STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1136

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1320

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1320, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require the University of Hawaii System to collect, analyze, and publicly report certain data on graduate outcomes;

(2) Require and appropriate funds for the development and maintenance of a Graduate Outcomes Dashboard; and

(3) Appropriate funds for the establishment of positions within the Office of the Vice President of Academic Strategy of the University of Hawaii System.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaiʻi System.

Your Committee finds that greater transparency is needed regarding outcomes in higher education. Your Committee further finds that requiring the University of Hawaii to publicly report data on postgraduate outcomes will provide prospective students and their families the ability to make more informed decisions about the student's education and possible career path. Your Committee also finds that requiring the University of Hawaii to publicly report this data will allow the University to adjust and refine its programs to better serve the community and contribute to the State's economic development. This measure will ensure greater institutional accountability and align higher education programs with the State's workforce development needs.

Your Committee notes that the Office of the Vice President of Academic Strategy of the University of Hawaii has requested funding to establish new positions within the Office specializing in data visualization to assist in the development and maintenance of the Graduate Outcomes Dashboard. Your Committee further notes that the University of Hawaii System is an extensive organization that employs many skilled individuals across its various departments, including those proficient in data visualization. Therefore, your Committee believes that it is more cost-effective for the Office of the Vice President of Academic Strategy to leverage the expertise of individuals already employed by the University rather than establish new positions.

Your Committee additionally believes that the Office of the Vice President of Academic Strategy should explore implementing an internship program to employ students with expertise in data visualization to assist in the development and maintenance of the Graduate Outcomes Dashboard.

Your Committee further notes that the Graduate Outcomes Dashboard as proposed may provide students with inadequate or potentially duplicative information available through other resources that may obscure other potential career pathways students may want to consider.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of July 31, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1320, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1320, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,

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DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair