Legislature OKs Whisnant bill to ID higher ed ‘cost drivers’

The Oregon House on Monday approved Senate amendments to a bill that supporters say may help make higher education more affordable for Oregonians. The bill is part of a years’ long effort by Rep. Gene Whisnant (R-Sunriver) to identify and address cost drivers within Oregon’s higher education system.

“Throughout my legislative career, one of my highest priorities has been to control the cost of higher education, which will increase access for Oregonians,” said Whisnant. “I am hopeful that HB 3288 will help lawmakers achieve this by identifying and addressing major contributors to the rising cost of tuition.”

Numerous studies have shown that the size of administrative bodies at colleges and universities has increased dramatically during the past three decades.

The U.S. Department of Education has determined that the number of administrators at American universities increased by 60% between 1993 and 2009-10 times the growth rate of tenured faculty. Other studies have shown that, during the same period, spending on administrative services increased twice as fast as spending on instruction and research.

With the Senate’s amendments, HB 3288 requires Oregon’s public universities to submit information concerning cost drivers like administrative growth to the Higher Education Coordinating Council each year.

“Tuition costs have become a serious financial burden, and often a barrier, for too many students in our higher education system,” Whisnant said. “Well-meaning people from all backgrounds can debate the reasons why these costs continue to rise, but one thing we can all agree on is that we need to learn as much as possible about how taxpayer dollars are being spent on college campuses.”

Now that the Senate’s amendments have received approval from the House, HB 3288 will move to the governor’s desk for final consideration and signing.