A NEW SPOKANE BILL EMERGES FROM THE HOUSE HIGHER ED COMMITTEE - Substitute
Senate Bill 6655
The Higher Education Committee combined legislation affecting Spokane
higher education programs into a single bill and then narrowly passed it
out on a partisan vote this week. Adopting legislation written by Rep.
Larry Sheahan, R-Rosalia, the committee agreed with Senate-passed language
that abolishes the Spokane Joint Center and allows more WSU programs in
Spokane with the approval of the Higher Education Coordinating Board. The
action brings Spokane a step closer to a full WSU branch campus at Riverpoint
that would offer dozens of new upper-division, professional, and graduate
courses for the Inland Northwest along with stepped-up research activities
that would benefit the local economy. While assigning WSU the lead on Spokane
programs, the bill mandates cooperation with Eastern Washington University,
Gonzaga University, Whitworth College, and the Spokane Community Colleges.
The proposal for Spokane is consistent with recommendations to the Governor
by the Higher Education Coordinating Board. The rewrite combines the former
Senate Bill 6717, abolishing the Spokane Joint Center, and Senate Bill
6655, creating SIRTI as a new state agency, into a single bill. The rewrite
was done to benefit concerned Eastern Washington University employees,
which feared the legislation could result in elimination of EWU course
offerings in Spokane. Both WSU Pullman and EWU Cheney are located in Rep.
Sheahan's 9th Legislative District.
Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute created
as a new state agency. The same bill reorganizes SIRTI in Spokane as
a new state agency. WSU is given one vote on the 17-member board governing
the new agency which includes EWU, CWU, UW, Spokane Community colleges,
the Washington Technology Center, Gonzaga, and Whitworth. Nine of the members
of the board will be members of the general public, with at least six from
technology-based or manufacturing-based industries.
WSU, in cooperation with EWU and other institutions, is assigned
responsibility for "ensuring the expansion of" upper-division and graduate
level higher education programs to Spokane under the rules and regulations
of the HEC Board beginning Jan. 1, 1999. This is identical to responsibility
that the University of Washington has for coordinating programs in Tacoma
and Bothell. It is similar to Senate-passed language giving WSU authority
for Tri-Cities and Vancouver. Rep. Sheahan indicated this language stresses
more collaboration with other institutions than the language used for WSU
Tri-Cities and Vancouver campuses.
The Spokane Joint Center for Higher Education is eliminated but new
intent language is added. The new Sheahan bill states, "The Legislature
intends to streamline the program planning and approval process in Spokane
by eliminating the joint center for higher education; thereby treating
the Spokane higher education community like other public higher education
communities in Washington that receive program approval from the Higher
Education Coordinating Board."
Duplication of EWU Cheney programs and WSU Spokane programs is discouraged.
New language is added requiring the HEC Board to avoid program duplication
and encourage collaboration between WSU and EWU on the delivery of programs
in Spokane.
WSU is directed to develop a plan for development of the Riverpoint
campus. The due dates of the plans are Dec. 31, 1998 in the House bill.
The Senate had set the deadline at Oct. 15.
WSU is to submit a plan to establish a Health Sciences Consortium.
This will be patterned after the Intercollegiate Center for Nursing
Education, which is administered and taught by WSU. However, new House
language is added to make it clear that nursing courses and programs located
in the ICNE building near Spokane Falls Community College should remain
at that location. Senate language intended that most public university
courses in Spokane would be offered at Riverpoint. Language is added to
include "public and private institutions of higher education" in the consortium.
The plan is to guarantee that EWU programs in physical therapy, communications
disorders, nursing and dental hygiene shall continue to be offered through
EWU in Spokane. There is no such guarantee for any WSU programs. WSU
is directed to submit a preliminary higher education services plan to the
HEC Board by Oct. 15. The plan would describe how higher education services
will be delivered to the Spokane area.
