Campus stakeholders are keeping their eyes on an important education bill currently being examined in the state legislature that could ensure whether universities will be able to handle their own “achievement compacts” with the state.
Senate Bill 1581,@@http://gov.oregonlive.com/bill/2012/SB1581/@@ now being reviewed by the Ways and Means Committee, outlines the authority of the newly established chief education officer as well as the achievement compacts that would be signed between institutions and the Oregon Education Investment Board.
The bill delineates what positions will be under the control of the CEO, which includes the Oregon University System Chancellor, the Commissioner for Community College Services, the Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction and two other state education leadership positions.
The bill also describes education achievement compacts that will be agreed upon between the OEIB and educational entities, including universities and their presidents.
The bill originally stated that compacts would only be signed between the Oregon State Board of Higher Education and the OEIB, but an amendment from Sen. Lee Beyer@@http://www.leg.state.or.us/beyer/@@ ensures that universities would be able to handle their own achievement compacts, thus giving each OUS institution more independence.
Campus stakeholders have various opinions about shared governance between the University and OUS, making this bill important for the debate. Students for Higher Education Excellence Now coordinator Sam Dotters-Katz believes the bill is a step in the right direction for the University.
“SHEEN strongly supported Sen. Beyer’s amendment, which is another example of the move toward autonomy and independence for the University of Oregon,” Dotters-Katz said. “This bill proves that with a local governing board, our University will still be committed to working with and toward the educational priorities and goals of this state.”
Other student groups feel that while this legislation is great for reforming education, its implications for independent governance are not in the best interest of University students.
“We are happy to see the governor create a strong statewide system of accountability in our educational system, but we think it is important for the University to maintain accountability within and to the OUS,” said Andrew Rodgers,@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Andrew+Rodgers@@ ASUO communications director and Student Power Coalition member.
According to Gov. John Kitzhaber’s policy aide on education, Tim Nesbitt,@@http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/07/gov_john_kitzhaber_taps_former.html@@ the achievement compacts would include goals for performance outcomes, measures of progress and completion rates for critical stages of learning.
“We really need to focus on setting goals and completing them,” Nesbitt said.
He said that the five steps to reform are to examine Oregon’s early childhood development, track progress throughout K-12 into college and learn how to break down obstacles for students, focus funding on important outcomes, advocate excellence through comparison of educational entities and, lastly, complete goals the state sets for itself.
As SB 1581 goes forward through further review in the state legislature, the invested parties on campus plan on paying close attention to its progress and outcome as it affects the University community.