The higher education coordinating board shall have the following powers and duties in administering the program for those proposals in which a four-year institution of higher education is named as the lead institution and fiscal agent:

     (1) To adopt rules necessary to carry out the program;

     (2) To establish one or more review committees to assist in the evaluation of proposals for funding. The review committee shall include individuals with significant experience in higher education in areas relevant to one or more of the funding period priorities and shall include representatives from both the four-year and two-year sectors of higher education;

     (3) To award grants no later than September 1st in those years when funding is available by June 30th;

     (4) To establish each biennium specific guidelines for submitting grant proposals consistent with the overall goals of the program and consistent with the guidelines established by the state board for community and technical colleges under RCW 28B.120.025. During the 1999-01 biennium the guidelines shall be consistent with the following desired outcomes of:

     (a) Minority and diversity initiatives that encourage the participation of minorities in higher education, including students with disabilities;

     (b) K-12 teacher preparation models that encourage collaboration between higher education and K-12 to improve the preparedness of teachers, including provisions for higher education faculty involved with teacher preparation to spend time teaching in K-12 schools;

     (c) Collaborative instructional programs involving K-12, community and technical colleges, and four-year institutions of higher education to develop a three-year degree program, or reduce the time to degree;

     (d) Contracts with public or private institutions or businesses to provide services or the development of collaborative programs;

     (e) Articulation and transfer activities to smooth the transfer of students from K-12 to higher education, or from the community colleges and technical colleges to four-year institutions;

     (f) Projects that further the development of learner-centered, technology-assisted course delivery; and

     (g) Projects that further the development of competency-based measurements of student achievement to be used as the basis for awarding degrees and certificates.

     After June 30, 2001, and each biennium thereafter, the board shall determine funding priorities for collaborative proposals for the biennium in consultation with the governor, the legislature, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the state board for community and technical colleges, the workforce training and education coordinating board, higher education institutions, educational associations, and business and community groups consistent with statewide needs;

     (5) To solicit grant proposals and provide information to the institutions of higher education about the program; and

     (6) To establish reporting, evaluation, accountability, monitoring, and dissemination requirements for the recipients of the grants awarded by the higher education coordinating board.

[1999 c 169 § 3; 1996 c 41 § 2; 1991 c 98 § 3.]