(1) An institution of higher education shall not grant any waivers for the purpose of achieving gender equity until the 1991-92 academic year, and may grant waivers for the purpose of achieving gender equity in intercollegiate athletic programs as authorized in RCW 28B.15.740, for the 1991-92 academic year only if the institution's governing board has adopted a plan for complying with the provisions of RCW 28B.15.455 and submitted the plan to the *higher education coordinating board.

     (2)(a) Beginning in the 1992-93 academic year, an institution of higher education shall not grant any waiver for the purpose of achieving gender equity in intercollegiate athletic programs as authorized in RCW 28B.15.740 unless the institution's plan has been approved by the *higher education coordinating board.

     (b) Beginning in the 1999-2000 academic year, an institution that did not provide, by June 30, 1998, athletic opportunities for an historically underrepresented gender class at a rate that meets or exceeds the current rate at which that class participates in high school athletics in Washington state shall have a new institutional plan approved by the *higher education coordinating board before granting further waivers.

     (c) Beginning in the 2003-04 academic year, an institution of higher education that was not within five percent of the ratio of undergraduates described in RCW 28B.15.470 by June 30, 2002, shall have a new plan for achieving gender equity in intercollegiate athletic programs approved by the *higher education coordinating board before granting further waivers.

     (3) The plan shall include, but not be limited to:

     (a) For any institution with an historically underrepresented gender class described in subsection (2)(b) of this section, provisions that ensure that by July 1, 2000, the institution shall provide athletic opportunities for the underrepresented gender class at a rate that meets or exceeds the current rate at which that class participates in high school interscholastic athletics in Washington state not to exceed the point at which the underrepresented gender class is no longer underrepresented;

     (b) For any institution with an underrepresented gender class described in subsection (2)(c) of this section, provisions that ensure that by July 1, 2004, the institution will have reached substantial proportionality in its athletic program;

     (c) Activities to be undertaken by the institution to increase participation rates of any underrepresented gender class in interscholastic and intercollegiate athletics. These activities may include, but are not limited to: Sponsoring equity conferences, coaches clinics and sports clinics; and taking a leadership role in working with athletic conferences to reduce barriers to participation by those gender classes in interscholastic and intercollegiate athletics;

     (d) An identification of barriers to achieving and maintaining equitable intercollegiate athletic opportunities for men and women; and

     (e) Measures to achieve institutional compliance with the provisions of RCW 28B.15.455.

[1997 c 5 § 2; 1989 c 340 § 4.]

NOTES:

     *Reviser's note: The higher education coordinating board was abolished by 2011 1st sp.s. c 11 § 301, effective July 1, 2012.

     Effective date -- 1997 c 5: See note following RCW 28B.15.455.