Colleges shine, another session milestone passes

Last week marked another important milestone as session enters the final few weeks. With committee testimony and presentations regarding adult basic education, credit for prior learning, and aerospace training, the spotlight was on community and technical colleges. In addition, the annual CTC legislative reception was a great success where in-demand programs, student-produced wine and food were featured.

Legislative reception spotlights colleges

After much laughter and teasing, she crashed the plane. Not a real plane, of course. The guest at the Thursday, Feb. 20 legislative reception was using a flight simulator provided by Green River Community College’s aviation technology program.

The demonstration was one of several programs featured by Washington community and technical colleges at an Olympia event that drew about 150 legislators, presidents, trustees, staff and other guests. Other featured programs were:

·         Diagnostic Ultrasound – Bellevue College.

·         NASA Rocket Project – Clark College.

·         Digital Gaming & Media (I-BEST and Project IDEA) – Lake Washington Institute of Technology.

·         Nanotechnology – North Seattle Community College.

·         Wine Technology – South Seattle Community College.

·         Orthotics-Prosthetics Technician – Spokane Falls.

Guests sampled student-created wines and chocolates presented by:

·         College Cellars of Walla Walla Community College and the Northwest Wine Academy at South Seattle Community College.

·         Culinary programs at Bates Technical College, Edmonds Community College, Skagit Valley College, South Puget Sound Community College, and South Seattle Community College.

The annual legislative reception gives the community and technical college system a chance to visit with legislators and demonstrate how colleges uplift lives and the economy.

 

Aerospace Training Loan Program discussed

On Thursday, Feb. 20, the House Labor & Workforce Development Committee heard updates on the Aerospace Training Student Loan Program, which provides low-interest loans to Washington students who enroll in authorized short-term certificate programs.

The discussion started with a presentation by Larry Cluphf, director of the Washington Aerospace Training & Education Center (WATR). Located at Paine Field in Everett and managed by Edmonds Community College, the WATR Center trains students for high-wage, high-demand aerospace jobs in 12 weeks. Students start with a 4-week core program and move on to specialized certificates such as assembly mechanic, electrical assembler, tooling, and quality assurance.

Since 2010, 1,161 WATR Center graduates have been hired or have start dates. Renton Technical College students also benefit from a partnership with the WATR Center. The partnership is expected to continue with the future Central Sound Aerospace Training Center in Renton.

Rachelle Sharpe, Washington Student Achievement Council director of student financial aid and support services, explained criteria for the loan program. Loans are prioritized for the neediest students, criminal background checks and credit checks are run to ensure students will be employable, and funds are provided directly to Edmonds Community College to cover tuition.

The loan program is often the only option for needy students because state and federal financial aid is unavailable for short certificates, she said.

Edmonds Community College President Jean Hernandez highlighted the need to increase students’ access to, and awareness of, the loan program.

Link to testimony (begins at 1:03:45).

Dual-credit programs topic of House hearing

Scott Copeland, SBCTC policy associate, testified in support of HB 2285 before the Senate Higher Education Committee on Thursday, Jan. 20. The measure would require the Washington Student Achievement Council to study differences in how colleges and universities award credit for dual-credit coursework, such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs. The measure is considered a first step toward consistent awarding of credits among colleges.

“I’m pleased to say that we have had a system-wide State Board policy with all 34 colleges for advanced placement since May of 2000,” Copeland said. “We are in complete support.”

Link to testimony (begins at 1:03:15).

Adult education, credit for prior learning discussed

Adult education has traditionally been viewed as an isolated function in higher education -- students learn basic skills, pass a GED or other high school equivalency, and are set adrift to find their own way. In a world where most jobs require at least some level of college education, these students too often land in economic insecurity.

That’s all changing under the new Washington State Adult Education Plan, according to Jon Kerr, SBCTC Adult Basic Education director. At a House Higher Education Committee work session on Friday, Jan. 21, Kerr said the plan moves the finish line from passing a high school equivalency test, to entering college or a career, he said. The goal is to get adult education students to and through the “tipping point” – one year of college plus a credential such as nursing, welding or drafting -- that leads to more financial security.

