THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	41
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the Western Association of Schools and Colleges to amend ITS Constitution to reflect a more equitable geographic representation among the twenty-six members of the Accrediting Commission for Schools.

     WHEREAS, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) is one of six regional accrediting associations in the United States; and

     WHEREAS, WASC provides assistance to schools located in California, Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Fiji, and East Asia; and

     WHEREAS, the affairs of WASC are administered by a board of directors composed of representatives from the following three commissions:

     (1)  Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities;

     (2)  Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges; and

     (3)  Accrediting Commission for Schools; and

     WHEREAS, the Accrediting Commission for Schools is composed of twenty-six members, selected by the Commission's Nomination Review Committee from candidates nominated by member organizations of the Commission; and

     WHEREAS, of the twenty-six members, thirteen represent California member organizations, three represent Hawaii member organizations, and the remainder represent other organizations; and

     WHEREAS, in addition, the California Department of Education and the Hawaii Department of Education each have an ex officio seat on the Commission; and

     WHEREAS, Hawaii's schools have graduated many distinguished alumni, including two presidents:  the current and forty-fourth President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama; and Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the first President of the Republic of China; and

     WHEREAS, Hawaii's schools offer educational and career opportunities equal to any in the nation; and

     WHEREAS, Hawaii schools, both public and private, are accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges; and

     WHEREAS, both the twenty-five member Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities and the nineteen-member Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges are less restrictive in the geographic requirements of their membership; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Western Association of Schools and Colleges is requested to amend its Constitution to reflect a more equitable geographic representation among the twenty-six members of the Accrediting Commission for Schools by increasing the representation from Hawaii and decreasing the representation from California so that the two states have equal numbers of members on the Accrediting Commission for Schools; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of the Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Executive Director of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the Executive Director of the Hawaii Government Employees Association, the Executive Director of the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, and the Superintendent of Education.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Western Association of Schools and Colleges; Commission Members