(1) The community and technical college innovation account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from operating fees in RCW 28B.15.031(2) must be deposited into the account. Expenditures from the account may be used only as provided in subsection (2) of this section. Only the director of the college board or the director’s designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.

(2) Funds in the community and technical college innovation account may be used solely to:

(a) Pay and secure the payment of the principal of and interest on financing contracts, such as certificates of participation issued for the innovation account under chapter 39.94 RCW and authorized by the legislature; and

(b) Implement the college board’s strategic technology plan to improve student achievement, student services, and increase systemwide administrative efficiencies. The college board must approve projects under the strategic technology plan to improve student achievement, student services, and increase systemwide administrative efficiencies before the director authorizes expenditures to be made. For large enterprise resource planning projects, the college board shall develop a technical and operational business plan and submit it to the legislature for approval before the project can be implemented.

(3) Consistent with the implementation of the strategic technology plan, the college board and the community and technical colleges shall engage in substantial business process reengineering and adopt systemwide approaches to admissions, financial aid, student identification numbers, student transcripts, and other systemwide processes.

(4) If the community and technical college system pursues an enterprise resource planning solution, they shall consider adoption of existing solutions already deployed at institutions of higher education in the state; short and long-term total costs of ownership; opportunities for partnerships, collaboration, coordination and consolidation with other entities in higher education; technical flexibility; and other requirements that support costs efficiencies. If the college board adopts a plan for an enterprise solution that is not coordinated with other institutions of higher education, authorization of expenditure of funds by the legislature must be approved by the office of financial management.

Finding—Intent—2011 c 274: “(1) The legislature finds that the community and technical college system mission to ensure affordable access to higher education geographically distributed throughout the state is aligned with innovative approaches to learning and substantial efficiencies that have been implemented since the legislature established the system in 1967. Systemic approaches include a common accounting system, a common administrative computing system, a single system budget request for operating and capital expenses, and common course numbering. Innovative approaches include the system’s e-learning platform, the adoption of open educational resources, and the adoption of lecture-capture tools that allow students to replay lectures, review classroom materials, and distribute outstanding instruction via the web anytime, anywhere.

(2) It is the intent of the legislature to further enhance the community and technical college system by making the maximum use of technologies to:

(a) Help dismantle the barriers of geographic isolation, cost, competing demands of work and family life, and past educational failure;

(b) Create a system for learning that is welcoming to all, easy to enter and use, and tailored to the needs of each learner; and

(c) Foster personal relationships and support all students and their families to learn and thrive.” [ 2011 c 274 § 1.]