Governor Signs Post-Secondary Education Executive Orders

Orders create a Postsecondary Quality Education Commission and direct the state to calculate the Essential Budget Level for community colleges.

Salem-News.com

(SALEM, Ore. ) - Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski has signed two executive orders, one creating a Postsecondary Quality Education Commission, which is charged with developing a new model for assessing the funding needs of community colleges and universities.

The second executive order directs the state to update the methodology for developing funding needs for community colleges.

“These executive orders will continue our focus on building a world class post-secondary education system,” said Governor Kulongoski. “We will now have a much better idea of what we need to invest to offer quality educational opportunities for all Oregonians.”

Executive Order 07-13 establishes the Postsecondary Quality Education Commission, to be chaired by President Ed Ray of Oregon State University and Mary Spilde, President of Lane Community College.

The commission is charged with developing a Postsecondary Quality Education Model, designed to create a complete picture of what is needed to offer a quality, affordable postsecondary education to Oregonians.

To read Executive Order 07-13, go to: governor.oregon.gov/Gov/pdf/eo0713.pdf
Executive Order 07-12 will establish a new process for calculating the Essential Budget Level for the community college support fund. The process will provide a more accurate picture of resources necessary to fully support community colleges in Oregon.

To read Executive Order 07-12, go to: governor.oregon.gov/Gov/pdf/eo0712.pdf
“We need to create the clearest picture possible when it comes to funding post-secondary education,” said Governor Kulongoski. “The commission, along with a new way of establishing budget levels, will give us the information we need to make smart investments in post-secondary education.”

The Postsecondary Quality Education Commission will have the new budgeting model developed in time to be used in the developing the Governor’s 2009-2011 Recommended Budget.

As a part of developing the new Essential Budget Level, the Department of Administrative Services will form and chair a “Community College Forecast Committee.”

The committee will include representative from the Governor’s office, Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development, the Legislative Fiscal Office, Legislative Revenue Office and stakeholders from community colleges, labor unions and the Legislature.