Bill would put statewide standards in place for dual-credit agriculture and natural resources programs

Senate Bill 784 was the subject of a public hearing March 10 before the Senate Education Committee. The measure directs the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) to develop statewide standards for dual-credit programs in agriculture, forestry and other natural resource programs.

Representative Bobby Levy said the bill would “ensure that high school students across Oregon, especially in rural communities, have greater access to quality education and career pathways” in agriculture and natural resources. He noted student demand at public universities and argued consistent standards would expand equitable access across regions.

Kyle Thomas, Director of Legislative and Policy Affairs for HECC, told the committee that HECC already maintains an advisory body that has developed a set of dual-credit standards intended as a template for any subject area. “The standards guide how curriculum is developed, what faculty qualifications are, how students are assessed in programs that are dual credit programs, but that is a template that is intended to be used across any subject matter,” Thomas said. He told the committee that HECC’s primary observation about barriers to greater access is funding and the availability of qualified instructors in rural areas rather than lack of standards.

Amanda Sullivan Astor, forest policy manager for Associated Oregon Loggers, urged support and said the bill helps ensure that rural students “earn college credits in high school, making the leap to higher education less daunting and more affordable.” Witnesses noted a pending amendment to expand natural resource language to explicitly include forestry and similar pathways.

Committee members asked how the bill differs from existing HECC work; Thomas said the standards exist but uneven access stems from instructors and funding. No committee vote was recorded at the close of the hearing.