Adult education serves people with below high-school-level knowledge or limited English language skills. Strategies outlined in the plan:

·         Directly connect adult education to college and careers.

·         Set a clear destination for students from the very beginning.

·         Provide instruction in real-world contexts that have meaning to students’ lives.

·         Advance students based on competency and skills learned rather than on seat time, accelerating their progress.

·         Create partnership with community-based organizations to help students stay in school and on track.

“It’s essential that we provide pathways to meaningful certificates and degrees for all of our adults and the new state plan is doing just that,” Kerr said.

Washington’s community and technical colleges and partnering community-based organizations provide 90 percent of all adult education in Washington, so the new plan will prompt change statewide.

Link to Jon Kerr testimony (begins at 24:15).

The importance of partnerships         

Laura DiZazzo, Seattle Central Community College dean of basic and transitional studies, said her college integrates education planning into adult education classes. Students explore college options, tap resources, and set plans in motion.

Partnerships with community based organizations are vital, she said, pointing to an I-BEST program offered by Seattle Central with the YWCA Opportunity Place in downtown Seattle. (I-BEST stands for “Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training,” a team-teaching approach where basic skills are taught in the context of job training in the same class.)

Taleah Mitchell, a 26-year-old Seattle Central student, said the I-BEST program at the YWCA transformed her from a GED-holder to a college student with leadership and honors credentials. “All these things happened to me because of one really crucial difference with the I-BEST program that I can attest to,” she said. “In that program, the people there not only taught me things, but they taught me a lot of life skills that instilled this confidence in me. And you know, that’s not something we hear, and that’s something that moved me forward.”

Mitchell is double majoring in computer science and women and gender studies, and has her sights set on moving to Massachusetts to attend Smith, Mount Holyoke, or Amherst -- and then returning to Washington.

Link to Seattle Central testimony (begins at 54:40).

Establishing a clear path

Michelle Andreas, South Puget Sound Community College vice president of instruction, said the college plans to completely overhaul basic skills education rather than tinkering around the edges.

When students view adult education “it’s blurry, there’s a million ways to get ‘there’ and ‘there’ is not even clear to them. It’s a maze. It’s foggy, and often there’s no end in sight,” Andreas said. “We must create, from the moment they step on campus, clear opportunities for them to see their way ahead and where the end is.”

To reach that goal, SPSCC plans to create pathways from Adult Basic Education into four key occupational clusters:

·         Human and social development.

·         Business.

·         STEM and healthcare.

·         “Maker-based” (trades, culinary, or other programs that involve making things).

Students will embark on those paths from the beginning, but still have flexibility to shift to other areas without losing ground.

Link to Seattle Central testimony (begins at 1:08:26).

High School 21+

Michal Ann Watts, a Lower Columbia College adult education instructor, lauded the State Board’s “High School 21+” program, a competency-based high school diploma offered at participating community and technical colleges for adults 21 years old and older. Advisors in the program look at transcripts and life-knowledge, and form a plan for completing a diploma.

“”When a [GED-seeking] student comes in, they’re already feeling terrible for having dropped out of high school,” Watts said. “[With High School 21+] students have the ability to go back in time and say, ‘this was the one spot I didn’t do well in and now I can fix that and walk out with a high school diploma.’ Their shoulders go back, their heads come up,” she said.

Randy Bailey, a 43-year-old Lower Columbia student, said his fear of tests always got in the way of accomplishing a GED. The High School 21+ program changed that, he said, by building a diploma from transcripts, classes, and competency rather than from a pass-or-fail test. Bailey is now studying welding at Lower Columbia and has made the dean’s list.

“I promote this program 100 percent to anybody I see, because if they gave a guy at the age of 43 an opportunity, they can give anybody an opportunity,” he said. “My biggest highlight, at the age of 43, was going down and getting senior pictures.”

Link to Lower Columbia testimony (begins at 1:20:58).

