Chapter 1
HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD
In 1985, the Washington State Legislature created the Higher Education Coordinating Board (as the successor to the Council for Postsecondary Education in the State of Washington, previously created in 1975, which was the successor to both the Council on Higher Education and the Commission on Higher Education, previously created in 1969).
RCW 28B.80.300 [For this volume, the selected statutes have been modified slightly to conform to a descriptive rather than a mandatory format.]
Section 2. Purpose of the Board
The purpose of the board is to provide planning, coordination, monitoring, and policy analysis for higher education in the state of Washington in cooperation and consultation with the institutions' autonomous governing boards and with all other segments of postsecondary education, including but not limited to the state board for community college education and the commission for vocational education. The board represents the broad public interest above the interests of the individual colleges and universities.
RCW 28B.80.320
Section 3. Duties of the Board
The board performs the following planning duties in consultation with the four-year institutions, the community college system, and when appropriate the commission for vocational education, the superintendent of public instruction for the vocational-technical institutes, and the independent higher educational institutions:
(1) Develops and establishes role and mission statements for each of the four-year institutions and for the community college system;
(2) Identifies the state's higher education goals, objectives, and priorities;
(3) Prepares a comprehensive master plan which includes but is not limited to:
(a) Assessments of the state's higher education needs. These assessments may include, but are not limited to: The basic and continuing needs of various age groups; business and industrial needs for a skilled workforce; analyses of demographic, social, and economic trends; consideration of the changing ethnic composition of the population and the special needs arising from such trends; college attendance, retention, and dropout rates, and the needs of recent high school graduates and placebound adults. The board is to consider the needs of residents of all geographic regions, but its initial priorities are to be applied to heavily populated areas underserved by public institutions;
(b) Recommendations on enrollment and other policies and actions to meet those needs;
(c) Guidelines for continuing education, adult education, public service, and other higher education programs. The plan is updated biennially, and presented to the governor and the appropriate legislative policy committees. Following public hearings, the legislature, by concurrent resolution, approves or recommends changes to the initial plan, and the biennial updates. The plan then becomes state higher education policy unless legislation is enacted to alter the policies set forth in the plan;
(4) Reviews, evaluates, and makes recommendations on operating and capital budget requests from four-year institutions and the community college system, based on the elements outlined in subsections (1), (2), and (3) of this section, and on guidelines which outline the board's fiscal priorities. These guidelines are distributed to the institutions and the community college board by December of each odd-numbered year. The institutions and the community college board submit an outline of their proposed budgets, identifying major components, to the board no later than August 1 of each even-numbered year. The board submits recommendations on the proposed budgets and on the board's budget priorities to the office of financial management before October 15 of each even-numbered year, and to the legislature by January 1 of each odd-numbered year;
(5) Recommends legislation affecting higher education;
(6) Recommends tuition and fees policies and levels based on comparisons with peer institutions;
(7) Establishes priorities and develops recommendations on financial aid based on comparisons with peer institutions;
(8) Prepares recommendations on merging or closing institutions; and
(9) Develops criteria for identifying the need for new baccalaureate institutions.
RCW 28B.80.330
Section 4. Program Responsibilities of the Board
The board performs the following program responsibilities, in consultation with the institutions and with other interested agencies and individuals:
(1) Approves the creation of any new degree programs at the four-year institutions and prepares fiscal notes on any such programs;
(2) Reviews, evaluates, and makes recommendations for the modification, consolidation, initiation, or elimination of on- campus programs, at the four-year institutions;
(3) Reviews and evaluates and approves, modifies, consolidates, initiates, or eliminates off-campus programs at the four-year institutions;
(4) Approves, and adopts guidelines for, higher education centers and consortia;
(5) Approves purchase or lease of major off-campus facilities for the four-year institutions and the community colleges;
(6) Establishes campus service areas and defines on-campus and off-campus activities and major facilities; and
(7) Approves contracts for off-campus educational programs initiated by the state's four-year institutions individually, in concert with other public institutions, or with independent institutions.
