Lawmakers voted Tuesday to delay receiving an audit of the state Higher Education Policy Commission and Council for Community and Technical College Education after officials said they were not given enough time to respond to its recommendations, which call for a complete restructuring of the two institutions.
The audit, conducted over the past year, alleges the commission and council do not uphold their legislative mandate to oversee the state's colleges and questions their process for approving budgets, academic programs and tuition increases. It asks the Legislature to consider restructuring the commission and council by limiting their authority and divesting certain functions back to the state's colleges.
The committee's vote lays over taking action on the report until its next meeting, which will not come until after the Legislature adjourns in March.
Legislative auditors delivered their findings to the Joint Standing Committee on Government Organization during interim meetings at the state Capitol on Tuesday. The report wasn't given to state higher education leaders until Friday, something that has been a point of contention between the commission, council and audit office.
While auditors claim they were forthright with their call to restructure the commission and council, higher education officials say they had no idea the recommendation was coming.
Both Paul Hill and Sarah Tucker, chancellors for the state Higher Education Policy Commission and Community and Technical College System, respectively, said the report was delivered to the Legislature in haste. They also contend its findings are flawed.
In a statement provided after Tuesday's meeting, Hill said the commission is disappointed higher education officials weren't given time to respond. He also alleges the audit is an unfair critique that lacks sufficient evidence for its claims and support for its recommendations.
"West Virginia's economic future hinges significantly on our ability to educate more of our citizens, and while we welcome a fair evaluation of our agency, we fear that such an incomplete and uninformed review could only serve to erode the far-reaching work we are doing to achieve that goal," Hill said.
Tucker also sent a statement, saying the review reflects auditor's misunderstanding of the state's higher education governance structure.
Some lawmakers also questioned the short amount of time auditors gave the two institutions to respond before appearing before the Legislature Tuesday.
Sen. Herb Snyder, D-Jefferson, asked if the audit office normally gives "damning reports" with such short notice. Legislative Auditor Aaron Allred admitted he would have liked to have delivered the audit's findings last week, but said the report needed to go to the Legislature before session's start Wednesday.
Snyder also raised concern over the audit's lack of data on budget cuts to the state's higher education system. He said auditors, who specifically raise issue with the commission and council approving all tuition increases the past four years, should have included in their report tables showing the amount higher education funding has been cut.
"Laying the blame on them is unfair when it lies with these two chambers," he said, adding that higher education officials have had no choice but to increase tuition after years of disinvestment from the state.
The Legislature has cut higher education funding each of the last four years, bringing state funding to a decade low, according to commission data.
In response to accusations that the cost of sustaining the commission and council exceeds any benefit the state receives, Tucker said the two institutions are worth funding because they bring in more money than what the Legislature appropriates each year. Over the past 7 years, the commission and council have secured $125 million in federal grants. State funding for the two institutions is about $3.5 million each year.
In addition to saying the commission and council do not oversee or provide accountability to the state's colleges, Allred asked if giving the two institutions $3.5 million a year is worth it. He noted the $3.5 million the two receive is 1 percent of the state's current budget deficit of $350 million, adding that the deficit means difficult decisions need to be made.
In addition to overseeing the state's colleges, the commission and council also administers financial aid programs and gives West Virginia students about $100 million in scholarships and grants each year. The two institutions also partner with several business around the state and have outreach programs that encourage students to attend and complete college.
The commission and council, over the years, also have consolidated many administrative positions by sharing staff.
Reach Samuel Speciale at sam.speciale@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-7939 or follow @samueljspeciale on Twitter.