Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Date:03/19/2015
ATTENDANCE
Time:01:37 PM to 03:53 PM
Holbert
X
Johnston
X
Place:SCR 356
Kerr
X
Merrifield
X
This Meeting was called to order by
Neville T.
X
Senator Hill
Todd
X
Woods
X
This Report was prepared by
Marble
X
Rachel Kurtz-Phelan
Hill
X
X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call
Bills Addressed: Action Taken:
Conf 15-Colorado School For The Deaf And Blind Board Of Trustees
Conf 15-State Board For Community Colleges And Occupational Education
Conf 15-Metropolitan State University Of Denver Board Of Trustees
SB15-050		Refer to the Full Senate
Refer to the Full Senate
Refer to the Full Senate
Postponed Indefinitely


01:38 PM -- Confirmation of Colorado School For The Deaf And Blind Board Of Trustees

Senator Hill, Chair, welcomed the committee members and audience to the meeting. He asked Carol Hilty, Superintendent for the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind (CSDB), to come to the table to introduce the appointees and reappointee to the board. Ms. Hilty provided background information about the school and introduced Walter VonFeldt, Nancy Brown, Christopher Madison, and Michelle Butler. Copies of the Governor's appointment letters and their resumes and applications were distributed to the committee (Attachment A). Ms. Hilty talked about the employment center at CSDB, and the types of job skills taught to students. Ms. Hilty answered questions from the committee.

15SenateEducation0319AttachA.pdf15SenateEducation0319AttachA.pdf

01:49 PM

Ms. Butler introduced herself to the committee and talked about her professional background. She talked about her interest in serving on the board and answered questions from the committee. Ms. Brown introduced herself to the committee and spoke about her personal and professional background in education and historic preservation. She talked about her past work with the employability center at CSDB and told the committee that the school is on the national register for historic preservation. Mr. VonFeldt told the committee about his personal and educational background as a student at CSDB, and about his professional work as an engineer and as a teacher at CSDB. He told the committee why he would like to be appointed to the board. Mr. VonFeldt answered questions from the committee.






01:58 PM

Mr. Madison introduced himself and told the committee about his professional experience and about the past four years serving as a member of the board. Mr. Madison answered questions from the committee.
BILL:Conf 15-Colorado School For The Deaf And Blind Board Of Trustees
TIME: 02:01:31 PM
MOVED:Marble
MOTION:Refer the appointments of Walter VonFeldt, Nancy Brown, and Michelle Butler, and the reappointment of Christopher Madison to the Colorado School For The Deaf And Blind Board Of Trustees to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation and a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar. The motion passed on a vote of 9-0.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Holbert
Yes
Johnston
Yes
Kerr
Yes
Merrifield
Yes
Neville T.
Yes
Todd
Yes
Woods
Yes
Marble
Yes
Hill
Yes
YES: 9 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS


02:02 PM -- Confirmation of State Board For Community Colleges And Occupational Education

Senator Hill invited Nancy McCallin, President of the Colorado Community College System (CCCS), to come to the table to provide background information about CCCS. She discussed concurrent enrollment and introduced the appointee and reappointees to the board: Jim Johnson, Ken Weil, and Presley Askew. Copies of the Governor's appointment letter and their resumes and applications were distributed to the committee (Attachment B). Dr. McCallin talked about recent successes of CCCS and about scholarship programs and alumni awards programs. She talked about the strategic plan recently adopted by the board. Mr. Johnson introduced himself and told the committee about his professional background in the construction industry and in higher education. He talked about the impact that community colleges have and about some of the challenges they face in the areas of affordability, diversity, retention, and economic impact. Mr. Askew told the committee about his educational and professional background and about his volunteer experience. Mr. Askew answered questions from the committee.

15SenateEducation0319AttachB.pdf15SenateEducation0319AttachB.pdf







02:17 PM

Mr. Weil introduced himself to the committee and talked about his professional background in healthcare and education policy and about his previous experience as a member of the board. He talked about the progress of CCCS and answered questions from the committee.
BILL:Conf 15-State Board For Community Colleges And Occupational Education
TIME: 02:20:29 PM
MOVED:Marble
MOTION:Refer the appointment of Presley Askew and the reappointments of James Johnson and Kenneth Weil to the State Board For Community Colleges And Occupational Education to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation and a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar. The motion passed on a vote of 9-0.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Holbert
Yes
Johnston
Yes
Kerr
Yes
Merrifield
Yes
Neville T.
Yes
Todd
Yes
Woods
Yes
Marble
Yes
Hill
Yes
Final YES: 9 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS


02:21 PM -- Confirmation of Metropolitan State University Of Denver Board Of Trustees

Senator Hill asked Stephen Jordan, President of Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU-Denver), to come to the table. President Jordan told the committee about the developments and progress of the new aerospace program at MSU-Denver, and about several new capital development projects. He introduced the reappointees to the board, Terrance Carroll and Michelle Lucero. Copies of the Governor's appointment letter and the reappointees' resumes and applications were distributed to the committee (Attachment C). President Jordan talked about the services and programs MSU-Denver provides for veterans and stated that MSU-Denver was created to serve the people of Colorado. President Jordan answered questions from the committee.