Credit for prior learning

Earlier in the House Higher Education Committee meeting, SBCTC policy associate Scott Copeland spoke in favor of SSB 5969, which would require public colleges and universities to adopt policies to award academic credit for military training. All 34 community and technical colleges already have policies in place.

The substitute version includes SBCTC-initiated changes to ensure prior learning credits are applied specifically to degrees and certificates so veterans don’t exhaust or lose their benefits. “It’s a safety valve as we care and watch out for our veteran students,” Copeland explained.

Link to Scott Copeland testimony (begins at 16:16).

Session cutoff dates

Mandated cutoff dates determine which bills will continue through the legislative process. Here is the next round of important session cutoff dates fast approaching:

·         Feb. 28: policy committee cutoff – bills in opposite house policy committees must receive a hearing and be passed.

·         March 3: fiscal committee cutoff – bills in opposite house fiscal committees must receive and hearing and be passed.

·         March 7: opposite house cutoff (5 p.m.) – bills in the opposite chamber must be passed by 5 p.m.

·         March 13: Sine Die – last day of the regular session.

Session resources

SBCTC Government Relations provides updated legislative resources throughout session:

·         The Bill Watch List – important bills being considered that may have significant impact on the CTC system.

·         The Bill Status Report – all bills being tracked by SBCTC staff during session.

·         The Weekly Hearing Schedule – schedule of weekly hearings where CTCs are testifying and/or monitoring bills.

·         Legislator information – contact information for legislators organized by college district, committee, caucus, etc.

Session marks halfway point, CTC bills passing

This week legislators marked the session halfway point with plenty of action on bills impacting community and technical colleges. In addition, CTCs presented before legislative committees on a variety of issues and continued to be part of discussions with lawmakers in Olympia.

Campus climate examined in work session

The House Higher Education Committee, chaired by Rep. Larry Seaquist, D-Gig Harbor, held a three-part work session on Wednesday, Feb. 12, regarding health and safety in higher education.

Campus safety and security

Bill Overby, Skagit Valley College director of security services, gave an overview of the safety and security issues, challenges, and policies for the community and technical college system, as well as those specific to his campus.

In examining security vulnerabilities, colleges ask themselves if buildings can be locked down, whether employees can quickly and discretely summon help, whether information technology is secure (from cyber hackers) with redundancies in case of emergency, and whether parking lots and other areas of campus are secure.

Skagit is the second oldest college in the state and its buildings cannot be locked down from a central control center, Overby explained.

“There is more work to be done,” said Overby. On behalf of campus safety officers, he asked the committee to support campus safety improvements and training initiatives outlined in a 2010 SBCTC report to the Legislature, particularly, to support funding for technology (electronic access devices, duress buttons, cameras, ID cards, and security/fire alarm systems) and to restore/improve access to mental health care.

Local communities also look to the colleges as designated safe havens for food, clothing, and shelter in the event of disaster. Overby described mutual aid agreements with the American Red Cross and other entities as well as local multi-agency training in incident response.

Tim Walters, Eastern Washington University chief of police, and Steve Hanson, Washington State University, assistant chief of police, discussed security issues and challenges at the public baccalaureates.

Link to testimony (begins at 00:04).

Link to Skagit Valley College presentation.

Student debt

The Student Debt Reduction Working Group of the Associated Students at the University of Washington presented its research findings about student debt at the UW.

Tuition increases mean it is no longer possible to cover the cost of college with part-time jobs. Their calculations found that UW students need to work 54 hours per week (year-round at minimum wage) to fully fund an education.

They found that middle-income students have the greatest unmet need, with students from middle-income families not eligible for financial aid, but unable to afford college without loans.

Student debt impacts:

·         Of those students accessing mental health counseling services, 33 percent cite financial stress.

·         Students simply drop out or go back to work.

·         Added difficulty for time-intensive majors such as engineering or pre-medicine.

·         Undue sacrifice by families, taking on private loans and second mortgages.

·         Less ability to engage or participate on campus.

Brian McQuay, Pierce College Puyallup student, described the stress of repaying loans as students complete college.

