SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5819
As of February 2, 2001
Title: An act relating to the college awareness project.
Brief Description: Enacting the college awareness project act.
Sponsors: Senators Kohl‑Welles, Sheahan, Franklin, Shin, Jacobsen, McAuliffe and Thibaudeau.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Higher Education:
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Staff: Jean Six (786‑7423)
Background: In 1998, Washington voters passed Initiative 200 which caused universities and colleges to adjust admissions policies and to seek new ways to continue to encourage diversity on their campuses. Several states that have elected to prohibit the use of ethnicity as a factor for admission to higher education have recognized the need to encourage minority participation beginning very early in the child=s education. California, for example, more than doubled its budget for pre-college programs after it eliminated race-conscious admissions policies five years ago. Texas is another state that has consciously invested in early outreach, scholarships, and academic incentives for participation. The College Awareness Project is the first collaborative project across sectors in Washington State that seeks jointly to address early outreach to underserved students of color.
A number of efforts currently exist in Washington; however, these projects are for the most part uncoordinated with one another and build upon different parts of the educational pipeline. Research indicates that different programs are needed at different points in the educational pipeline, and that a longer-term effort will be required if students are to succeed in going to college.
Summary of Bill: The College Awareness Project (CAP) is a collaborative effort among the Council of Presidents (COP), the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC), the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), and the Higher Education Coordinating Board to institute strategies to ?build the pipeline@ for the future to recruit and retain eligible students of color. The agencies oversee the management and implementation of the project including the development of policies, procedures, and guidelines. This steering committee works in consultation with representatives of both public and private colleges and universities; representatives of the K-12 community including administrators, teachers, and support staff; and community members including families, parents, and community support structures.
CAP proposes three strategies: (1) professional development B strengthening skills in advising, counseling, and curriculum building B specifically for those K-16 professionals and other community professionals who traditionally work with diverse student populations to prepare them for college admission and success; (2) direct outreach to targeted populations of elementary, middle, and high school students to expose them to college via campus workshops; and (3) institution specific projects designed to address specific campus climate, recruitment, and retention issues at each of the six public baccalaureate institutions.
The fiscal agent for the CAP is The Evergreen Center for Educational Improvement located at The Evergreen State College (TESC). The Center manages and coordinates project implementation and budget.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on February 5, 2001.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.