Message from HECC Executive Director Ben Cannon
In this newsletter we provide a recap of the short 2024 Legislative Session. The session concluded with several key investments and policy decisions that will fuel our continued efforts to foster equitable postsecondary education and workforce pathways. Now, we look ahead to the next budget cycle and the development of the 2025-27 agency request budget (ARB), a process in which we welcome and encourage input.
Since the HECC was first formed, we have had the responsibility to present a comprehensive budget recommendation to the Governor that takes into account all sectors of higher education, workforce, and financial aid. Especially when public funds are limited, we are committed to learning about our partners’ top priorities for Oregon postsecondary investments and policy.
The HECC’s Commission meets at least eight times per year in public session and regularly invites community leaders to talk with us about shared priorities. At its April meeting the Commission heard from one of its longest partners, the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF), about the incredible contributions OCF makes to expanding postsecondary opportunity and success. Belle Cantor, program officer for education at OCF, presented on the wide range OCF work—from advocacy to research to scholarships—including its three-decade long partnership with OSAC on privately funded grants and scholarships.
In a separate presentation, commissioners also had the chance to learn about Oregon public opinion, including its implications for higher education, thanks to a fascinating presentation from Adam Davis and Amaury Vogel of the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center. Among other findings, they report that 72 percent of Oregonians align more strongly with the statement that “a technical trade education is often a better pathway to success than a university education,” as opposed to 28 percent who align with the reverse. If you have thoughts about this or other issues that should inform the HECC’s new Strategic Plan, now under development, please consider providing public testimony at any upcoming Commission meeting and watch this space for updates on our progress.
Lastly, I'd like to leave you with two concrete actions for you to consider.
Please continue to encourage current and future students to complete the FAFSA or ORSAA, and to get help if they need it. The rate of applications is lagging nationwide because of the late roll-out of the simplified form, and we want to ensure that all Oregonians can access aid for which they qualify. Find more information and support on the HECC Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC) site here.
And finally, I hope you consider joining us for the Oregon Talent Summit on May 14-15. This is an extraordinary opportunity for education, workforce, and state partners to learn about the talent needs and opportunities in Oregon and how we can work together for equitable prosperity.
We are grateful as always for your collaboration and engagement.
2024 Legislative Session Outcomes: Bills Pass Supporting Numerous Workforce and Student Support-Related Initiatives
We are pleased to publish the 2024 Summary of Legislative Outcomes Related to Postsecondary Education and Training. The Legislative Assembly this short session made several strategic investments in education and workforce programs and initiatives including:
- Investments totaling $10M (SB 5701) supporting semiconductor-related programming at four Oregon public universities and two community colleges. Separately (though not yet funded) the Legislature established the Semiconductor Talent Sustaining Fund at HECC (HB 4154) for the purpose of funding education, training, and research opportunities to assist in growing Oregon's semiconductor industry. This bill established the fund mechanism for the future, as part of a broad effort to strategically grow the semiconductor workforce. A recent study by ECOnorthwest recommended strengthening education pathways and diversifying the workforce in order to address the talent needs of Oregon’s growing semiconductor industry and to benefit from recent state and federal CHIPS act incentives.
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Grants to Grow the Behavioral Health Workforce totaling $4M give Oregon public universities (SB 1592) funding to expand the behavioral health workforce in Oregon. This is part of a broad effort to increase resources available for mental health and substance abuse services.
Investments were also made in Direct Admissions work at the HECC (see below), a Forestry Workforce Study (SB 1552), and numerous other specific line-item appropriations to specific state or institutional programs (SB 5701).
Among policy changes made this session, highlights include:
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Direct Admission: Senate Bill 1552 requires HECC to establish a mandatory direct admissions system to all Oregon public higher education institutions. Under this system, academically qualified high school seniors will be directly informed of their admission to certain institutions, and the process will become simpler for the student than the usual college application process. ODE and HECC are required to coordinate to make student data available to support the system.