He will graduate in June with $15,000 in debt and guesses he could be $30,000 to $40,000 in debt when he is completely finished with his postsecondary education.

“Older students can’t rely on their parents,” said McQuay, “Some already have a family themselves.”

He also shared that attending college is not just about tuition, but also includes cost of living expenses. “Tuition is only part of it,” he said, explaining the burden of total living expenses. “I worry about this current generation and future generations who can’t pursue the education and careers they want.”

Link to testimony (begins at 46:34:00).

Mental health on campus

Deb Casey, Green River Community College vice president of student affairs and human resources, and Cyndi Rapier, Green River Community College director of housing and safety response for international programs, gave an overview of student mental health issues system-wide and response at their campus.

“The International Association of Counseling Services recommends a staffing level of one counselor for every 1,000 to 1,500 students,” Casey said. “We have 9,000-plus students and two counselors. It doesn’t work when you have increased demand for services.”

About 10 percent of any population — whether in the community or on campus — has mental health issues, according to Casey. The range of behaviors on campus can range from lacking social and problem-solving skills to attempted suicide.

Green River has embedded “human crisis response” into its emergency management plan with the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT), a multidisciplinary team that meets on a regular basis to review and respond to reports of student behavior that may pose a threat of self-harm or a threat to the community.

By way of example, Casey said the shooter at Virginia Tech logged 70 behavior-related incidents all over campus, but there was not a holistic way to see a pattern.

The BIT process requires a “culture of reporting,” with information and incidents — e.g. a disturbing class essay or a Running Start student who has an episode at high school — funneled into one place so that, taken in total, it may be more readily apparent if there is an escalating problem.

Rapier said counselors go beyond the campus boundaries and network with community resources, including cultural organizations, food and clothing banks, and domestic violence resources, on behalf of their students.

Challenges to the community and technical college system include:

·         Increased funding for staffing, academic accommodations, safety communication systems, professional development, capacity-building, and partnerships.

·         Statewide technology systems.

·         Increased support and funding for mental health, counseling, and other community resources and referral agencies.

Elizabeth McHugh, The Evergreen State College director of counseling and health services, described the increase in student anxiety and stress over the past five years, coupled with limited campus resources and increased complexity, especially drug and alcohol issues combined with mental health issues.

Ted Pratt, Western Washington University dean of students, gave an overview of increase of usage of counseling center, including waiting lists for services.

Link to testimony (begins at 1:13:46).

Link to Green River presentation.

Bills

This week legislators took action on a number of bills CTCs are tracking this session:

·         SHB 2336: increasing higher education transparency by posting departmental budget information online. This bill passed the House 95-3 and has been scheduled for a public hearing in Senate Higher Education Feb. 20.

·         HB 2398: allowing CTCs to award honorary applied baccalaureate degrees. This bill passed the House 98-0 and has been referred to Senate Higher Education.

·         SHB 2486: allowing state funds to provide associate degrees for incarcerated adults. This bill passed the house 59-37 (2 excused) and will now be referred to a Senate committee for further action.

·         SHB 2546: making modifications to outdated higher education statutes. This bill passed the House 98-0 and has been referred to Senate Higher Education.

·         SHB 2613: making institutions of higher education more efficient through alternative payroll periods, predesign limits for capital projects, and other means. This bill passed the House 96-0 (2 excused) and will be referred to a Senate committee for further action.

·         ESHB 2626: concerning the WA Student Achievement Council’s educational attainment goals. This bill passed the House 87-10 (1 excused) and will now be referred to a Senate committee for further action.

·         SHB 2651: promoting higher education transparency by requiring budget information is posted online. This bill passed the House 97-1 and is scheduled for a public hearing in Senate Higher Education Feb. 20.

·         SSB 5969: awarding academic credit – tied to a degree or certificate – for prior military training. This bill passed the Senate 48-0 (1 excused) and has been referred to House Higher Education.

·         SB 6358: requiring CTCs to notify students of financial aid policies on a rolling basis. This bill passed the Senate 48-0 and will be referred to a House committee for further action.

