Last week the House and Senate passed the halfway mark in the session. All bills must have moved from their chamber of origin to the opposite chamber. Since then the Senate and House higher education committees have been focused on several major efforts.

Both the House and Senate are holding public hearings and executive sessions to move bills from the opposite chamber forward in the process. In addition both committees are holding work sessions on a variety of areas that impact higher education including tuition, performance, and financial aid.  Finally, the Senate Committee is moving forward trustees and regents nominated by the Governor for confirmation by the full Senate.

This week in the House Higher Education committee the public four year institutions particiapted in a panel discussion with members regarding tuition and the institutional process by which factors such as student mix, programs, and missions are taken into account with stakeholders in making tuition related decisions. The largest factor of course being the level of state funding provided to institutions.

In addition the House Higher Education Committee and the Senate Higher Education Committe held a work session on performance.

Three national experts presented to each of the committees: David Longanecker  of Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education, Julie Bell of National Council of State Legislatures, and Jimmy Clarke of the Lumina Foundation-supported Productivity Strategy Labs Network.

The presentation and conversation with the committee that followed highlighted both performance funding and other trends in higher education nationwide.