HB1320 requires the University of Hawaii System to collect, analyze, and publicly report graduate outcomes data for its students. The bill directs the university to track outcomes at one-, three-, and five-year intervals after graduation, using sources such as state workforce records, graduate surveys, federal databases, and employer-reported data. The required metrics include employment rates, median earnings, and the share of graduates pursuing further education, with additional metrics allowed at the university’s discretion.
The bill also requires the university to create and maintain a public graduate outcomes dashboard. That dashboard must present data in a user-friendly format and include filtering and visualization tools by institution, degree level, field of study, and racial demographic, along with information useful to prospective students such as in-demand careers and average student debt. In addition, the bill requires the Office of the Vice President for Academic Strategy to submit annual reports to the Legislature beginning in 2027, including an evaluation of institutional performance and workforce alignment and any proposed legislation.
Impact
HB1320 would amend Chapter 304A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by adding new statutory requirements for the University of Hawaii to gather and publish graduate outcomes data and to report regularly to the Legislature. It also appropriates general funds for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to develop and maintain the dashboard and to establish staff positions focused on post-graduation workforce outcomes and data visualization. The bill imposes privacy safeguards by requiring anonymization of publicly reported data and compliance with state and federal privacy laws, including FERPA.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests broad support for the measure. The Senate Higher Education Committee passed the bill with amendments by a 4-0 vote, and the Senate Ways and Means Committee later passed it unamended by a 13-0 vote. The bill’s stated purpose—greater transparency, student decision-making, and workforce alignment—appears to have been well received in committee consideration.
Contention
No committee transcript is available, and the recorded votes show no opposition, so there is little direct evidence of controversy in the available record. The main policy issues implicit in the bill are the scope of data collection, the use of workforce and employer data, the inclusion of racial demographic breakdowns, and the need to protect student privacy while publishing detailed outcomes. The appropriations and staffing requirements may also have been a practical point of consideration, though no specific objections are documented here.