BP BHEAD INT H [Atlas:Generic]

AN ACT Relating to the merger of technical and community colleges; amending RCW 28B.50.215; and reenacting and amending RCW 28B.50.140.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 28B.50.140 and 1991 c 238 s 39 and 1991 c 58 s 1 are each reenacted and 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. 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.80.340(5);

(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 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, certificates, or diplomas for occupational courses of study under rules of the college board. Technical colleges in districts twenty-eight and twenty-nine may offer nonbaccalaureate associate of technical or applied arts degrees only in conjunction with a community college the district of which overlaps with the district of the technical college, and these degrees may only be offered after a contract or agreement is executed between the technical college and the community college. The authority and responsibility to offer transfer level academic support and general education for students of districts twenty-one and twenty-five shall reside exclusively with Whatcom Community College.)) 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. 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 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) Subject to the approval of the higher education coordinating board pursuant to RCW 28B.80.340(4), may participate in higher education centers and consortia that involve any four-year public or independent college or university; and

(20) Shall perform any other duties and responsibilities imposed by law or rule and regulation of the state board.

Sec. 2. RCW 28B.50.215 and 1991 c 238 s 144 are each amended to read as follows:

The colleges in each overlapping service area shall jointly submit for approval to the state board for community and technical colleges ((~~not later than December 1, 1991,~~)) a regional planning agreement. The agreement shall provide for the ongoing interinstitutional coordination of community and technical college programs and services operated in the overlapping service area. The agreement shall include the means for the adjudication of issues arising from overlapping service areas. The agreement shall include a definitive statement of mission, scope, and purpose for each college including the nature of courses, programs, and services to be offered by each college. ((The statement shall include a provision that the technical colleges shall not offer courses designed for transfer to baccalaureate granting institutions. This shall not preclude such offerings provided through contracts or agreements with a community college in the service area.))

Technical colleges may, under the rules of the state board for community and technical colleges, offer all specific support courses that may be at a transfer level that are required of all students to earn a particular certificate or degree. This shall not be interpreted to mean that their mission may be expanded to include transfer preparation, nor does it preclude technical colleges from voluntarily and cooperatively using available community college courses as components of technical college programs.

Any part of the agreement that is not approved by all the colleges in the service area, shall be determined by the state board for community and technical colleges. Approved regional planning agreements shall be enforced by the full authority of the state board for community and technical colleges. Changes to the agreement are subject to state board approval.

For the purpose of creating and adopting a regional planning agreement, the trustees of the colleges in Pierce county shall form a county coordinating committee. The county coordinating committee shall consist of eight members. Each college board of trustees in Pierce county shall select two of its members to serve on the county coordinating committee. The county coordinating committee shall not employ its own staff, but shall instead utilize staff of the colleges in the county. The regional planning agreement adopted by the county coordinating committee shall include, but shall not be limited to: The items listed in this section, the transfer of credits between technical and community colleges, program articulation, and the avoidance of unnecessary duplication in programs, activities, and services.