Yesterday the House Higher Education Committee held a work session in Seattle. Transitions and partnerships between multiple sectors of education and industry were the focus of presentations to the Committee.

The Committee heard from two different panels that focused on transitions to higher education and within higher education. The first panel focused on transitions to higher education with an emphasis between key transition points from K-12 to postsecondary education. The second panel concentrated on transitions within higher education focusing on transfer and articulation as well as prior learning.

The work session closed with a discussion on the partnerships between higher education and industry. The panel highlighted technology transfer partnerships at the University of Washington and workforce training partnerships through Washington’s community and technical colleges.

This afternoon the House Higher Education Committee held its last session prior to the first deadlines of the supplemental session. Tomorrow, January 31, marks the deadline for all House policy bills to have moved from committee to either the floor of their respective chambers or to an appropriation committee.

The Committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2717. The bill focuses on innovation at Washington’s higher education institutions. The bill encourages the public baccalaureate institutions to design innovative approaches to increase the number of resident students gaining baccalaureate degrees or further updating their academic credentials with a focus on high-growth sectors of the economy. In addition, the bill encourages the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) to charter a consortium of volunteer community and technical colleges to design innovative approaches to rapidly and substantially increase the cost-effective delivery of developmental and remedial education, and test these innovations in pilot projects where possible.

The public baccalaureate institutions testified in support of the intention of the bill and shared the innovative activities going on at all of the campuses of the bill but expressed concerns about additional reporting requirements and the lack of state resources for higher education.

The Committee followed the public hearing with an executive session in which three bills were moved forward in the process. Among the bills moved along was House Bill 2717 heard earlier in the day, legislation to enable the opportunity for early registration for veterans, and a bill that would establish a new state higher education entity.

This past week the House Higher Education convened the fourth of five committee hearings focused on educational attainment and regional industries.

The House Higher Education Committee met most recently at Skagit Valley Community College in Mt. Vernon. The focus of the meeting was innovation and its role in educational attainment in Washington. In addition higher education institutions, including Western Washington University, hosted regional industry panels that focused on the connections between higher education, workforce, and industry.

The day before the Committee met in Seattle to learn more about completion and its role in educational attainment as well as here from regional industry representatives. The Evergreen State College and the University of Washington, along with the Council of Presidents, participated from the public, bacclauareate sector.  Evergreen was represented on two panels. Paul Pryzbylowicz presented on higher education institutional initiatives to increase student completion and Libby Dunkin, an Evergreen alum and VP for Operations for Flux Drive, participated in the higher education and regional industry needs panel on manufacturing.

Prior to the meetings last week the Committee traveled to Spokane and Ellensburg in September to discuss two issues as they related to educational attainment: (1) outcomes for underserved populations and (2) transitions to college.  Each meeting the Committee heard from  regional higher education institutions and industry.

The next meeting of the House Higher Education Committee is scheduled for November 2 at South Puget Sound Community College.

Yesterday the House Higher Education committee held a work session on interm planning.

Several members of the committee shared potential ideas and discussion points for the interim. Among those mentioned by members include the need to fully understand the budgetary impacts on students and the institutions, to re-examine remedial education, and to engage in the public with regard to higher education.

In addition Chair Seaquist proposed a series of meetings across the state – at each of the four-year, public campuses – with the intention  of getting to know higher education in Washington better and to discuss issues impacting higher education in an effort to develop a 2012 legislative agenda.

This morning the House Higher Education Committee took a moment amid the chaos of the final days of session to honor and recognize faculty at Washington’s public, baccalaureate institutions.

Ralph Murphy, the Council of Faculty Representative for The Evergreen State College, introduced two faculty among several that the Council shared with the Committee regarding faculty who have attained awards recognizing their teaching excellence in higher education. 

Two faculty members – Dr. Zack , Associate Professor of Entomology and Director of the M.T. James Entomological Collection, at Washington State University and Professor Hauck, Electrical Engineering, at the University of Washington – shared with the Committee their work and provided an on-the-ground perspective as faculty at Washington’s public, four-year institutions.

In addition the Committee heard from several stakeholders regarding thoughts and ideas that may shape the Committee’s interim work.  Representatives from the Higher Education Coordinating Board, the community and technical colleges, the State Workforce Board, the independent institutions, and career and technical institutions shared their thoughts and comments with the Committee.

In addition representatives from the various public baccalaureate institutions also shared their thoughts. All of the institutions that spoke supported the concept put forward by the Chair to hold meetings at our campuses in conjunction with our community college partners during the interim.  

The Evergreen State College testified to the need to take the time to understand the cumulative impact of the shift away from state funding towards tuition on students and campuses, what institutions are doing in response, and what are the next steps. In addition, it is critical to examine the impact of policy bills passed  and policy issues discussed  this session including financial aid, types of degrees, and diversity among students served.

Other topics that were highlighted include continuing efforts to identify areas that would provide regulatory relief for institutions, work dedicated to new legislation passed this session, and the development and establishment of the Complete to Compete accountability and performance framework.

This afternoon higher education took part in a collaborative discussion in the House Community Development and Housing Committee focused on increasing productivity, jobs, and prosperity.

Rep. Phyllis Kenney – chair of the committee –  hosted a conversation with representatives from the business, environmental, labor, and education communities, including the Council of Presidents, with the goal of identifying what actions can take place to move Washington’s economy forward using data and results-driven conversations.

The conversation focused on four major questions:

• How do Washington’s changing demographics impact how we do business (in education, workforce development, and economic development)?
• How doe we enhance public-private partnerships that generate business activity, facilitate private investment, and increase jobs?
• What are the key strategies for creating prosperity and economic recovery for all of Washington’s residents?
• Given current budget constraints, what strategies and investments of the state will lead to the highest return on investment?

The conversation was contexted by presentations from the Office of Financial Management, Employment Securities Department, and the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board regarding changing demographics, employment, and education and training in Washington.

Also focused on the future was the House Higher Education Committee. This afternoon the Committee spent considerable time on Washington’s Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program. The GET Program allows purchasers to buy tuition units at current prices for use at a later date.

The Committee heard presentations from the Higher Education Coordinating Board,  Office of the State Actuary, and Office of the State Treasurer.

The Legislature often reviews the GET program and the policies that underscore the program. This session, however, the GET program has been incorporated into a couple of bills, placing the program under a new light. 

Senate Bill 5749 would make changes to the membership of the Committee on Advanced Tuition that oversees the program and to a handful of policies that currently structure the program. The Committee held a public hearing on SB 5749 this afternoon.

The GET program is also identified as part of House Bill 1795 which would require an actuarial analysis by the state actuary for the Guaranteed Education Tuition Program.