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Co-requisite Education: Through SB 1552, HECC and public institutions are directed to examine improving developmental education delivery through co-requisite education. Unlike traditional developmental education, where students take developmental math and writing courses before taking college level courses, corequisite systems place students in the college course and provide additional academic support to students at the same time. HECC will convene a workgroup to study and create recommendations on a potential transition to this model.
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Rules Pertaining to Oregon Opportunity Grant Award Process: Through SB 1552, HECC is required to develop rules specifying the way the student awards are determined for the Oregon Opportunity Grant, the state's largest need-based financial aid program, starting with awards issued for the 2025-2026 academic year.
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Funding for Applied Baccalaureate Programs: SB 1552 requires HECC to include in the Community College Support Fund distribution model payments for activity related to applied baccalaureate degrees and Nursing BS degrees, beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year.
In addition, HECC or higher education participants are directed to participate in new collaborative initiatives, including a Subcommittee on the Youth Behavioral Health Workforce (HB 4151) to be led by the Systems of Care Advisory Council, and the development of a Statewide Education Plans for Immigrant and Refugee Students (SB 1532) to be led by the Department of Education. Other policy changes were approved related to Campus Climate and the Sexual Misconduct Survey (HB 4164), Public Meeting Law related to the Transfer Council (SB 1552), Compensation for Athletes in NCAA-related competitions (HB 4119), and numerous other areas of work. See the full report below for details.
HECC Welcomes Input in the 2025-27 Higher Education and Workforce Budget Development Process
Because Oregon state government works on a biennial budget, the Oregon Legislature makes key decisions on higher education and workforce funding every other year. The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) is charged by statute with developing and recommending to Oregon’s Governor a comprehensive and integrated postsecondary education and training Agency Request Budget (ARB) for 2025-27. The ARB is just one step in a multi-phased state budget development process. You can learn more about the typical budget timeline here.
The primary categories in the HECC budget are:
The ARB is intended to be a resource to support the Governor in her development of a statewide budget that is balanced with projected revenue for the biennium. This month, the HECC and other executive agencies received direction from Governor Kotek's administration that the projected growth in state revenue is likely only enough to cover the standard inflationary increase in costs for current programs, so all agencies were given a maximum on the amount of new state funding they could request in their ARBs. For the HECC ARB, this is projected to be approximately 1 percent of the agency’s current budget, or $31 million. The limit does not apply to requests for bond-funded capital construction projects, federal funds expenditures, or fee-funded programs (other funds).
The 2025-27 ARB development is a months-long public process that culminates in the Commission’s consideration of the draft ARB for approval at its August 2024 meeting. Spring 2024 public meetings will include discussion of the comprehensive needs of the higher education system, taking into account the ARB guidelines on the state's revenue limitations. In May, the Commission's Funding and Achievement Subcommittee will also host invited testimony from partners about funding priorities in the higher education and workforce system. The Commission additionally welcomes public comment at its May and June public meetings.
Public Funding Process for Capital Construction Projects Focuses on Student Needs and Strategic Goals
Interested in how the state supports buildings and facilities on Oregon campuses? The State of Oregon supports the financing of many public college and university buildings, facilities, construction, demolition, renovation and maintenance through state-funded debt in the form of bonds. The HECC Office of Postsecondary Finance and Capital (PFC) coordinates the process for developing state budget recommendations for state-funded debt as part of the biennial budget development process.
Because funding is always limited, a prioritization process occurs each biennium based on established criteria. The HECC will consider a prioritized list for adoption in their ARB in August 2024, and ultimately, the capital projects will be submitted for the Governor's consideration in priority order. The Oregon Legislature will consider capital recommendations in the full legislative session in 2025.
For the public universities, all proposals for state-based debt must address educational space and program needs for the 21st century, extend the capacity of existing facilities to support student success, and align capital investments with workforce and economic development needs. The Commission has developed a rubric for prioritization that assigns scores for certain priorities for strategic capital development and for state needs, and these criteria are communicated in the Public University Capital Guide. The rubric is designed to prioritize projects that demonstrate certain state priorities related to equity and state goals; cost savings, leveraging of non-state resources, and other factors.
