Higher education FTE limit

AN ACT Relating to limiting the number of full-time equivalent 1
employees in higher education; and amending RCW 28B.50.090, 2
28B.35.390, and 28B.40.390. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 28B.50.090 and 2013 c 57 s 1 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
The college board shall have general supervision and control over 7
the state system of community and technical colleges. In addition to 8
the other powers and duties imposed upon the college board by this 9
chapter, the college board shall be charged with the following 10
powers, duties and responsibilities: 11
(1) Review the budgets prepared by the boards of trustees, 12
prepare a single budget for the support of the state system of 13
community and technical colleges and adult education, and submit this 14
budget to the governor as provided in RCW 43.88.090;15
(2) Establish guidelines for the disbursement of funds; and 16
receive and disburse such funds for adult education and maintenance 17
and operation and capital support of the college districts in 18
conformance with the state and district budgets, and in conformance 19
with chapter 43.88 RCW; 20
(3) Ensure, through the full use of its authority:21
H-1983.1
HOUSE BILL 2054
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Couture, Barnard, and Stuebe
Read first time 03/25/25. Referred to Committee on Appropriations.
p. 1 HB 2054
(a) That each college district, in coordination with colleges, 1
within a regional area, shall offer thoroughly comprehensive 2
educational, training, and service programs to meet the needs of both 3
the communities and students served by combining high standards of 4
excellence in academic transfer courses; realistic and practical 5
courses in occupational education, both graded and ungraded; and 6
community services of an educational, cultural, and recreational 7
nature; and adult education, including basic skills and general, 8
family, and workforce literacy programs and services;9
(b) That each college district shall maintain an open-door 10
policy, to the end that no student will be denied admission because 11
of the location of the student's residence or because of the 12
student's educational background or ability; that, insofar as is 13
practical in the judgment of the college board, curriculum offerings 14
will be provided to meet the educational and training needs of the 15
community generally and the students thereof; and that all students, 16
regardless of their differing courses of study, will be considered, 17
known and recognized equally as members of the student body: 18
PROVIDED, That the administrative officers of a community or 19
technical college may deny admission to a prospective student or 20
attendance to an enrolled student if, in their judgment, the student 21
would not be competent to profit from the curriculum offerings of the 22
college, or would, by his or her presence or conduct, create a 23
disruptive atmosphere within the college not consistent with the 24
purposes of the institution. This subsection (3)(b) shall not apply 25
to competency, conduct, or presence associated with a disability in a 26
person twenty-one years of age or younger attending a technical 27
college; 28
(c) That each college does not employ more than one full-time 29
equivalent employee for every six full-time equivalent enrolled 30
students. For the purposes of this subsection, enrollment and full-31
time equivalent employees shall each be averaged over the course of 32
the academic year;33
(4) Prepare a comprehensive master plan for the development of 34
community and technical college education and training in the state; 35
and assist the office of financial management in the preparation of 36
enrollment projections to support plans for providing adequate 37
college facilities in all areas of the state. The master plan shall 38
include implementation of the vision, goals, priorities, and 39
strategies in the statewide strategic master plan for higher 40
p. 2 HB 2054
education under RCW 28B.76.200 based on the community and technical 1
college system's role and mission. The master plan shall also contain 2
measurable performance indicators and benchmarks for gauging progress 3
toward achieving the goals and priorities; 4
(5) Define and administer criteria and guidelines for the 5
establishment of new community and technical colleges or campuses 6
within the existing districts; 7
(6) Establish criteria and procedures for modifying district 8
boundary lines and consolidating district structures to form multiple 9
campus districts consistent with the purposes set forth in RCW 10
28B.50.020 as now or hereafter amended and in accordance therewith 11
make such changes as it deems advisable; 12
(7) Establish minimum standards to govern the operation of the 13
community and technical colleges with respect to: 14
(a) Qualifications and credentials of instructional and key 15
administrative personnel, except as otherwise provided in the state 16
plan for vocational education; 17
(b) Internal budgeting, accounting, auditing, and financial 18
procedures as necessary to supplement the general requirements 19