·         SSB 6362: promoting higher education efficiencies through alternative payroll periods, aligning reporting requirements for four-year institutions under previous legislation, and other means. This bill passed the Senate 48-0 (1 excused) and will now be referred to a House committee for further action.

·         ESSB 6436: creates a stakeholder work group to study the College Bound scholarship program and make recommendations to the Legislature. This bill passed the Senate 48-0 and will now be referred to a House committee for further action.

Click here for a longer list of high priority CTC bills still in play.

Click here for a complete list of CTC bills being tracked this legislative session.

Session cutoff dates

Mandated cutoff dates determine which bills will continue through the legislative process. Here is the next round of important session cutoff dates fast approaching:

·         Feb. 18: house of origin cutoff (5 p.m.) – bills in their original chamber must be passed by 5 p.m.

·         Feb. 28: policy committee cutoff – bills in opposite house policy committees must receive a hearing and be passed.

·         March 3: fiscal committee cutoff – bills in opposite house fiscal committees must receive and hearing and be passed.

·         March 7: opposite house cutoff (5 p.m.) – bills in the opposite chamber must be passed by 5 p.m.

·         March 13: Sine Die – last day of the regular session.

Session resources

SBCTC Government Relations provides updated legislative resources throughout session:

·         The Bill Watch List – important bills being considered that may have significant impact on the CTC system.

·         The Bill Status Report – all bills being tracked by SBCTC staff during session.

·         The Weekly Hearing Schedule – schedule of weekly hearings where CTCs are testifying and/or monitoring bills.

·         Legislator information – contact information for legislators organized by college district, committee, caucus, etc.

Students rally, CTC bills progress in session

Nearing the session halfway point, legislative work is evolving as the first round of cutoff dates pass. Legislators are now moving from hearing bills in committees to debating bills on the chamber floor. For community and technical colleges this means closely monitoring bills for amendments, tracking budget discussions, and providing information to decision makers.

This edition of Legislative News contains highlights from the week where CTCs monitored and testified on a number of bills and CTC students rallied support for higher education in Olympia.

Postsecondary education for inmates

A measure to reduce recidivism rates through prison education received a public hearing before the Senate Human Service and Corrections Committee on Thursday, Feb. 6. Sponsored by Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, Senate Bill 6344 would allow the Department of Corrections (DOC) to offer post-secondary education degree programs within its existing budget. Current law limits prison education to basic skills, vocational, and high school diploma or equivalent courses.

Marty Brown, SBCTC executive director, clarified that the bill would not cost the state more money. “This bill would not ask for additional money,” Brown said. “We’re actually here, we hope, to save you money on recidivism.”

Bernie Warner, DOC secretary, agreed, saying the bill would allow for a broader spectrum of prison education. “This really is one of the best investments in our portfolio of services to reduce recidivism and increase public safety,” he said.

Ed Brewster, Grays Harbor College president, cited research on the impact of education on recidivism rates. Education provides an opportunity for ex-offenders to find jobs, he said, which “contributes to lower costs of incarceration, increases public safety, and decreases the cost associated with the criminal justice system in general.”

Link to testimony (begins at 29:50).

CTC students rally, make voices heard

Sporting colorful T-shirts, scarves and banners representing community and technical colleges, hundreds of students rallied on the capital campus on Friday, Feb. 7 to urge continued legislative support for two-year colleges. This year’s event titled, “Washington’s Greatest Investment,” was emceed by Peninsula College student Emma Sackett, Washington Community and Technical College Student Association (WACTCSA) acting president. A large crowd of elected officials, legislative and staff members, and higher education stakeholders gathered in support.

Rep. Chris Reykdal, D-Tumwater, kicked off the event followed by student speakers Kary Ortiz-Rangle of North Seattle Community College, and Robert Lasker of Pierce College Fort Steilacoom. Marty Cavalluzzi, Pierce College Puyallup president, and Debrena Jackson Gandy, Highline Community College trustee also rallied the crowd.

