HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 HCR 4427

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                      Higher Education

Brief Description:  Adopting the recommendations of the higher education coordinating board's year 2000 update of the master plan.

Sponsors:  Representatives Kenney, Carlson, Stensen, Regala, Rockefeller, Dunn and Lantz; by request of Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Higher Education:  2/1/00, 2/2/00 [DP].

                 Brief Summary of Bill

$Approves the recommendations and strategies in the Higher Education Coordinating Board's year 2000 master plan update.

$Asks the board to examine alternatives to addressing the operating and capital budget needs identified in the plan.

$Requests that the board proceed with the implementation of the updated plan.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 8 members:  Representatives Carlson, Republican Co-Chair; Kenney, Democratic Co-Chair; Lantz, Democratic Vice Chair; Radcliff, Republican Vice Chair; Dunn; Edmonds; Esser and Gombosky.

Staff:  Erika Prager (786-7120).

Background:

The Higher Education Coordinating Board was created to provide planning, coordination, monitoring, and policy analysis for higher education in the state of Washington.  The board was directed to consult institutions and other segments of postsecondary education as it carried out these responsibilities.  The board was also directed to represent the broad public interest above the interests of the individual colleges and universities.

By statute, the board must prepare a comprehensive master plan and update it every four years.  The plan and updates must be submitted to the Governor and appropriate legislative policy committees.  Following public hearings, the Legislature must, by concurrent resolution, approve or recommend changes to the initial plan and subsequent updates.  The plan then becomes state higher education policy unless legislation is enacted to alter the policies in the plan.

The board updated its master plan again in 2000.  The resulting document, entitled The 21^st Century Learner - Strategies to Meet the Challenge, outlines five goals for higher education in Washington and accompanying strategies to achieve these goals.   The board also reports that the state's higher education system needs to provide opportunities for an additional 70,000 students by 2010.

Summary of Bill:

The Legislature commends the Higher Education Coordinating Board for its dedication and commitment to the state.  The Legislature thanks the board for describing the challenges facing the state in its attempts to provide the postsecondary education and training that citizens need in the twenty-first century.

The Legislature approves two major recommendations in the updated plan.  First, the state's postsecondary education system needs to provide additional higher education opportunities for 70,000 full-time equivalent students by 2010.  Second, solutions to the challenge may be found in strategies that:

$make student learning the yardstick by which accountability, effectiveness, and efficiency is measured;

$link students' participation in higher education to their K-12 achievement; provide the information citizens need to make the best use of the learning opportunities available to them;

$expand the use of e-learning technologies and using public facilities to the fullest extent possible; and

$help colleges and universities meet student needs and compete in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

The Legislature asks the board to examine alternatives to addressing the operating and capital budget needs identified in the updated plan.  The Legislature also requests that the board proceed with the implementation of the updated plan and report to the Legislature in 2001 on the progress toward implementing the strategies.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Testimony For:  Board members are committed to the goals and strategies outlined in the plan.  The board appreciates the feedback it received from many groups and did its best to reflect what was said throughout the state.  The board is recommending significant increases in upper division, but recognizes that all sectors of higher education will benefit.  It is not as important where exactly the enrollments will go right now, but that the state respond to the total expected enrollment growth.  The number of people in Washington in the age group that tends to go to college is increasing dramatically.  These additional students are on the way.  The board does realize there will be significant dollars required in the future.  There is flexibility for future revisions to the budget and enrollment targets outlined in the plan

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Bruce Botka, Higher Education Coordinating Board; and Kathryn Crum, Washington Student Lobby.