House Concurrent Resolution 115

PAG LIN

  1  1           HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO.    
  1  2                       BY  TYMESON
  1  3 A Concurrent Resolution requesting the Legislative
  1  4    Council to establish an interim study committee to
  1  5    examine the costs and benefits of Iowa joining
  1  6    the Midwestern Higher Education Compact.
  1  7    WHEREAS, the citizens of Iowa take pride in having
  1  8 a well=educated workforce and citizenry; and
  1  9    WHEREAS, Iowa's skyrocketing postsecondary
  1 10 education costs, while keeping pace with the rising
  1 11 tuition costs at public postsecondary institutions in
  1 12 many other states, are reducing the accessibility and
  1 13 affordability that Iowans have come to expect from
  1 14 Iowa's public postsecondary institutions; and
  1 15    WHEREAS, the mission of the Midwestern Higher
  1 16 Education Compact is to promote interstate cooperation
  1 17 and resource sharing in higher education among
  1 18 Midwestern states; and
  1 19    WHEREAS, states that are members of the compact
  1 20 have increased educational access for their citizens
  1 21 while attracting students from other states; NOW
  1 22 THEREFORE,
  1 23    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE
  1 24 SENATE CONCURRING, That the Legislative Council is
  1 25 requested to create an interim study committee to
  1 26 examine the costs and benefits of joining the
  1 27 Midwestern Higher Education Compact; and
  1 28    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the interim study
  1 29 committee membership shall be comprised of ten voting
  1 30 members, who shall be members of the General Assembly,
  2  1 and shall include additional members as nonvoting, ex
  2  2 officio members, including but not limited to
  2  3 representatives from the area education agencies,
  2  4 accredited public and nonpublic schools, accredited
  2  5 private postsecondary institutions, community
  2  6 colleges, institutions of higher education under the
  2  7 control of the state board of regents, cities, and
  2  8 counties; and
  2  9    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the charge of the
  2 10 committee shall be to estimate the savings and
  2 11 revenues the state could realize from joining the
  2 12 compact; identify the costs of joining the compact,
  2 13 both in membership dues and as Iowa students cross
  2 14 Iowa's borders to attend institutions in other states;
  2 15 review the resources the compact offers, programs
  2 16 sponsored by the compact, and the program agreements
  2 17 reached; and examine examples of regional cooperation
  2 18 and innovation in the delivery of educational
  2 19 services; and
  2 20    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the interim study
  2 21 committee shall submit its findings and
  2 22 recommendations in a report to the General Assembly by
  2 23 December 15, 2004.
  2 24 LSB 6663HH 80
  2 25 kh/sh/8