Other legislative speakers included Rep. Norma Smith, R-Clinton and Rep. Hans Zeiger, R-Puyallup, both members of the House Higher Education Committee. Speaking on behalf of the Senate were Senate Higher Education Committee Chair Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor and Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle.

Bills

After yesterday’s first policy committee cutoff, here are bills still in play that impact community and technical colleges:

·         ESHB 1769: creating efficiencies for higher education institutions.

·         ESHB 1817: allowing undocumented students to be eligible for state financial aid (Dream Act).

·         SHB 1858: awarding academic credit for prior military training.

·         SB 2285: studying state dual credit programs.

·         SHB 2336: increasing higher education transparency by posting departmental budget information online.

·         HB 2396: increasing participation of underrepresented students in Running Start.

·         HB 2398: allowing CTCs to award honorary applied baccalaureate degrees.

·         SHB 2486: allowing state funds to provide associate degrees for incarcerated adults.

·         SHB 2546: making modifications to outdated higher education statutes.

·         SHB 2651: promoting higher education transparency by requiring budget information by category is posted online.

·         SSB 5969: awarding academic credit – tied to a degree or certificate – for prior military training.

·         SB 6523: allowing undocumented students to be eligible for state financial aid and providing $5 million for the State Need Grant (Real Hope Act).

Click here for a longer list of high priority CTC bills still in play.

Click here for a complete list of CTC bills being tracked this legislative session.

Session cutoff dates

Mandated cutoff dates determine which bills will continue through the legislative process. Here is the next round of important session cutoff dates approaching:

·         Feb. 11: fiscal committee cutoff – bills in fiscal committees must receive a hearing and be passed.

·         Feb. 18: house of origin cutoff (5pm) – bills in their original chamber must be passed.

·         Feb. 28: policy committee cutoff – bills in opposite house policy committees must receive a hearing and be passed.

·         March 3: fiscal committee cutoff – bills in opposite house fiscal committees must receive and hearing and be passed.

·         March 7: opposite house cutoff (5pm) – bills in the opposite chamber must be passed.

·         March 13: Sine Die – last day of the regular session.

Session resources

SBCTC Government Relations provides updated legislative resources throughout session:

·         The Bill Watch List – important bills being considered that may have significant impact on the CTC system.

·         The Bill Status Report – all bills being tracked by SBCTC staff during session.

·         The Weekly Hearing Schedule – schedule of weekly hearings where CTCs are testifying and/or monitoring bills.

·         Legislator information – contact information for legislators organized by college district, committee, caucus, etc.

Committees ramp up hearings, first cutoff date fast approaching

With the Feb. 7 cutoff date fast approaching, legislative committees are scheduling, hearing, and passing a number of higher education bills. Legislative proposals impacting CTCs range from financial aid, precollege initiatives, budget transparency, workforce training, and college efficiencies.

Expanding education to reduce recidivism

The House Higher Education Committee, chaired by Rep. Larry Seaquist, D-Gig Harbor, held a public hearing Tuesday, Jan. 28, on House Bill 2486, which aims to reduce the likelihood of former inmates re-offending by allowing postsecondary education degree programs for incarcerated adults.

While basic skills, vocational, and high school diploma or equivalent are currently allowed, the Department of Corrections (DOC) is barred from using state funds to pay for post-secondary academic education courses (those typically leading to an associate transfer degree).

The bill would repeal that prohibition and authorize DOC to offer such degree programs within available resources.

“For every dollar invested [in education for inmates], we get a five dollar return to the state in public safety and reduced social costs,” said Bernie Warner, DOC secretary, “Eighty percent of inmates who engage in education are retained in those programs. They take it very seriously.”

Warner said no state funds are used for post-secondary academic education programs offered at correctional facilities. Walla Walla Community College used funds from The Sunshine Lady Foundation to provide college transfer courses to inmates and 177 have graduated with AA degrees.

Jacquie Armstrong, SBCTC policy associate for adult basic education and corrections, testified in favor of the measure, pointing out that prison education reduces recidivism and increases employment opportunities.

Armstrong said national studies — as well as research by the Washington Institute for Public Policy — show education reduces recidivism rates. In addition, AA graduates released from the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center have, to date, had zero percent recidivism.

