Legislative Notes for the week of January 29 - February 2, 2007

Senate committee hears about the system strategic plan

The Senate Higher Education Budget and Policy Division heard from the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system this week about the process used to develop the strategic plan, and how the plan is used in day-to-day operations at the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities 32 colleges and universities.

Chancellor Jim McCormick and Board of Trustees Vice Chair Clarence Hightower discussed the makeup of the system. Trustee Hightower also provided the panel with a broad review of the process used to develop the strategic plan. Senior Vice Chancellor Linda Baer described the four strategic directions identified by the plan. The strategic directions include increasing access and opportunities, promoting and measuring high-quality learning programs and services, providing programs and services integral to state and regional economic needs, and innovating to meet current and future educational needs efficiently.

Vice Chancellor Laura King discussed how the strategic plan relates to the budgeting process. Initial steps for implementing the strategic plan help drive the system's request for an increase in its budget. Linda Baer then described the accomplishments already achieved based on legislatively funded initiatives. She said the system has increased its nursing graduates by 74 percent in the last five years, attributable to innovative programs and partnerships with the health care industry. Additionally, infrastructure upgrades for additional online learning opportunities have helped accommodate a 67 percent increase in online enrollment in the last three years.

Kevin Kopischke, president of Alexandria Technical College, reviewed how colleges within the system evaluate existing programs and proposals for new programs; and Rick Straka, chief financial officer at Minnesota State University, Mankato, discussed how reallocations are used at a campus level to enable instructional spending to increase during a period of declining or flat state support. Both President Kopishke and Rick Straka's testimony demonstrated to the committee how planning is done at the college and university level.

The committee will hear where the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system is headed with planning when discussions continue next week regarding the system’s $177 million budget request for the upcoming biennium. Also scheduled for next week is the system’s opportunity to testify in front of the House Higher Education and Workforce Development Policy and Finance Division about the budget request.

Senate makes finance bills a priority

While no official committee deadlines have been set, Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, DFL-Minneapolis, announced on the Senate floor this week that the Senate will strive to pass all finance bills prior to the Easter/Passover break. This could mean a flurry of committee hearings on bills. Stay tuned as we learn how the House responds.

New workforce-related Webspace - newsletter launched

Workforce3 One is a collaborative effort that merges national, state, and local efforts into one system committed to a demand-driven culture in the publicly funded workforce system. The Workforce3 One integrated webspace offers the public workforce system, employers, economic development professionals and education professionals a network to create and support a demand-driven community, one that responds directly to business needs and prepares workers for good jobs in the fastest growing careers.
Workforce3 One website: http://www.workforce3one.org/

Rochester Community and Technical College a part of Rochester Day at the Capitol

Hundreds of Rochester citizens traveled to St. Paul this week to take part in a day at the Capitol. Among the day’s events were rallies, visits with legislators, Capitol tours, and a reception in the evening at the National Guard Armory. Rochester Community and Technical College had a booth at the evening reception and the college swing band performed. This was an opportunity for lawmakers to learn more about the issues affecting Rochester and specifically Rochester Community and Technical College. Other colleges and universities take part in community building at the Capitol throughout the session. As we learn of more events, we will keep you updated.

Federal Update

The president is expected to release the Administration’s FY2007 budget proposal

Next week, President Bush will release a budget that proposes to reduce the deficit over the next five years and produce a balanced budget by 2012. The budget proposal will strive to achieve balance while addressing the nation's most critical needs, including supporting the global war on terror and sustaining the strength of our economy through permanent tax relief.

President's budget to increase Pell maximum to $4,600

President Bush is expected to announce that his 2008 budget will raise the Pell Grant maximum. Under the President's proposal, individual Pell Grants will increase by $550 next year, for a maximum of $4,600 and over the next five years by an additional $800, to a maximum of $5,400 for each student.

House passes bill to increases the maximum Pell Grant award

The House voted on Wednesday to increase the maximum Pell Grant award by $260 to $4,310 for fiscal year 2007- the first increase since 2002. The legislation passed by a vote of 286-140. The spending bill will take the FY2007 budget through the end of the fiscal year. The bill also increases funding for the National Institutes of Health by $619.5 million, the National Science Foundation by $335 million, the Department of Energy Office of Science by $200 million, and research programs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology by $50 million.

The Senate is expected to vote on the measure prior to the Feb. 15 expiration of the current continuing resolution.

Chancellor McCormick, Justin Klander and Justin McMartin named to negotiated rulemaking committees

The U.S. Department of Education has established negotiated rulemaking committees to develop proposed student financial assistance regulations pursuant to Sec. 492 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). Chancellor Jim H. McCormick has been appointed as a negotiator to the Department of Education's negotiated rulemaking committee for regulations relating to accreditation for the Title IV programs. Justin Klander, executive director of the Minnesota State College Student Association, was named to the federal negotiated rulemaking general provision team as a representative of students. Justin McMartin, chair of the Minnesota State University Student Association, will be serving as a student representative for the federal negotiated rulemaking process on Academic Competitiveness Grant/National SMART grant team. All will head to Washington DC to begin their work in February.

McCollum introduces higher education legislation to combat diploma mills and
fraudulent degrees

Washington, DC-Congresswoman Betty McCollum, D-Minn, introduced the Diploma Integrity Protection Act to protect students from so-called "diploma mills" that sell fraudulent degrees while requiring little or no academic work. Lax law enforcement and technological advances such as the Internet and e-mail have resulted in the proliferation of diploma fraud. The legislation puts standards and guidance in place to help increase law enforcement efforts to shut down operators of diploma mills, including:

· Defining what it means to be a degree-granting institution
· Requiring the Department of Education to maintain a list of degree-granting institutions for federal employment and student visa purposes
· Establishing a task force to review issues associated with diploma mills and possible solutions
· Granting additional authority to the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on diploma mills