prescribed pursuant to chapter 43.88 RCW; 20
(c) The content of the curriculums and other educational and 21
training programs, and the requirement for degrees and certificates 22
awarded by the colleges; 23
(d) Standard admission policies; 24
(e) Eligibility of courses to receive state fund support; and25
(f) Common student identifiers such that once a student has 26
enrolled at any community or technical college he or she retains the 27
same student identification upon transfer to any college district;28
(8) Encourage colleges to use multiple measures to determine 29
whether a student must enroll in a precollege course including, but 30
not limited to, placement tests, the SAT, high school transcripts, 31
college transcripts, or initial class performance, and require 32
colleges to post all the available options for course placement on 33
their website and in their admissions materials; 34
(9) Establish and administer criteria and procedures for all 35
capital construction including the establishment, installation, and 36
expansion of facilities within the various college districts;37
(10) Encourage innovation in the development of new educational 38
and training programs and instructional methods; coordinate research 39
efforts to this end; and disseminate the findings thereof;40
p. 3 HB 2054
(11) Exercise any other powers, duties and responsibilities 1
necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter;2
(12) Authorize the various community and technical colleges to 3
offer programs and courses in other districts when it determines that 4
such action is consistent with the purposes set forth in RCW 5
28B.50.020 as now or hereafter amended; 6
(13) Notwithstanding any other law or statute regarding the sale 7
of state property, sell or exchange and convey any or all interest in 8
any community and technical college real and personal property, 9
except such property as is received by a college district in 10
accordance with RCW 28B.50.140(8), when it determines that such 11
property is surplus or that such a sale or exchange is in the best 12
interests of the community and technical college system;13
(14) In order that the treasurer for the state board for 14
community and technical colleges appointed in accordance with RCW 15
28B.50.085 may make vendor payments, the state treasurer will honor 16
warrants drawn by the state board providing for an initial advance on 17
July 1, 1982, of the current biennium and on July 1st of each 18
succeeding biennium from the state general fund in an amount equal to 19
twenty-four percent of the average monthly allotment for such 20
budgeted biennium expenditures for the state board for community and 21
technical colleges as certified by the office of financial 22
management; and at the conclusion of such initial month and for each 23
succeeding month of any biennium, the state treasurer will reimburse 24
expenditures incurred and reported monthly by the state board 25
treasurer in accordance with chapter 43.88 RCW: PROVIDED, That the 26
reimbursement to the state board for actual expenditures incurred in 27
the final month of each biennium shall be less the initial advance 28
made in such biennium; 29
(15) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (13) of this 30
section, may receive such gifts, grants, conveyances, devises, and 31
bequests of real or personal property from private sources as may be 32
made from time to time, in trust or otherwise, whenever the terms and 33
conditions thereof will aid in carrying out the community and 34
technical college programs and may sell, lease or exchange, invest or 35
expend the same or the proceeds, rents, profits and income thereof 36
according to the terms and conditions thereof; and adopt regulations 37
to govern the receipt and expenditure of the proceeds, rents, profits 38
and income thereof; and 39
(16) The college board shall have the power of eminent domain.40
p. 4 HB 2054
Sec. 2. RCW 28B.35.390 and 1977 ex.s. c 169 s 61 are each 1
amended to read as follows: 2
The president of each regional university shall ((have)):3
(1) Have general supervision of the university and see that all 4
laws and rules of the board of trustees are observed; and5
(2) Ensure that the university does not employ more than one 6
full-time equivalent employee for every six full-time equivalent 7
enrolled students. For the purposes of this section, enrollment and 8
full-time equivalent employees shall each be averaged over the course 9
of the academic year. 10
Sec. 3. RCW 28B.40.390 and 1977 ex.s. c 169 s 81 are each 11
amended to read as follows: 12
The president of The Evergreen State College shall ((have)):13
(1) Have general supervision of the college and see that all laws 14
and rules of the board of trustees are observed; and15
(2) Ensure that the college does not employ more than one full-16
time equivalent employee for every six full-time equivalent enrolled 17
students. For the purposes of this section, enrollment and full-time 18
equivalent employees shall each be averaged over the course of the 19
academic year. 20
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