HB 2504, the controversial 2009 law mandating Internet publication of course information, including syllabi and curriculum vitae of faculty, is presently being implemented at colleges and universities around the state. As reported here often, the law also requires schools to devise a plan to publish student evaluations of faculty online. For more information on the background of HB 2504, please visit this previous post.
Preliminary reports indicate that considerable expense has been required to comply with the law. Most accounts emphasize the added technical challenges and resources needed to collect detailed information from every instructor, in the proper format for online publication, and the extra maintenance and staffing needed for institutional Web sites. One school has experienced delays in hiring adjunct faculty because of the law's stipulations, according to a recent report.
When a bill is considered in the House or Senate, a "fiscal note" is required, which is the official estimate of the cost to taxpayers of implementing the bill. Significantly, the fiscal note for HB 2504 was pegged at zero cost to the state. At community colleges, one could argue that local funds are being used (it would still be an "unfunded mandate"), but such a distinction would not seem applicable to universities, which are state funded. Such an apparent contradiction would not be the first time a fiscal note was set at zero when events subsequently proved otherwise, but reports from around the state certainly beg a number of questions.
If you know of any information regarding the costs associated with implementation of HB 2504 on your campus, you are invited to share it. You may do so by responding to this post or by sending an e-mail to snelson@tccta.org. (Please place "HB 2504" in the subject line of any e-mails.) The information should be as precise and verifiable as possible. Your name and school will not be used in TCCTA communications, unless you give permission.
TCCTA is also interested in any plans on your campus to post student evaluations of faculty. Schools will likely approach this project in a variety of ways, and may wish to share ideas. If your institution has established a time frame for implementation, however tentative, please share this information as well.
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