SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 41
(Originating in the Committee on Education)
Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance create a
committee of members of the Legislature for the purpose of
making specific and detailed recommendations on the most
effective and efficient model to be used in creating a system
of freestanding public community and technical colleges in
West Virginia.
Whereas, The Legislature recognizes that it is in the best
interest of West Virginia to have an effective and comprehensive
delivery system for community and technical college education
because of its importance to the economic and cultural well-being
of state residents; and
Whereas, The Legislature found in SB 547 (1995) that a need
exists to strengthen the public community colleges so that they are
able to respond better to the economic needs of the state for a
highly trained, competent workforce, and, therefore, the governing
boards of higher education were directed to establish community and
technical education and to give these programs the administrative,
programmatic and budgetary control necessary to respond to district
and community needs, and the Legislature established its intent to increase base funding for higher education by three and one-quarter
percent each fiscal year for five years commencing with the fiscal
year beginning on the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred
ninety five, subject to institutional progress on goals outlined in
their strategic plans, and
Whereas, The Legislature by passage of SB 547 set out to
restructure and refocus community and technical college education
for the purpose of establishing programs that function well with
the public schools and four year colleges, that make maximum use of
resources, that encourage students to pursue a life-time of
learning, that serve as instruments of economic development, and
that have the independence and flexibility to respond quickly to
changing needs; and
Whereas, The Legislature finds that, although great progress
has been made on reaching some of the goals in other areas outlined
in SB 547, the purposes for which community and technical college
education was created have not been fulfilled and the goals of SB
547 in that regard have not been met, and
Whereas, it is the responsibility of the Legislature to make
the best use of available resources and to provide a blueprint that will meet goals established for community and technical college
education by the citizens of West Virginia; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the joint committee on government and finance is hereby
requested to create a committee consisting of representatives of
the Legislature for the purpose of making specific and detailed
recommendations on the most effective and efficient model to be
used in creating a system of freestanding public community and
technical colleges in West Virginia. and, be it
Further Resolved, That the committee shall commence its
activities on or before the fifteenth day of May, one thousand nine
hundred ninety-nine; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the committee shall consist of eight
members selected as follows: Three members from the Senate
Committee on Education, one to serve as cochair on behalf of the
Senate, and one member from the Senate Committee on Finance, all to
be appointed by the President of the Senate; and three members from
the House of Delegates Committee on Education, one to serve as
cochair on behalf of the House, and one member from the House of
Delegates Committee on Finance, all to be appointed by the Speaker
of the House; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the committee shall report its findings
with specific legislative recommendations to the joint committee on government and finance and the legislative oversight commission on
education accountability on or before the first day of January, two
thousandone
thousand nine hundred ninety-nine; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the joint committee on government and
finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 19992000, on
its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts
of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations;
and, be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this
study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be
paid from legislative appropriations to the joint committee on
government and finance; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby
directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the chancellors of
each governing board for distribution to each member thereof.