H-2127.1  _______________________________________________

                 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 4407

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State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By Representatives Murray, Mitchell, Edmonds, Esser and Carlson

Read first time 03/02/1999.  Referred to Committee on Capital Budget.

Establishing a joint select committee on the future facility needs of higher education.

    WHEREAS, The Higher Education Coordinating Board is charged with the duty of preparing a comprehensive master plan for higher education in this state; and

    WHEREAS, The state master plan for higher education sets a goal for increasing enrollment in postsecondary education by the year 2010 and the year 2020.  The goal is to increase lower-division enrollment at the rate of population growth, and upper-division and graduate enrollments to the national average participation rate by the year 2010 and the national 70th percentile participation rate by the year 2020.  To meet these enrollment goals, 59,000 new full-time equivalent students will enter the system by the year 2010 and 92,000 by the year 2020; and

    WHEREAS, The Governor's 2020 Commission on the future of postsecondary education recommended increasing the higher education enrollment goal to better respond to the growing demands of a knowledge-based economy and challenged the state to find creative solutions to serve the growing number of people without building new college campuses; and

    WHEREAS, The legislature has a responsibility to preserve and maintain the existing investment in higher education capital assets while balancing the need for new facilities to meet the growing student enrollment levels; and

    WHEREAS, The legislature must evaluate the policy, financial, and facility implications of the higher enrollment goals for higher education;

    NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the House of Representatives of the state of Washington, the Senate concurring, That a joint select committee on the future facility needs of higher education be established to review the proposed higher education enrollment levels in the state master plan, review the facility needs for future students, and review the funding options for additional higher education facilities in the state; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee consist of eight members, four members each selected by the President of the Senate and the Co-Speakers of the House of Representatives and that the committee be represented by a member from the House Capital Budget Committee, House Appropriations Committee, House Higher Education Committee, Senate Ways and Means Committee, and Senate Higher Education Committee; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee report its findings and recommendations to the legislature at the regular session held in 2000.

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