15SenateEducation0319AttachC.pdf15SenateEducation0319AttachC.pdf










02:36 PM

Ms. Lucero introduced herself to the committee and spoke about her personal, educational, and professional background. She talked about the entrepreneurial nature and responsibilities of the board. She talked about the school's aerospace and hospitality programs, and answered questions from the committee.
BILL:Conf 15-Metropolitan State University Of Denver Board Of Trustees
TIME: 02:41:39 PM
MOVED:Marble
MOTION:Refer the reappointment of Michelle Lucero to the Metropolitan State University Of Denver Board Of Trustees to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation and a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar. The motion passed on a vote of 9-0.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Holbert
Yes
Johnston
Yes
Kerr
Yes
Merrifield
Yes
Neville T.
Yes
Todd
Yes
Woods
Yes
Marble
Yes
Hill
Yes
Final YES: 9 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

























02:42 PM

Mr. Carroll introduced himself to the committee and talked about his professional background in the healthcare industry and as a former state legislator. He talked about his past experience as a member of the MSU-Denver board. Mr. Carroll answered questions from the committee.
BILL:Conf 15-Metropolitan State University Of Denver Board Of Trustees
TIME: 02:52:11 PM
MOVED:Marble
MOTION:Refer the reappointment of Terrance Carroll to the Metropolitan State University Of Denver Board Of Trustees to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation and a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar. The motion passed on a vote of 9-0.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Holbert
Yes
Johnston
Yes
Kerr
Yes
Merrifield
Yes
Neville T.
Yes
Todd
Yes
Woods
Yes
Marble
Yes
Hill
Yes
Final YES: 9 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

























02:57 PM -- SB15-050

Senator Heath, sponsor, presented Senate Bill 15-050 which concerns awarding scholarships to Colorado's excellent scholars. He distributed a handout to the committee members (Attachment D) and said that the bill is designed to keep the best and brightest students in Colorado. He said the bill establishes a program to offer full-ride tuition scholarships to the top three graduates from every high school in the state. He explained that the scholarship must be used at a school in Colorado, and the students must take a full course load each year and maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average. He talked about the impact of the bill on rural high schools. Senator Heath talked about the bill's fiscal note, and stated that the investment of keeping these students in Colorado will make a difference.

15SenateEducation0319AttachD.pdf15SenateEducation0319AttachD.pdf

The following people testified on the bill:

03:07 PM -- Kevin MacLennan, Director of Admissions at the University of Colorado-Boulder, spoke in support of the bill. He said the bill will help keep the best and brightest students in Colorado. He talked about the competitive nature of college admissions and said that schools need to up their game with competitive scholarships for these students to encourage them to stay in state for college. He talked about other scholarship programs at CU-Boulder and about recruiters from out of state schools that recruit students from Colorado. He said the scholarship program established by the bill will reward Colorado's best students for their academic excellence.

03:15 PM -- Kaitlynn Boardman, representing herself as a high school student, spoke in support of the bill. She talked about issues of affordability and the benefits of an educated society. Ms. Boardman answered questions from the committee.

03:19 PM -- Mary Olivia Storz, representing herself as a high school student, spoke in support of the bill. She stated that the program will reward and encourage academic excellence among students. She talked about positive reinforcement and the need to invest in students and to encourage them to remain in the state to attend college.

03:22 PM -- Dale McCall, representing the Colorado Boards of Cooperative Education Services Association (Colorado BOCES), spoke in support of the bill. He discussed the importance of attempting to figure out ways to support Colorado students and keep them in Colorado higher education institutions. He said that students who attend college are more likely to contribute to the economy. He talked about the importance of keeping students who graduate from rural high schools in-state and said that the bill is an investment in the future of our state. Mr. McCall answered questions from the committee.


03:33 PM

There were no more witnesses and Senator Hill closed public testimony. Senator Heath read from the handout that he distributed previously (Attachment D). He distributed and explained amendment L.001 (Attachment E).

15SenateEducation0319AttachE.pdf15SenateEducation0319AttachE.pdf




BILL:SB15-050
TIME: 03:36:45 PM
MOVED:Todd
MOTION:Adopt amendment L.001 (Attachment E). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Holbert
Johnston
Kerr
Merrifield
Neville T.
Todd
Woods
Marble
Hill
YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection



































03:37 PM

Senator Heath provided closing comments to the bill. Committee discussion ensued.
BILL:SB15-050
TIME: 03:48:37 PM
MOVED:Todd
MOTION:Refer Senate Bill 15-050, as amended, to the Committee on Finance. The motion failed on a vote of 4-5.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Holbert
No
Johnston
Yes
Kerr
Yes
Merrifield
Yes
Neville T.
No
Todd
Yes
Woods
No
Marble
No
Hill
No
YES: 4 NO: 5 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: FAIL
BILL:SB15-050
TIME: 03:52:11 PM
MOVED:Marble
MOTION:Postpone Senate Bill 15-050 indefinitely. The motion passed on a vote of 5-4.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Holbert
Yes
Johnston
No
Kerr
No
Merrifield
No
Neville T.
Yes
Todd
No
Woods
Yes
Marble
Yes
Hill
Yes
Final YES: 5 NO: 4 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS


03:53 PM

The committee adjourned.