Senate Concurrent Resolution 111

PAG LIN

  1  1          SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. ___
  1  2               BY  COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
  1  3                 (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 3150)
  1  4 A Concurrent Resolution requesting the Legislative
  1  5    Council to establish an interim study committee to
  1  6    examine the costs and benefits of Iowa joining
  1  7    the Midwestern Higher Education Compact.
  1  8    WHEREAS, the citizens of Iowa take pride in having
  1  9 a well=educated workforce and citizenry; and
  1 10    WHEREAS, Iowa's skyrocketing postsecondary
  1 11 education costs, while keeping pace with the rising
  1 12 tuition costs at public postsecondary institutions in
  1 13 many other states, are reducing the accessibility and
  1 14 affordability that Iowans have come to expect from
  1 15 Iowa's public postsecondary institutions; and
  1 16    WHEREAS, the mission of the Midwestern Higher
  1 17 Education Compact is to promote interstate cooperation
  1 18 and resource sharing in higher education among
  1 19 Midwestern states; and
  1 20    WHEREAS, states that are members of the compact
  1 21 have increased educational access for their citizens
  1 22 while attracting students from other states; NOW
  1 23 THEREFORE,
  1 24    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, THE HOUSE OF
  1 25 REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, That the Legislative
  1 26 Council is requested to create an interim study
  1 27 committee to examine the costs and benefits of joining
  1 28 the Midwestern Higher Education Compact; and
  1 29    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the interim study
  1 30 committee membership shall be comprised of ten voting
  2  1 members, who shall be members of the General Assembly,
  2  2 and shall include additional members as nonvoting, ex
  2  3 officio members, including but not limited to
  2  4 representatives from the area education agencies,
  2  5 accredited public and nonpublic schools, accredited
  2  6 private postsecondary institutions, community
  2  7 colleges, institutions of higher education under the
  2  8 control of the state board of regents, cities, and
  2  9 counties.
  2 10    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the charge of the
  2 11 committee shall be to estimate the savings and
  2 12 revenues the state could realize from joining the
  2 13 compact; identify the costs of joining the compact,
  2 14 both in membership dues and as Iowa students cross
  2 15 Iowa's borders to attend institutions in other states;
  2 16 review the resources the compact offers, programs
  2 17 sponsored by the compact, and the program agreements
  2 18 reached; and examine examples of regional cooperation
  2 19 and innovation in the delivery of educational
  2 20 services.
  2 21    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the interim study
  2 22 committee shall submit its findings and
  2 23 recommendations in a report to the General Assembly by
  2 24 December 15, 2004.
  2 25 SCR 111
  2 26 kh/cc/26