S-4705               _______________________________________________

                          SUBSTITUTE SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 8429

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Higher Education (originally sponsored by Senators Saling, Smitherman, Patterson, Hansen, McMullen, Anderson and von Reichbauer)

Read first time 2/2/88.

WHEREAS,  The Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board was created by chapter 370, Laws of 1985; and

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

          WHEREAS,  The Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board conducted public hearings throughout the state, completed its study of Washington's higher education system, and submitted its master plan for higher education to the Legislature on December 1, 1987; and

          WHEREAS,  Section 4, chapter 370, Laws of 1985, requires the Legislature, by concurrent resolution, to "approve or recommend changes" to the master plan;

          NOW,  THEREFORE,  BE IT RESOLVED, By the Senate of the state of Washington, the House of Representatives concurring, That the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board be commended for its high quality work, dedication, and commitment to the state of Washington in producing a new state master plan for higher education titled "Building a System: To be Among The Best"; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Legislature approves the following goals of the master plan:

          (1)  That Washington's system of higher education be among the best in the nation;

          (2)  That Washington's system of higher education provide an opportunity for the pursuit of knowledge and  cultural enrichment, develop social leadership, and    foster economic development;

          (3)  That Washington's system of higher education remove discriminatory barriers that deny minority, women, and disabled persons full participation in postsecondary  education;

          (4)  That Washington's system of higher education provide  equitable and affordable access to postsecondary education programs of study, with particular attention to serve place-bound adults in urban areas;

          (5)  That Washington's system of higher education develop performance evaluation methods to assess how well individual institutions and the system as a whole are educating its students, to provide a basis for improvement, and to establish a system of accountability for student, faculty, legislative, and citizen expectations for postsecondary education in this state; and

          (6)  That Washington's system of higher education develop an admissions policy that strengthens the state's system of education while preserving multiple points of student access to postsecondary education; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Legislature, aware of the proposed SAFE funding approach, endorses the concept of a stable, reliable, and predictable funding approach for higher education, but defers implementation of any new funding mechanism until the Legislature completes a study of higher education funding policies and related issues.  Related issues include, but are not limited to: A state-wide enrollment policy that maintains access while insuring educational quality, appropriate quality comparison groups, state funding priorities and goals, and a process for evaluating educational service needs and establishing off-campus programs in underserved areas; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,  That a special joint  study group be established to review the components of the proposed SAFE funding approach and recommend a methodology for funding Washington's higher education system and addressing related matters; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,  That the special study group consist of eleven members, eight members, with two from each caucus, selected by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one member from the Office of Financial Management, and two members appointed by the Governor, one of whom shall be a member of the Higher Education Coordinating Board; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature before the start of the regular legislative session in 1989.