H-4648              _______________________________________________

                                          SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 1520

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By House Committee on Higher Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Jacobsen, Basich, Heavey, Unsoeld, Miller, Prince, Winsley, Silver, Wineberry, Anderson, Wang, P. King, Hine and Ferguson)

Read first time 2/3/88.

AN ACT Relating to community service by students at state institutions of higher education; creating new sections; providing an expiration date; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds and declares that:

          (1) Washington students have a long and rich tradition of participation in community service activities which participation should be recognized, commended, and expanded.

          (2) There is a growing national consensus that student participation in community services enhances students' educational experiences.

          (3) Student community service complements one of the major missions of Washington's institutions of higher education, that of maintaining a tradition of public service in addition to their functions of providing teaching and research.

          (4) Opportunities for gaining educational experiences through community service could assist in meeting social challenges including undereducated children, increasing illiteracy, rising numbers of teenage parents, environmental contamination, homelessness, school dropouts, and growing needs for elder care.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     Community service corps task forces shall be established at each state four-year institution of higher education by May 15, 1988.  Member institutions of the association of independent colleges and universities are strongly encouraged to establish task forces  under this section for the purposes of this chapter.  Each task force shall consult with students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community representatives from groups such as schools, local businesses, government, nonprofit associations, social service agencies, labor organizations, and philanthropic organizations.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     The community service corps task forces shall examine the methods for accomplishing the following goals:

          (1) Enhance the higher education experience of students by providing students with the opportunity to develop themselves and their skills in real-world learning experiences.

          (2) Help develop and increase a sense of community service and social responsibility.

          (3) Invite the fullest possible cooperation among institutions of higher education; the common schools; public, private, and nonprofit agencies; and philanthropic organizations in planning, funding, and implementing expanded opportunities for student participation in community life through public service in organized community service programs.

          (4) Significantly increase participation by college students in community services.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     The task forces shall:

          (1) Define the criteria for determining what activities reasonably qualify as community service;

          (2) Survey current student participation in community service activities;

          (3) Examine relationships between academic programs and community service opportunities;

          (4) Assess volunteer community activities and placement mechanisms;

          (5) Determine which organizations, agencies, and institutional programs can reasonably use additional student assistants.

          (6) Explore opportunities for enhancing cooperation between campus and community efforts; and

          (7) Identify the staff and funding resources needed to implement the community service corps at their institutions.  State institutions of higher education are encouraged to consider the use of existing state, local, federal, and private resources in this resource identification process.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     The state four-year institutions of higher education shall report the results of the community services corps task forces' efforts, with any recommendations for state action, by December 1, 1988, to the committees of higher education of the house of representatives and the senate.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.     Sections 1 through 5 of this act shall expire December 31, 1991.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.