SENATE BILL REPORT

SSB 6504

As Passed Senate, February 18, 2002

Title:  An act relating to institutions of higher education.

Brief Description:  Changing provisions relating to institutions of higher education.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Higher Education (originally sponsored by Senators Kohl‑Welles, Horn, Shin, Carlson, B. Sheldon, McAuliffe, Parlette, Jacobsen, Franklin and Sheahan).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Higher Education:  1/31/02, 2/7/02 [DPS].

Passed Senate:  2/18/02, 47-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6504 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

Signed by Senators Kohl‑Welles, Chair; Shin, Vice Chair; Carlson, Horn, Jacobsen, McAuliffe and B. Sheldon.

Staff:  Jean Six (786‑7423)

Background:  The 1989 Legislature established branch campuses of the University of Washington and Washington State University to provide upper-division and graduate level programs to under-served urban areas of the state.  In statute, they are referred to as branch campuses rather than as specific institutions.

Summary of Bill:  The term branch campus is no longer used in statute and each of the five campuses is named individually:  University of Washington Tacoma, University of Washington Bothell, Washington State University Vancouver, Washington State University Tri-Cities, and Washington State University Spokane.  References to the joint center are deleted and language clarifying responsibilities of the regional universities and TESC is inserted.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  We do have a community identity and do not want to be seen as an appendage of a main campus.  There are various relationships among the four campuses of WSU and with the individual communities.  The UW sees itself as a three-campus university.  The two research institutions each have a unique relationship with the "branches."  Be very careful about inadvertent policy changes that may have unintended consequences for CWU Centers.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Hal Dengerink, Campus Dean, WSU Vancouver; Bill Gray, Campus Dean, WSU Spokane; Warren Buck, Chancellor, UW Bothell; Doug Baker, Acting Provost, WSU; Larry James, Campus Dean, WSU Tri-Cities; Jack Nelson, Vice Chancellor, UW Tacoma, Ann Anderson, Gov't. Relations, CWU.