BILL REQ. #:  H-0657.1 

Read first time 01/10/2007.   Referred to Committee on Higher Education.

     AN ACT Relating to creating the Washington institute of technology; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that Washington is a leading technology state. The legislature recognizes that during the past three decades Washington has experienced rapid growth in technology-based industries, compared to overall economic activity, and that the concentration of technology-based industries in the state is significantly higher than the national average. Technology-based industries in Washington account for one of the largest shares of employment, labor income, and business activity of any major sector in the Washington state economy.
     However, despite Washington's leading position in the technology field, the legislature has concerns that other states and other countries are outpacing Washington state in enrolling and graduating qualified engineers and others in technology fields. While Washington is ranked as having one of the most highly educated populations in the country, it is ranked in the bottom quartile in the country in terms of production of bachelor's degrees. Additionally, of public bachelor's degrees awarded in 2005, only five percent were in engineering and related technologies and only two percent were in computer and information science.
     In order for Washington to continue to be a leading technology state, and to compete in a global, technology-driven economy, Washington needs a more robust higher education system that places a priority on enrolling and conferring undergraduate and graduate degrees upon students in science and technology, particularly in the fields of engineering, technology, biotechnology, science, computer science, and mathematics. The legislature recognizes that it must increase access, enrollment slots, and degree opportunities in those fields of study as they are integrally linked to ensuring that Washington state's economy can compete nationally and globally.
     Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to create a center of excellence in this state, dedicated to technology, to be known as the Washington institute of technology. This institute of technology shall combine three world-class, university branch campuses: University of Washington - Bothell; Washington State University -TriCities; and Washington State University - Vancouver, and shall offer areas of study including, but not limited to, engineering, technology, biotechnology, science, computer science, and mathematics. The institute shall have a single board of regents and will be centrally administered. The board of regents will include representation from various technology-related organizations across the state.
     The mission of the Washington institute of technology is to deliver world-class education in technology, science, and related fields, to prepare students to become leaders in the technology-dependent economy of the twenty-first century. Through rigorous academic study at the undergraduate and graduate level, and the excitement of discovery through research, the institute will play a critical role in shaping Washington's future. As a major public technological institute, it will create, share, and apply knowledge to promote student growth, advance community development, increase economic competitiveness, and improve the quality of life.