HOUSE BILL REPORT

SSB 5220

BYSenate Committee on Higher Education (originally sponsored by Senators Saling, Bauer, Bailey, Stratton, Lee and Smitherman)

Establishing the community college exceptional faculty award program.

House Committe on Higher Education

Majority Report:  Do pass with amendment.  (14)

      Signed by Representatives Jacobsen, Chair; Spanel, Vice Chair; Van Luven, Ranking Republican Member; Basich, Doty, Fraser, Heavey, Inslee, Jesernig, Miller, H. Myers, Prince, Rector and Wood.

House Staff:Susan Hosch (786-7120)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION MARCH 29, 1989

BACKGROUND:

In 1985 the Legislature created the Washington distinguished professorship program to help four-year colleges and universities create endowments for distinguished scholars who occupy chairs within the institutions.  The program allows institutions to apply for $250,000 from trust funds when they can match state funds with equal pledged or contributed private donations.  Interest income from the endowments may be used to supplement salary of the holder of the professorship, pay salaries of his or her assistants, and pay expenses associated with the holder's scholarly work.  With the exception of two guaranteed but unpledged professorships, all available trust funds were reserved or released as of July, 1988.  In 1987 the State Board for Community College Education requested for its faculty a program similar to the distinguished professorship program.

SUMMARY:

BILL AS AMENDED: The Washington community college exceptional faculty award program is established to help community colleges create endowments for funding awards granted to exceptional faculty members.  The program is administered by the State Board for Community College Education, which sets priorities and evaluates requests for matching funds.  No more than two awards may be received in a biennium.  Colleges may apply for grants of $50,000 to $100,000 when they can match the state funds with equal cash donations from private sources.

Once granted, the award becomes the property of the individual college, which shall designate the recipient and may name the award in honor of a donor, benefactor or honoree.  Each college is responsible for soliciting private donations, investing and maintaining all endowment funds, administering the award and reporting on the program.  Each college may augment the endowment fund with additional, unrestricted private donations, but may not reduce the principal of the invested endowment fund.

Interest income from the endowment fund may be used to supplement the salary of the holder of the award, pay salaries for the faculty member's assistants, or pay expenses associated with the faculty member's program area.

Funds appropriated for the community college exceptional faculty award program shall be administered and invested by the State Treasurer.  The State Treasurer may release state matching funds to the local endowment fund of colleges designated by the State Board for Community College Education.

Public or private monies deposited in the trust fund or any local endowment fund for the exceptional faculty award program are not subject to negotiations.

AMENDED BILL COMPARED TO SUBSTITUTE:  Language permitting the use of the proceeds of the endowment fund for faculty development activities is removed.

Fiscal Note:      Available.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Ron Crossland, State Board for Community College Education; Greg Alarid, Washington Federation of Teachers.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    Passage of this legislation will create a program for community colleges that is similar to the Distinguished Professorship Program.  A concern was expressed about using endowment funds for faculty development activities, since funding those activities should be a state responsibility.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.