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State News Release
OLYMPIA -- As part of its continuing work to develop a new Strategic Master Plan for Higher Education, the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board will focus on efforts to improve the participation and performance of minority students in Washington's higher education system when it meets April 26 at Tacoma Community College. The meeting is open to the public.
Recent data indicate that despite institutional efforts to increase participation by minorities at the state's colleges and universities, significant gaps remain. Substantial growth in the statess overall minority population is expected to continue over the next decade. However, statistics indicate the percentage of minority students going directly to college declined steadily between 1998 and 2003 and remains relatively flat.
Following its regular meeting, scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon, the board will hold a joint meeting with its Advisory Council to review and discuss the key challenges to be addressed by the strategic master plan. Leaders of state organizations experts will discuss how best to address the issue of diversity in the new 10-year plan, which must be completed by December 16, 2007 prior to its submission to the 2008 legislature.
Advisory Council members include the Superintendent of Public Instruction and representatives from the State Board of Education, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, the Workforce Training and Education Board, the two state research universities, the comprehensive universities, faculty, proprietary schools, independent colleges.
Renewed by the HECB every four years, strategic master plan is expected to outline the vision, mission, goals and strategies for higher education in Washington, incorporating the main elements of the governor's Washington Learns report and continuing the momentum established by past strategic plans.
Over the next seven months, the HECB will hold stakeholder meetings and public forums to gather feedback on the plan. The 2008 interim master plan is due to the governor and Legislature on Dec. 15.
The board also will review a revised proposal for minimum freshman admission standards. In 2005, the HECB conducted public forums throughout the state to elicit stakeholder and public opinion about how to revise admissions standards. The board was scheduled to consider a proposal recommending new admissions standards for approval at its September meeting that year.
However, rather than adopt the new standards at that meeting, the board was asked to wait until after the Washington Learns task force had completed its work in fall 2006.
Finally, the 10-member citizen board will be briefed on higher education and budget bills passed during the 2007 legislative session.
Briefing materials for the meeting are available at: http://www.hecb.wa.gov/boardmtgs/index.asp
Who: Higher Education Coordinating Board
What: Regular April meeting
Where: Tacoma Community College, Senate Room, Opgaard Bldg. (#11), 6501 S. 19th, Tacoma
When: Thursday, April 26, 2007, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
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