RCW 28B.80.340
Section 5. Administrative Responsibilities of the Board
The board performs the following administrative responsibilities:
(1) Administers the programs set forth in the following statutes: Chapter 28A.58 RCW (Washington scholars); chapter 28B.04 RCW (displaced homemakers); chapter 28B.05 RCW (education registration); RCW 28B.10.210 through 28B.10.220 (blind students subsidy); RCW 28B.10.800 through 28B.10.824 (student financial aid program); chapter 28B.12 RCW (work study); RCW 28B.15.067 through 28B.15.076 (educational costs for establishing tuition and fees); RCW 28B.15.543 (tuition waivers for Washington scholars); RCW 28B.15.760 through 28B.15.766 (math and science loans); RCW 28B.80.150 through 28B.80.170 (student exchange compact); RCW 28B.80.240 (student aid programs); and RCW 28B.80.210 (federal programs).
(2) Studies the delegation of the administration of the following: RCW 28B.65.040 through 28B.65.060 (high technology board); RCW 28B.80.150 through 28B.80.170 (student exchange compact programs); RCW 28B.80.200 (state commission for federal law purposes); RCW 28B.80.210 (enumerated federal programs); RCW 28B.80.230 (receipt of federal funds); RCW 28B.80.240 (student financial aid programs); RCW 28A.58.824 through *28A.58.832 (Washington scholars); RCW 28B.15.543 (Washington scholars); RCW 28B.04.020 through 28B.04.110 (displaced homemakers); RCW 28B.10.215 and 28B.10.220 (blind students); RCW 28B.10.790, 28B.10.792, and 28B.10.802 through 28B.10.844 (student financial aid); RCW 28B.12.040 through 28B.12.070 (student work study); RCW 28B.15.100 (reciprocity agreement); RCW 28B.15.730 through 28B.15.736 (Oregon reciprocity); RCW 28B.15.750 through 28B.15.754 (Idaho reciprocity); RCW 28B.15.756 and 28B.15.758 (British Columbia reciprocity); and RCW 28B.15.760 through 28B.15.764 (math/science loans). The board reports the results of its study and recommendations to the legislature.
RCW 28B.80.360
Section 6. Coordinating Functions of the Board
The board coordinates educational activities among all segments of higher education taking into account the educational programs, facilities, and other resources of both public and independent two- and four-year colleges and universities. The four-year institutions, the state board for community college education, and the commission for vocational education coordinate information and activities with the board. The board has the following additional responsibilities:
(1) To promote interinstitutional cooperation;
(2) To establish minimum admission standards for four-year institutions;
(3) To establish transfer policies;
(4) To adopt rules implementing statutory residency requirements;
(5) To develop and administer reciprocity agreements with bordering states and the province of British Columbia;
(6) To review and recommend compensation practices and levels for administrative employees, exempt under chapter 28B.16 RCW, and faculty using comparative data from peer institutions;
(7) To monitor higher education activities for compliance with all relevant state policies for higher education;
(8) To arbitrate disputes between and among four-year institutions or between and among four-year institutions and community colleges at the request of one or more of the institutions involved, or at the request of the governor, or from a resolution adopted by the legislature. The decision of the board is binding on the participants in the dispute;
(9) To establish and implement a state system for collecting, analyzing, and distributing information;
(10) To recommend to the governor and the legislature ways to remove any economic incentives to use off-campus program funds for on-campus activities; and
(11) To make recommendations to increase minority participation, and monitor and report on the progress of minority participation in higher education.
RCW 28B.80.350
Section 7. Student Exchange Compact Program
A. The board develops such state plans as are necessary to coordinate the state of Washington's participation within the student exchange compact programs under the auspices of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, as provided by chapter 28B.70 RCW. In addition to establishing such plans the board designates the state certifying officer for student programs.
RCW 28B.80.150
B. In the development of any such plans, the board uses at least the following criteria:
(1) Students who are eligible to attend compact-authorized programs in other states must meet the Washington residency requirements of chapter 28B.15 RCW prior to being awarded tuition assistance grants;
(2) If appropriations are insufficient to fund all students qualifying under subsection (1) of this section, then the plans include criteria for student selection that would be in the best interest in meeting the state's educational needs, as well as recognizing the financial needs of students.
