Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 29, 2003
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Alt Contact:  Kris Betker, Higher Education Coordinating Board, 360-753-7817

Gov. Gary Locke Launches Collaborative Effort to Further Improve Higher Education in Washington State

OLYMPIA – May 29, 2003 – Gov. Gary Locke today announced an important collaboration between state and national education groups to ensure that the state’s colleges and universities can accommodate the rapidly growing numbers of Washington students needing a high-quality college education in the coming decade as well as the increasing demand for a highly skilled workforce.

Washington is one of only a handful of states chosen to work with the National Collaborative for Postsecondary Policy, a consortium of education organizations that has received support from the Pew Charitable Trusts. The collaborative will work with the Governor’s Office, the state Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB), legislators and stakeholders to help the state identify a long-term agenda to improve the effectiveness of the higher education system.

Each term, nearly 350,000 full- and part-time students attend Washington’s 34 community and technical colleges and six four-year universities. The state Office of Financial Management estimates the state will need to support an increase of at least 33,000 full-time students by 2010.

“Now is the time for state leaders to make a strong statement about the critical need of Washington students to have access to the college education and training they will need to become productive citizens,” Locke said.

The governor said Washington state is committed to producing the highly skilled workforce needed for today’s high-tech, global economy. “This partnership is critical to helping us identify what we need to do to better prepare our students for the 21st century workplace,” he said.

A highly skilled workforce is among the top criteria for The Boeing Company as it makes its selection of final assembly for its 7E7 next generation aircraft.

Locke also believes the project will further enhance his Priorities of Government budget process, as it relates to higher education and the development of human capital in the state.

The Governor’s Office will work closely with the HECB and other key state education groups on the partnership. Marc Gaspard, executive director of the HECB, also welcomed the expertise of three highly renowned national education groups in the partnership – the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, the Education Commission for the States, and the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems.

“We have a pretty good idea of how many students will need to be served by our colleges and universities during the next decade, but student enrollment is just the beginning of the planning process,” Gaspard said. “Setting policies and goals that create the best possible higher education system for our students, our communities and our state is a fundamental responsibility that will be greatly enhanced by this collaboration.”

The partnership also will involve a legislative work group that is being convened to guide the HECB strategic plan and to examine other opportunities to improve state-level higher education practices. The legislative group will be led by Rep. Phyllis Kenney, D-Seattle, chair of the House Higher Education Committee; and Sen. Don Carlson, R-Vancouver, chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee. The group is expected to start meeting next month.

“It is essential that we have a visionary strategic plan that empowers our colleges and universities and meets the long-term needs of business, industry and students,” Kenney said. “We’ll need a collaborative effort between the governor, the Legislature, our institutions, business leaders and labor to make this work.”

Carlson said, “This opportunity to form policy in cooperation with three national organizations will benefit planning and accountability in our state’s higher education programs. I’m excited to participate with other legislators, the governor and other important business and labor leaders in sharing with higher education agencies our direction for improving higher education in the future.”

The National Collaborative project will bolster the HECB’s work on the state’s strategic master plan for higher education, which is required by law every four years. During the 2003 legislative session, Locke signed House Bill 2076 into law, which updates the planning process of the master plan and provides a more strategic focus. The new law includes several key provisions:

· Directs the HECB to work with a number of education organizations and interested parties to develop the plan. Groups include public and private colleges and universities, the Council of Presidents and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

· Requires that the strategic plan reflect broad input from students, faculty groups, community and business leaders, the Legislature and the governor.

· Proposes a higher education vision for Washington, identifying specific goals and priorities. It will address the role and mission of the various public colleges and universities, and will examine the state’s higher education needs for the next several years, including policies related to enrollment, workforce training, tuition and financial aid, and performance measurements.

· Directs the HECB to deliver a draft of the 2004 plan to the Legislature and governor by Dec. 15, 2003. The final plan will be submitted in June 2004 following legislative and public review.

The PEW Charitable Trust funds the National Collaborative project; however, a nominal fee is charged to participating states. The Governor’s Office and the HECB will each contribute $25,000 to the effort.

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Related Links:
- Governor's Office
- HECB

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