For the community colleges, a rubric based on state statutory requirements is applied to capital proposals, and the guidelines for prioritization are detailed in the Community College Capital Guide. In addition to aligning with the strategic and due diligence requirements and aligning with state equity goals, the community college capital proposals for state-funded debt must be matched from non-state sources.
Analysis of Oregon Opportunity Grant Shows the Aid Continues to Foster Affordability and Success
We are pleased to share the 2023 Annual Report of the Oregon Opportunity Grant (OOG) program. The OOG is Oregon’s largest state-funded, need-based financial aid program for college and university students. It provides grants to more than 30,000 students each year, prioritizing those with the greatest financial need.
In 2015, the Legislative Assembly passed House Bill (HB) 2407, which clarified how the OOG program should prioritize awarding the grant and required the HECC to submit an annual report evaluating the academic progress and success of student recipients. This year’s report focuses on the 2021-22 academic year when eligibility for the program expanded. Highlights of this year’s report include:
- Students who receive the OOG are more likely to come from communities that are underserved or marginalized in college/university, including students of color, older students, women, and students from rural counties.
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Students with the OOG succeeded at the same or higher levels as other students, across multiple measures of academic progress. Students with the OOG at community colleges had higher retention and earned more credits, and those at public universities and private institutions had nearly identical retention and numbers of credits, compared to students from higher-income backgrounds.
- Students with the OOG are much more likely than higher-income students to face affordability challenges, even after taking into account federal and state grant aid, institutional aid, their EFC, and an estimate of their earnings. The expansion of the OOG improved affordability, such that an estimated 12.5 percent more recipients had enough resources (not including loans) to afford the cost of attendance at their institutions.
Because the analysis focuses on 2021-22, this year's analysis does not reflect the impact of the increased investment the Legislature made in 2023, an investment first implemented in 2023-24, nor do they reflect changes that may result from the recent FAFSA simplification.
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Join Us for the Oregon Talent Summit on May 14-15
The Oregon Talent Summit agenda is live, and we're looking forward to welcoming participants on May 14-15, 2024 at the Salem Convention Center. Join fellow business, workforce, community-based organization, education, and economic development leaders for an extraordinary opportunity to consider the implications of critical workforce and education trends, challenges, and opportunities. Explore how these can shape and transform initiatives that advance economic competitiveness and provide equitable opportunities for prosperity to Oregon's diverse workforce.
Please register here to access the more detailed agenda and logistics, and to connect with other attendees.
During the Summit, we will unveil the 2024 Talent Assessment. Commissioned by the Workforce and Talent Development Board (WTDB) and HECC. The Talent Assessment assesses the current market for skills using quantitative and qualitative approaches that highlight business and industry’s input on in-demand occupations, skills, talent, gaps, and trends.
Registration and details are available here. If you wish to sign up for updates, you may email: oregontalentsummit@confluencec.com.
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Grant Applications To Open Soon for Future Ready Oregon Grants to Advance Workforce Training and Education in Key Industry Sectors
Stay tuned for an announcement soon on the Higher Education Coordinating Commission's Requests for Applications (RFAs) for the third and final round of Future Ready Oregon Workforce Ready Grants. The HECC will award a combined total of approximately $40 million to recruit and retain a diverse workforce in key sectors of Oregon’s economy—healthcare, manufacturing, and technology—through three sector-focused RFAs. Workforce Ready Grants are the largest component of the Future Ready Oregon investment passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2022. Future Ready Oregon prioritizes participation by individuals who have been historically underserved by or are underrepresented in education and employment. The RFAs and free resources for application support will be available in English and Spanish on the HECC’s Grant and Contract Opportunities web page this spring.
New Website Spotlights:
We are proud to have recently launched a redesigned website at www.oregon.gov/highered that is more accessible, mobile responsive, and user-friendly. Please take time to explore the new site and learn about our work and initiatives underway. In each of our upcoming issues of this newsletter, we will feature some sections of the new site that may be especially useful for you.
