Hearings on a variety of higher education bills and work sessions on higher education before Senate and House fiscal committees headline a busy third week of session for the UW.
Today, both the Senate and House Higher Education committees will hold public hearings on legislation covering such topics as tuition waivers for the children and spouses of fallen or injured veterans and a new scholarship program to help foster care children attend college.
On Tuesday, President Mark Emmert will be in Olympia all day for a regular meeting of the Council of Presidents, including a meeting with Governor Gregoire. The President will also hold several one-on-one meetings with legislative leaders and meet with The Olympian’s editorial board. Tuesday is also Washington BioScience Day in Olympia, an event coordinated by the Washington Biotechnology and Biomedical Association.
On Wednesday the House Higher Education Committee will hold a work session on financial aid programs and hear a presentation on the recently enacted “Husky Promise.” That evening, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education will hold a work session on higher education which will include an overview of Washington Learns as well as a presentation by the UW on outreach and retention programs.
On Thursday, the Senate Higher Education Committee will hold a confirmation hearing for recently appointed UW Regent Kristianne Blake. The House Higher Education Committee will hold a work session on governance which will include a presentation by the UW on our Board of Regents. The Senate Ways and Means Committee will hold a work session in the afternoon on higher education which will feature panel presentations by student leaders and faculty representatives as well as a panel of higher education presidents including the UW’s Mark Emmert, Karen Morse from Western Washington University and Les Purce from The Evergreen State College.