Kevin Miller, who earned a computer information systems program certificate and later an AA degree from Edmonds Community College while incarcerated at the Walla Walla State Penitentiary and the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center, has been out of prison since July 2012. Miller will graduate from Washington State University – Vancouver in May.

“Without an opportunity for growth and change, there’s not a real shot at reforming a person [in prison],” Miller said. “Education was a springboard for my life.”

He said the scales are tipped against former inmates, but an education helps balance the scales with employers and shows a person has taken the initiative to better themselves and be a better citizen.

Link to testimony (begins at 55:05).

Senate committee holds confirmation, pre-college hearings

The Senate Higher Education Committee held a confirmation hearing for State Board member Jay Reich on Tuesday, Jan. 28. Reich said he felt privileged to work in the community and technical college sector.

“[The CTC system is] among the most flexible, it’s among the most entrepreneurial, it’s the most grounded in terms of community involvement and linkages to employment,” he said. “To me, frankly, given the daunting needs and the need for capacity-building, it holds among the greatest opportunities looking forward.”

After the confirmation hearing, the focus shifted to pre-college education. Michelle Andreas, South Puget Sound Community College vice president of instruction, discussed data-driven approaches that are making a difference in Washington.

A former SBCTC staff member, Andreas corrected two common myths: most pre-college students are straight out of high school (most have been out of high school at least three years), and they get stuck in a substrata of pre-college courses (many students take one or two pre-college courses, typically in math, while enrolled in other college-level classes).

“You might imagine yourself having gone through high school, maybe even a fabulous writer, and really good at math, but being away from those two subjects for a while [and] not having the opportunity to do a lot of continued skill development … you might need some brushing up if you were to go back and retool.”

She pointed to successful approaches in Washington, including:

·         I-BEST, which uses a team-teaching approach to combine college-readiness classes with regular, credit-bearing academic or job training classes. Students work on college-level studies right away, clearing multiple levels in one leap. 

·         Concurrent classes that close the “persistence gap.” Students are required to take precollege and college-level classes in the same subject, at the same time – such as English 98 and English 100 – leaving them no option but to proceed in college-level study.

·         Competency-based education, where students move through pre-college courses based on knowledge gained rather than time spent in a classroom.

·         Multiple assessments – including high school transcripts – for the many students who might know a subject matter but fare poorly on traditional placement tests.

Andreas pointed out that South Puget Sound Community College has collapsed the sequence of pre-college courses so students can take just a couple of courses instead of an entire series.

Link to testimony (Jay Reich at 5:57, Michelle Andreas at 16:00).

Financial aid work session

The Senate Higher Education Committee held a financial aid work session on Thursday, Jan. 30. Rachelle Sharpe, Washington Student Achievement Council senior director of student financial aid and support services, kicked off the meeting with an overview of the types of financial aid -- federal, state, institution, and private. Individual colleges package those programs differently for each student based on eligibility and program rules, she explained.

Sharpe said the average annual student loan amount increased dramatically between 2007-2008 and 2012-2013:

·         Up 50 percent for research universities.

·         Up 59 percent for regional universities.

·         Up 100 percent for community and technical colleges.

The spike in student loans started to level between 2011-2012 and 2012-2013, she said, probably because students hit the maximum federal borrowing limit those years.

Lisa Matye Edwards, Lower Columbia College vice president of student success, and Marisa Geier, director of financial aid, offered different financial aid scenarios and spotlighted the large number of students with financial need. About 429 eligible Lower Columbia students have not received State Need Grants, causing a $1.5 million Need Grant deficit at the college.

Link to testimony (Rachelle Sharpe at 12:26, Lower Columbia at 1:00:30).

Capital work session

Wayne Doty, SBCTC capital budget director, spoke before the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Thursday, Jan. 30, as part of a work session on construction costs and capital projects for community and technical colleges.

The committee organized the session around capital construction cost drivers which include, among other things:

·         Inflation rate (labor/materials and market competition);

·         Scope (purpose) and durability (life expectancy);

·         Prevailing wage, high performance building;

·         Public procurement process; and

·         Codes and standards.

