HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

January 27, 2003 Hearing Room E

1:00 PM Tapes 9 - 10

MEMBERS PRESENT: Rep. Vic Backlund, Chair

Rep. Pat Farr, Vice-Chair

Rep. Elaine Hopson, Vice-Chair

Rep. Brad Avakian

Rep. Billy Dalto

Rep. Mary Nolan

Rep. Wayne Scott

STAFF PRESENT: Jim Keller, Committee Administrator

Jeana Harrington, Committee Assistant

ISSUES HEARD: Informational Meeting

-Overview of community colleges presented by Andrea Henderson.

-Overview of the Oregon University System (OUS) presented by Richard Jarvis, Chancellor.

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 9, A
004	Chair Backlund	Calls meeting to order at 1:07 PM. Welcomes audience and presenters. Opens informational meeting on educational issues.
INFORMATIONAL MEETING
012	Andrea Henderson	Executive Director Community College Association. Introduces herself.
017	Cam Preus-Braly	Commissioner, Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development. Begins presentation (EXHIBIT A). Provides picture of those served by community colleges.
037	Chair Backlund	Presumes the statistic in (EXHIBIT A) concerning minority students is growing.
039	Preus-Braly	Agrees.
041	Rep. Hopson	Asks how the statistic compares with the demographic percentages of the state by group.
047	Preus-Braly	Responds that she can find out.
055	Rep. Hopson	Asks what the cause for the decrease in average student age can be attributed to.
059	Preus-Braly	Remarks that it is early to say, but the increase of freshman and transfer students is a contributor.
066	Gretchen Schuette	President, Chemeketa Community College (CCC). Adds to that.
074	Preus-Braly	Continues presentation with regard to enrollment in the nineteen nineties. Details enrollment with regard to programs.
089	Rep. Dalto	Requests an example of a lower division transfer student.
090	Preus-Braly	Explains it is a student preparing to transfer to four-year university. Explains that process.
097	Chair Backlund	Requests examples of adult basic skills.
099	Preus-Braly	Lists English as a Second Language (ESL), General Equivalency Diploma (GED), and students not ready for collegiate work as participants in the program.
108	Schuette	Explains charter of community colleges. Elaborates on the type of student served by community colleges. Explains program enrollment further by category.
158	Rep. Dalto	Asks if trends in student enrollment are due to economic struggles and to preparing students for professional jobs.
160	Schuette	States the increased need in technical training is a clear trend and adds there have been changes in the specific skills students need.
173	Rep. Dalto	Wonders if those considering another career also look to community colleges.
177	Schuette	Agrees that community colleges play an important role in those fields. Points out the average age of community college students reflects the needs for this type of education with regard to achieving certain skills. Continues presentation of program enrollment. States that those who take one class often realize the value of gaining more skills at the community college level. Details partnerships and subsequent enrollment. Explains how community colleges assist in circumstances employment and displaced workers.
275	Preus-Braly	Overviews community college governance. Breaks down funding sources prior to Ballot Measure Five (1989-90) and funding for 2001-2003. Provides the cost of attending.
336	Rep. Dalto	Requests if there is a sense as to the actual cost overall for providing the education.
349	Preus-Braly	Responds that was studied and based on those figures, estimated cost per average full-time enrollee was somewhere around $5,000.
364	Rep. Dalto	Requests the number for two and four year programs.
369	Preus-Braly	Adds that cost differs greatly depending on the program.
379	Rep. Dalto	Clarifies tuition levels.
385	Preus-Braly	Explains costs is on a per credit hour basis, and that students pay the same.
TAPE 10, A
006	Henderson	Continues presentation on student financial aid. Mentions current budget for community colleges and its allocation.
020	Chair Backlund	Clarifies the figures are for 2003-2005.
021	Henderson	Affirms.
027	Chair Backlund	Inquires about Ballot Measure 28 impact on budget for 2001-2003.
029	Henderson	Explains how the college prepared for the cuts and the impact that has occurred.
077	Richard Jarvis	Chancellor, Oregon University System (OUS). Introduces himself and provides educational background. Provides information on the OUS system (EXHIBIT B). States that the OUS system is a fine one. Adds that it needs to be maintained. Explains the funding threatens a quality of education. Details enrollments in OUS and how it is inverted towards funding. Explains how the Oregon Opportunity Grant is declining.
