During legislative debate on tuition increases this past session, the state’s public baccalaureate system took some pointed criticism from many corners about not being efficient or effective enough with state taxpayer dollars or student tuition dollars. At the time, we didn’t have enough concrete information from a national comparative perspective to prove otherwise and as part of the deal to permit institutions to raise tuition to 14% per year, a performance audit of the four year system is going to be conducted by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee.
So, I’m pleased to report that the Council of Presidents staff has pulled together some remarkable information that I have recently posted to the state relations website that paints a very favorable national picture of Washington four year insitutions. If you look under the “Resources” section to the right, you will see two new Investment Reports, one on degree productivity and one on system design that all of us in the the public baccalaureate system hope will begin to help restore legisalative confidence in the efficiency and effectiveness of all six four year institutions.