Public Meetings and Engagement
Interested in staying engaged in public decisions? Between the Higher Education Coordinating Commission and its advisory and affiliated boards supported by HECC staff, we are currently responsible for hosting public meetings for more than ten public bodies. To ensure our public processes are accessible and welcoming, we now have a dedicated portion of our website focused on public meetings and engagement. We invite and encourage our partners to engage in public policy and funding processes. Explore the new section below, and sign up for public meeting notices and updates here.
Private Postsecondary Licensing and Authorization
Curious about the HECC's role with private institutions? Through the Office of Degree Authorization and the Private Career School licensing unit, the HECC is the state regulator that approves private degree-granting institutions, private career schools, and distance education providers to operate in this state. Without HECC approval or explicit exemption from regulation, a school cannot legally operate in our state, or offer valid degrees or certificates or college credit to Oregonians. We also support student and consumer protection, provide educational leadership and technical assistance to schools and colleges, and convene private institutions and partners in Oregon.
Approval of New Mission Statement for Western Oregon University
At its April Commission meeting, the HECC unanimously approved the revised mission statement recently adopted by the governing board of Western Oregon University (WOU). WOU President Jesse Peters and WOU Board Chair (and former State Representative) Betty Komp presented the revised Mission Statement, Vision Statement, and Core Values to the Commission and described this development in the context of WOU's 2024-2030 Strategic Planning process.
WOU Mission Statement
Western Oregon University provides a personalized learning community where individuals experience a deep sense of belonging and empowerment.
WOU Vision Statement
Our vision is for Western Oregon University to be a model of intentional inclusion and accessibility. We strive to empower students to meaningfully impact our local community and beyond. Grounded in the principles of a public liberal arts education, we will enhance career and social mobility through a focus on critical thinking and communication skills that are essential for successfully navigating the complexities of life.
WOU has also adopted Core Values that highlight the institution's commitment to centering students, embracing diversity, fostering accessibility, and valuing community.
The HECC is charged by statute ORS 350.075(h) to approve mission statements adopted by the governing boards of Oregon's public universities.
Academic Program Approvals and Proposals
At its April Commission meeting, the HECC approved the following new academic programs, program location changes and/or proposals at the community colleges and public universities. Find details on the following programs in April 11 meeting materials here.
Community College New Approved Programs
- Clackamas Community College Healthcare Careers Certificate of Completion (CC)
- Klamath Community College Surgical Technology Associate of Applied Science (AAS)
- Portland Community College Dental Assisting Certificate of Completion 1 year (CC1); Dental Hygiene AAS; Eye Technician CC1; Maritime Welding Certificate of Completion 2 year (CC2); Python Application Programming CC
- Umpqua Community College Automotive AAS
- Southwestern Oregon Community College Paramedicine AAS
University New Approved Programs
- Oregon State University - Master of Engineering in Engineering Management; Master of Fine Arts in Writing
- Portland State University - B.A., B.S. in Elementary Education; B.A., B.S. in Social Justice and the Arts
Notice of Proposed Program
The review and approval of the Bachelor of Science: Nursing (BSN) is a three-step submission process. The Commission received notification of the following proposed program, which is the first step in this process.
- Proposed Bachelor of Science: Nursing - Lane Community College
University Program Approved for Change of Location
- Oregon State University - B.S. – Mechanical Engineering Extended to New Location
Oregon Approved to Expand Student Eligibility for Federally Funded TRIO Support Programs
The HECC and the Oregon TRIO Association are pleased to share the Performance Partnership Pilot (P3) waiver, an agreement made between HECC and the U.S. Department of Education, in collaboration with the Oregon TRIO Association. The P3 waiver ensures that potential first-generation college students, regardless of immigration status, can now access the college preparation and support services offered by TRIO Programs.
With this agreement, Oregon students aged 14-24 with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or undocumented status, will be able to receive numerous supports focused on reducing barriers and fostering success in the higher education system. Together with local K-12 educational institutions, colleges and universities, this agreement allows HECC and the Oregon TRIO Association to strengthen their commitment to educational equity and access for students throughout the state. The agreement also streamlines processes for participating schools. For more information, contact Juan.Baez-Arevalo@hecc.oregon.gov.
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