News release from Indiana State Senator Jim Banks (R-17th):
Sen. Banks: House Approves Higher Education Transparency Bill
(April 10, 2013) STATEHOUSE – A bill by State Sen. Jim Banks (R-Columbia City) to increase transparency in higher education passed the House of Representatives today by a vote of 74-18. Senate Bill 180 now returns to the Senate for final legislative review.
SB 180 requires each state educational institution to prepare and publish a report on its grading and employment practices. This would include employee salaries, faculty responsibilities and student grade point averages. A House amendment to the bill requires these reports to also include an analysis of each campus’s administrative expenditures.
The Commission for Higher Education would then compile this data into a public annual report to the General Assembly for review.
“Nationally, not enough is being done to hold our college and universities accountable,” Banks said. “This is why many students are seeing skyrocketing tuition costs, excessive red tape and questionable administrative practices. If we’re to provide our citizens with the best education possible, we must confront this issue and improve transparency in higher education as a whole.”
Rep. Mike Karickhoff (R-Kokomo) is the bill’s House sponsor.