HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	548
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the Daniel K. Inouye college of pharmacy at the University of Hawaii at Hilo was established in 2006 and achieved full accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education in June of 2011 to offer continuing education for pharmacists and physicians.  The college of pharmacy also offers a doctoral program in pharmaceutical sciences and a residency program.

     The legislature further finds that the success of the college of pharmacy is vital not only to addressing Hawaii's shortage of medical professionals but also to the State's overall economic development.  Given these wide-reaching, statewide effects, the legislature finds and declares that the financial sustainability and success of the college of pharmacy is an issue of statewide concern and therefore under the legislature's purview pursuant to article X, section 6, of the Hawaii State Constitution.

     The legislature further finds that professional programs such as the college of pharmacy, while important to the State, should not be subsidized at the expense of undergraduate programs and the core purpose of the University of Hawaii to provide high-quality public higher education to the residents of this State.  Professional programs have significantly increased capacity to be self-sustaining through research contracts, extramural funds, and grants, without the need for additional state resources.

     The purpose of this Act is to require the University of Hawaii board of regents to perform a program evaluation every two years to consider whether the college of pharmacy should be continued.

     SECTION 2.  (a)  Commencing not later than July 1, 2017, the University of Hawaii board of regents shall perform a program evaluation every two years to consider whether the college of pharmacy should be continued.  The main criteria of the evaluation shall be a comparison of the funds received by the college of pharmacy with the costs of operating the college of pharmacy.  The evaluation shall also include a detailed accounting of existing revenue sources and a six-year projection of revenues, segregated by revenue source.  The University of Hawaii board of regents shall report its findings to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of the following year, beginning with the regular session of 2018.  If the University of Hawaii board of regents finds, as a result of its program evaluation, that the college of pharmacy is not fiscally sustainable, then it may initiate proceedings to terminate the college of pharmacy.

     (b)  Notwithstanding subsection (a), the education of students currently enrolled at the college of pharmacy shall not be disrupted.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

 

Report Title:

UH Hilo College of Pharmacy; Program Evaluation

 

Description:

Requires the University of Hawaii Board of Regents to perform a program evaluation every two years to consider whether the College of Pharmacy should be continued.  (HB548 HD1)

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.