HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 39

(By Delegates Miley, Ambler, Anderson, Barrett, Bates, Brewer, Byrd, Campbell, Canestraro, Caputo, Cooper, Criss, Dean, Diserio, Eldridge, Ellington, Espinosa,
A. Evans, E. Evans, Ferro, Fleischauer, Fluharty, Folk, Foster, Graves, Hamilton, Hamrick, Hartman, Hicks, Hill, Hornbuckle, Iaquinta, Isner, Kessinger, Lane, Longstreth, Love, Lovejoy, Lynch, Marcum, Martin, Maynard, R. Miller, Moye, Paynter, Pethtel, Pushkin, Pyles, Queen, Robinson, Rodighiero, Rohrbach, R. Romine, Rowe, Sobonya, Sponaugle, Statler, Storch, Summers, Thompson, Upson, Ward, Williams and Wilson)

[Introduced February 1, 2018; Referred to the Committee on Rules]

 

Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study the sustainability of the state’s current system of higher education and how the state can better support the public institutions of higher education.

Whereas, West Virginia is moving through a dramatic transformation during which fundamental regulatory and supply and demand changes have sufficiently altered the trajectory of the state’s coal and natural gas sectors. The state is facing significant budgetary challenges and a current path that is not sustainable; and

Whereas, The best way to further the state’s priorities is not to rely on decades-old models that seek to preserve the status quo, but instead, lies in questioning whether our current way of doing business is sustainable and in identifying new solutions; and

Whereas, It is essential that the leaders of the state reinvent the manner in which the state conducts business in order to meet certain goals, including the goal of maintaining productive institutions of higher education that educate the workforce of tomorrow and continue to be economic engines that help to drive the state’s economy; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is requested to study and review the sustainability of the state’s current system of higher education and how the state can better support the public institutions of higher education; and, be it

Further Resolved, That in conducting the study, the Committee review the following issues related to success of the institutions. How to increase retention and graduation rates; how to maintain affordable tuition; how to increase access to institutions; how to promote economic achievement through education; and, be it

Further Resolved, That in conducting the study, the Committee review the following issues related to efficiency of institutional oversight: The amount of time institutions spend on multiple levels of approvals and reporting activities to the State; the amount of time institutions spend interacting with the State Treasurer’s and Auditor’s offices; and whether the Higher Education Policy Commission should be a coordinating or second-step governing body; and, be it

Further Resolved, That in conducting the study, the Committee review the following issues related to institutional funding: Whether all 18 of the state’s four-year and two-year institutions are viable as currently constituted; how the institutions should be transformed if they are not currently viable; whether the institutions should share administrative expenses; and the effectiveness of the governing boards at each institution; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the Legislature, on the first day of the regular session 2019, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations together with drafts of any legislation to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.