THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

131

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE RESOLUTION

 

Recognizing the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education on the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary.

 

 

WHEREAS, this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE); and

WHEREAS, WICHE is celebrating its accomplishments over the last half century with special activities planned in each of the fifteen WICHE states; and

WHEREAS, WICHE was established to provide access for individuals seeking affordable education in fields where individual states do not have sufficient numbers of potential students to warrant the establishment and maintenance of these programs; and

WHEREAS, Hawai`i's membership in WICHE enables it to reduce costs, serve students, and enhance our higher education system for specialized professional fields, graduate and undergraduate exchange programs, educational telecommunications, policy arid information, and other collaborations; and

WHEREAS, thousands of citizens of the State of Hawai`i have benefited from the programs offered by WICHE and are now contributing members of our community; and

WHEREAS, educators, businesspersons, and government leaders in our community have served appointments as commissioners of WICHE; and

WHEREAS, prominent members of our community, such as stateswoman Patricia Saiki and educator Dr. Richard Kosaki, served as chairs of WICHE, having been elected by their fellow colleagues in the WICHE states; and

WHEREAS, the current commissioners from Hawai`i are engineer and businessperson Mr. Clyde Kodani, bank executive Mr. Raymond Ono, and educator Dr. Doris Ching; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii receives a number of direct benefits from its membership in WICHE. In 2001-2002, Hawaii students and their families saved over $9,000,000 in tuition by participating in the Western Undergraduate Exchange, just one of WICHE's three Student Exchange Programs; and

WHEREAS, these programs help outbound students and their families save money through reduced tuition arrangements. In addition, Hawaii institutions are able to increase enrollment in programs with extra capacity by enrolling students from other WICHE states; and

WHEREAS, through WICHE's professional student exchange, Hawaii sent eighty students to out-of-state programs in 2003 in six different fields (dentistry, veterinary medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy, optometry, and pharmacy); and

WHEREAS, historically, nearly seventy per cent of outbound professional student exchange program students have returned to Hawaii to pursue their professional careers; and

WHEREAS, a primary goal of WICHE's exchange programs is to support the creation of a strong and responsive workforce in Hawaii and the rest of the West. Between 1998 and 2008, Hawaii expects an influx of nearly seventy thousand new jobs; and

WHEREAS, the State will see a drop in some of its traditionally strong occupations and a boost in a number of others, thanks to changes in demographics and to new economic and social realities. Higher education will play a major role in Hawaii's ability to meet the needs of its population and fill these new jobs, especially in professional fields that require extensive training; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii has been an active participant in a project to develop strategies for change in higher education, namely, WICHE's Western policy exchange, funded in part by the Ford Foundation, which supports roundtables and forums on a wide range of higher education topics. Teams of policymakers and educational leaders from Hawaii participate each year in regional policy forums and meetings hosted by WICHE; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii is also one of nine states to receive assistance for its advanced placement programs via the Western Consortium for Accelerated Learning Opportunities, a partnership administered by the Colorado Department of Education and WICHE. An $800,000 federal grant will help the consortium provide a number of direct services to Hawaii, including enhancing the professional development of teachers and counselors, providing online options, and working to better serve students; and

WHEREAS, WICHE's legislative advisory committee works to strengthen state policymaking in higher education, engaging legislators in the discussion of higher education issues and seeking their input on strategies for interstate collaboration. Hawaii's legislative advisory committee members are Senator Brian Taniguchi and Representative Roy Takumi; and

WHEREAS, the occasion of WICHE's fiftieth anniversary is an opportunity to honor WICHE's past and look to the future; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, that this body recognizes and congratulates the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education on the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body commends and thanks the Commission for its invaluable services in providing access and excellence in higher education to citizens of its fifteen members' states; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Executive Director of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education