141	Chair Backlund	Asks if those capable of attending college are able to.
144	Jarvis	Replies that with a substantial amount of debt burden provided by financial aid loans a student can attend.
147	Jarvis	Compares difference in funding between Oregon and Washington State.
173	Rep. Farr	Requests if Washington State colleges have other sources of income,
175	Jarvis	Replies that both states do in the form of private fundraising for scholarships. Points out that the challenge among the public is that they already pay the state to fund the schools.
189	Rep. Farr	Asks if some of the money raised by OUS is spent on grants.
193	Jarvis	Affirms and adds that the problem is providing not only need-based, but merit-based aid for the student body schools seek to acquire.
201	Rep. Nolan	Requests Mr. Jarvis to address the issue of grant accessibility to students.
203	Jarvis	States Oregon leads the West in tuition rates. Point out that those not considered to be needy have an even greater burden.
230	Rep. Farr	Asks if it is a ‘bargain’ for out of state residents to attend school in Oregon.
234	Jarvis	Responds that the goal is to make it a value, but not a ‘bargain’. Explains that out-of-state residents provide the excess funds and OUS pushes those to find what market will bare.
237	Avakian	Inquires if it is less expensive for Oregon students to attend out-of-state.
239	Jarvis	Responds that would be rather surprising as other states are also raising out-of-state tuition costs, but will find that out. Switches topic to infrastructural financial aid. Explains one method used to continue high student enrollment is to defer maintenance. Notes $500 million in backlog maintenance. Reiterates the need to maintain quality. Highlights measurement of accountability and performance. States four goals of Oregon public universities. Informs of how OUS serves the state. Illustrates the drivers for enrollment. Begins explanation of revenue.
TAPE 9, B
003	Jarvis	Continues presentation. Highlights the Resource Allocation Model (RAM) and its components. Illustrates OUS “peer groups” to explain the quality funding index. Shows the committee the funding targets and elaborates on the recent history of the targets.
071	Rep. Hopson	Asks that in determining a median that like schools were used.
078	Jarvis	Concurs and explains there was a consistent set of comparisons with the peers included in the group. Voices concern that as OUS drops below that median, it will no longer belong in that peer. Summarizes earlier topics.
109	Jarvis	Shows how access is denied in the OUS. Explains how it stretches out the cost to student, and cost to the community because students may have been unable to complete their program. Details the increases in cost of attendance.
163	Jarvis	Begins a description of a program OUS has created to assist challenges in the form of a partnership.
196	Rep. Avakian	Clarifies the term ‘fair share analogy’.
201	Jarvis	Explains it as trying to establish a relationship between the state and resident undergraduates. Adds OUS is requesting that the state contribution remain at 50%. Believes it is important for states to make necessary commitment to that so the ratio refrains from becoming unfair to students.
221	Rep. Avakian	Inquires if, in an ideal situation OUS would want the state to provide even more making it a “fairer” share for residents.
225	Jarvis	Affirms.
229	Rep. Dalto	Understands that tuition is about half of what state is providing for.
231	Jarvis	Affirms and adds that is for resident undergraduates only.
245	Jarvis	Highlights goals and performance indicators laid out and how OUS can perform at a higher level if funding increases. States they will put them into quantifiable standards for the state. Elaborates on the state and OUS requirements of the plan. Summarizes presentation.
357	Rep. Dalto	Requests the total for backlog of maintenance in OUS.
358	Jarvis	Answers $500 million.
360	Chair Backlund	Poses question regarding the past admissions system.
361	Jarvis	States OUS would like to see students more successful and adds he will return with more information.
390	Rep. Avakian	Asks Mr. Jarvis to explain his last statement.
395	Jarvis	Explains the attempt to better align competencies of high school and college.
410	Rep. Avakian	Asks if nothing exists to serve that function currently.
415	Jarvis	States he does not have that information currently, but will return.
425	Chair Backlund	Closes informational meeting. Adjourns at 2:31 PM.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – Informational, OCC, Andrea Henderson, 8 pp

B – Informational, OUS, Richard Jarvis, 41 pp