Measure to require approval of public collegiate programs heads to governor’s desk

A measure meant to better align education in Indiana to the state’s workforce needs is headed to the governor’s desk. It received wide support from Senate lawmakers despite lingering concerns about its effect on colleges, universities and employers.

SB 448 requires the Commission for Higher Education to approve all degrees and programs offered by public colleges and universities every 10 years. It also says those schools must assess and consider their staffing needs when reviewing tenured professors.

Sen. Greg Taylor (D-Indianapolis) said he is concerned programs could be cut if they aren’t considered valuable to the state’s employment needs. Additionally, he expressed concern that requiring faculty tenure reviews to take specific staffing needs for approved degrees or programs into account could be detrimental to other areas of study.

“It can get really dangerous for us to start providing this type of, I don’t know, nose under the tent ideology,” he said.

But Sen. Greg Goode (R-Terre Haute), the bill’s author, said the measure is not intended to micromanage public colleges and universities. He said the goal is to ensure graduates can get good jobs and public higher education institutions are staffing according to their priorities — even if their priority is research.

He added that state colleges and universities receive state funding, so they should be good financial stewards when hiring and employing professors.

“What we’re saying is that we, the individuals who represent the taxpayers, expect that staffing needs is a top-of-mind priority when doing performance reviews,” he said.

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Lawmakers also debated a provision in the bill that requires most employers to send employees’ job titles, hourly compensation and job classification to state agencies.

Sen. Mike Young (R-Indianapolis) said the requirements are burdensome and the information is already collected by the Indiana Department of Revenue. He said employers should not be required to collect and submit the information as well.

Goode said DOR receives some information now, but the bill requires more specific information than is currently collected.

The measure also codifies an agreement that students who earn the state’s new honors plus enrollment seal with their high school diploma will be automatically admitted to Indiana’s public colleges and universities.

Kirsten is our education reporter. Contact her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @kirsten_adair.