RCW 28B.80.160
C. The board periodically advises the governor and the legislature of the policy implications of the state of Washington's participation in the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education student exchange programs as they affect long-range planning for post-secondary education, together with recommendations on the most efficient way to provide high cost or special educational programs to Washington residents.
RCW 28B.80.170
Section 8. Board as State Commission for Federal Law Purposes
The higher education coordinating board is designated as the state commission as provided for in Section 1202 of the education amendments of 1972 (Public Law 92-318), as now or hereafter amended; and performs such functions as is necessary to comply with federal directives pertaining to the provisions of such law. Notwithstanding the provisions of RCW 28B.80.050, all members of the board have full voting powers in taking actions related to federal postsecondary educational planning functions as provided for in this section and RCW 28B.80.210 through RCW 28B.80.240.
RCW 28B.80.200
The Board is empowered to:
1. Administer any federal act pertaining to higher education which is not administered by another state agency.
RCW 28B.80.210
2. Receive and expend federal funds and any private gifts or grants, such federal funds or private funds to be expended in accordance with the conditions contingent in such grant thereof.
RCW 28B.80.230
3. Administer any state program or state-administered federal program of student financial aid now or hereafter established.
RCW 28B.80.240
Section 9. State-wide Transfer of Credit Policy and Agreement
A. The board, in cooperation with the state institutions of higher education and the state board for community college education, establishes and maintains a state-wide transfer of credit policy and agreement. The policy and agreement, where feasible, includes course and program descriptions consistent with state-wide interinstitutional guidelines. The institutions of higher education provide support and staff resources as necessary to assist in developing and maintaining this policy and agreement.
RCW 28B.80.280
B. The state-wide transfer of credit policy and agreement is designed to facilitate the transfer of students and the evaluation of transcripts, to serve better persons seeking information about courses and programs, to aid in academic planning, and to improve the review and evaluation of academic programs in the state institutions of higher education. The state-wide transfer of credit policy and agreement does not require nor encourage the standardization of course content and does not prescribe course content or the credit value assigned by any institution to the course.
RCW 28B.80.290
The board has authority to adopt rules as necessary to implement these provisions.
RCW 28B.80.370
Section 11. Advisory Committees to the Board
The board establishes advisory committees composed of members representing faculty, administrators, students, regents and trustees, and staff of the public institutions, the superintendent of public instruction, and the independent institutions.
RCW 28B.80.380
Section 12. Members of the Board
A. The board consists of nine members who are representative of the public, including women and the racial minority community. All members are appointed at large by the governor and approved by the senate. The governor appoints the chair, who serves at the governor's pleasure.
RCW 28B.80.390
B. The members of the board, except the chair, serve for terms of four years, the terms expiring on June 30th of the fourth year of the term.
RCW 28B.80.400
C. Any vacancies among board members are filled by the governor subject to confirmation by the senate then in session, or if not in session, at the next session. Board members appointed under this section have full authority to act as such prior to the time the senate acts on their confirmation. Appointments to fill vacancies are only for such terms as remain unexpired.
RCW 28B.80.410
Section 13. Meetings of the Board
The board meets at least four times each year and at such other times as determined by the chair who shall give reasonable prior notice to the members.
RCW 28B.80.420
Section 14. Director-Duties-Board Use of State Agencies
The board employs a director and may delegate agency management to the director. The director serves at the pleasure of the board, is the executive officer of the board and, under the board's supervision, administers the provisions of this chapter. The executive director, with the approval of the board: (1) Employs necessary deputy and assistant directors and other exempt staff under chapter 28B.16 RCW who serve at his or her pleasure on such terms and conditions as he or she determines and (2) subject to the provisions of chapter 28B.16 RCW, appoints and employs such other employees as may be required for the proper discharge of the functions of the board. In fulfilling its duties, the board makes extensive use of those state agencies with responsibility for implementing and supporting postsecondary education plans and policies including but not limited to appropriate legislative groups, the post-secondary education institutions, the office of financial management, the commission for vocational education, and the state board for community college education. Outside consulting and service agencies may also be employed. The board may compensate these groups and consultants in appropriate ways.
RCW 28B.80.430 Chapter 1 Revised January 1978 and February 1986