.230; and
     (20) Shall perform any other duties and responsibilities imposed by law or rule ((and regulation)) of the state board.