“We are not building the same buildings we built 12 years ago,” Doty explained. “The project cost per square foot of building has gone up faster than what can be explained by just the inflation of labor and materials.”

Doty said that despite the many changes in requirements and learning environments, the system is managing projects within the funding provided, competitively bidding every project, and returning any savings to the state when projects are complete.

Several factors result in higher costs:

·         High performance building standards (adopted in 2005);

·         Building and fire codes change every two years;

·         Storm water management manuals (updated in 2004 and 2005), with additional requirements for urban density areas;

·         Permitting authorities are imposing more mitigation to local impacts;

·         The creation of campus-wide notification and lock-down systems to increase student safety;

·         Long-term planning, flexible designs, and quality construction that allows colleges to adapt buildings to future uses; and

·         Updated technology throughout the buildings, such as wireless connectivity, projectors, and monitors.

Doty highlighted projects in the system’s 2014 supplemental request to illustrate the changes:

·         Centralia College’s new Student Service Center will replace two old buildings that do not meet current standards for safety and access.

·         Olympic College’s pending Instruction Center incorporates the changes outlined above.

Link to testimony (begins at 27:20).

Link to SBCTC presentation.

Bills

The Legislature took action on a few bills this week:

Real Hope Act, in-state tuition for veterans passes Senate

SB 6523, the Real Hope Act, sponsored by Sen. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor, passed the Senate 35-10 (4 excused) yesterday. This bill makes undocumented students eligible for state financial aid. In addition, $5 million in new funding is provided for the State Need Grant.

SB 6523 will now be referred to a House committee for further action.

SB 5318, introduced last session also by Sen. Bailey, passed the Senate 45-0 (4 excused) the same day. This bill waives the one-year waiting period for veterans to be able to pay in-state tuition.

SB 5318 will now be referred to a House committee for further action.

Credit for military training bill passes House

HB 1858, introduced last session by then-Rep. John McCoy, D-Tulalip, passed the House 95-0 (3 excused). This bill requires all higher education institutions to have a policy in place to award academic credit for students with prior military training. All CTCs currently have a policy in place.

HB 1858 will now be referred to a House committee for further action.

House hears statutory modification bill

The House Higher Education Committee heard HB 2546 on Jan. 29. This bill, sponsored by Rep. Chris Reykdal, D-Tumwater, allows the expiration of many outdated state statutes impacting CTCs including:

·         Officially transferring technical colleges from K-12 to the higher education system;

·         Enrollment and financial aid budget calculations based on participation rates from the early 90s;

·         Programs that have been defunded and are no longer used (e.g. the Displaced Homemaker Act and Project Even Start); and

·         Some higher education general obligation bonds that have since matured.

Session cutoff dates

Mandated cutoff dates determine which bills will continue through the legislative process. These dates directly impact legislative work and are important to note. This session, these dates are:

·         Feb. 7: policy committee cutoff – bills in policy committees must receive a hearing and be passed.

·         Feb. 11: fiscal committee cutoff – bills in fiscal committees must receive a hearing and be passed.

·         Feb. 18: house of origin cutoff (5pm) – bills in their original chamber must be passed.

·         Feb. 28: policy committee cutoff – bills in opposite house policy committees must receive a hearing and be passed.

·         March 3: fiscal committee cutoff – bills in opposite house fiscal committees must receive and hearing and be passed.

·         March 7: opposite house cutoff (5pm) – bills in the opposite chamber must be passed.

·         March 13: Sine Die – last day of the regular session.

Session resources

SBCTC Government Relations provides updated legislative resources throughout session:

·         The Bill Watch List – important bills being considered that may have significant impact on the CTC system.

·         The Bill Status Report – all bills being tracked by SBCTC staff during session.

·         The Weekly Hearing Schedule – schedule of weekly hearings where CTCs are testifying and/or monitoring bills.

·         Legislator information – contact information for legislators organized by college district, committee, caucus, etc.