(3)(a) Each institution receiving appropriations under sections 604 through 609

of this act shall submit plans for achieving measurable and specific improvements in

academic years 1997-98 and 1998-99 to the higher education coordinating board. The

plans, to be prepared at the direction of the board, shall be submitted by August 15,

1997 (for academic year 1997-98) and August 15, 1998 (for academic year 1998-99).

The following measures and goals will be used for the 1997-99 biennium:

Goal

(i) Undergraduate graduation efficiency index:

For students beginning as freshmen 95

For transfer students 90

(ii) Undergraduate student retention, defined as the percentage of all

undergraduate students who return for the next year at the same

institution, measured from fall to fall:

Research universities 95%

Comprehensive universities and college 90%

(iii) Graduation rates, defined as the percentage of an entering

freshmen class at each institution that graduates within five years:

Research universities 65%

Comprehensive universities and college 55%

(iv) A measure of faculty productivity, with goals and targets in accord with the

legislative intent to achieve measurable and specific improvements, to be determined

by the higher education coordinating board, in consultation with the institutions

receiving appropriations under sections 604 through 609 of this act.

(v) An additional measure and goal to be selected by the higher education

coordinating board for each institution, in consultation with each institution.

(b) Academic year 1995-96 shall be the baseline year against which performance

in academic year 1997-98 shall be measured. Academic year 1997-98 shall be the

baseline year against which performance in academic year 1998-99 shall be measured.

The difference between each institution's baseline year and the state-wide

performance goals shall be calculated and shall be the performance gap for each

institution for each measure for each year. The plan for each institution shall set

as a performance target the closing of its performance gap for each measure by ten

percent in each year. Each institution shall report to the higher education

coordinating board on its actual performance achievement for each measure for academic

year 1997-98 by October 15, 1998.