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Introduced Version House Bill 3121 History

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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted
H. B. 3121


(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss, and Delegate Trump)
[By Request of the Executive]
[Introduced March 21, 2005; referred to the
Committee on Education then Finance.]



A BILL to repeal §18B-1-7 and §18B-1-9 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to repeal §18B-2-1, §18B-2-2 and §18B-2-3 of said code; to repeal §18B-3-1, §18B-3-2, §18B-3-3, §18B-3-5 and §18B-3-7 of said code; to repeal §18B-5-2d of said code; to repeal §18B-14-11 of said code; to amend and reenact §5G-1-2 of said code; to amend and reenact §5-6-4A of said code; to amend and reenact §12-3-5, §12-3-6, §12-3-7 and §12-3-8 of said code; to amend and reenact §18B-1-3 and §18B-1-6 of said code; to amend and reenact §18B-1A-2 and §18B-1A-6 of said code; to amend and reenact §18B-1B-4, §18B-1B-5 and §18B-1B-6 of said code; to amend said article by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-1B-13; to amend and reenact §18B-2A-3 and §18B-2A-4 of said code; to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-2B-9; to amend said code by adding thereto four new sections, designated §18B-3-1, §18B-3-2, §18B-3-3 and §18B-3-4; to amend and reenact §18B-4-5, §18B-4-5a, §18B-4-6 and §18B-4-7 of said code; to amend and reenact §18B-5-3, §18B-5-4, §18B-5-7 and §18B-5-9 of said code; to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-5-10; to amend and reenact §18B-10-1, §18B-10-5 and §18B-10-6 of said code; to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-10-6a; to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-11-7; and to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-14-12, all relating to higher education; providing flexibility measures for certain state institutions of higher education; transferring powers, authorities responsibilities and duties between certain entities; definitions; excepting certain institutions from certain requirements for selecting engineering and architectural services; excepting certain institutions from certain required reports to Joint Committee and Government and Finance regarding real property contracts and agreements; requiring transfer of real property under certain circumstances from Higher Education Policy Commission to certain institutions; clarifying real property retention rights of Policy Commission for certain jointly used real property; modifying format and documentation requirements for acceptance of certain documents by State Auditor; expanding permissible uses for purchase card; transferring to State Auditor certain duties regarding purchase cards; transferring to State Auditor authority to approve certain purchase card payments designated to exceed the purchase amount limits, and to set the amount by which such payments may exceed the limits; exempting certain institutions from certain document submission requirements for travel expense reimbursement; clarifying requirements for promulgation of higher education rules; requiring certain institutions to promulgate certain rules; establishing certain requirements for rule adoption, validation, enforcement and reporting; limiting certain authorities when rules not adopted; transferring to certain institutions authority for compact and master plan development, review and approval; limiting Policy Commission jurisdiction, power, responsibility and authority regarding certain institutions; modifying Policy Commission duties; expanding Policy Commission discretion in setting Chancellor salary; specifying limitation of certain entities on exercising certain authorities and fulfilling certain responsibilities; modifying responsibility for assigning institutions' geographic areas of responsibility; limiting circumstances when certain institutions are required to collaborate in providing certain graduate-level programs; transferring to certain institutions authority for capital project need identification, prioritization and selection; modifying criteria considered for capital project selection; extending to certain institutions authority to approve compensation package for president; preserving the jurisdiction and authority of certain higher education entities to manage technology; clarifying authority of Policy Commission to assess certain fees; specifying when discharging certain duties requires consultation among various higher education entities; transferring to certain institutions authority to approve tuition and fee increases, review and approve academic programs, develop capitol budgets and set standards for conferring degrees; exempting certain institutions from Attorney General and Policy Commission approval requirements for executing certain documents, instruments and purchases; requiring study and report of recommendations relating to higher education personnel issues; establishing scope of personnel study and charges for implementation; modifying requirements and authorities regarding delegation of powers by certain higher education entities; expanding and modifying the powers and duties of research, doctoral-granting public universities and their governing boards; providing legislative findings, purpose and intent for such expansion and modification; for certain institutions expanding authority and establishing parameters and procedures for donating certain surplus computers and related items; limiting application to certain institutions of certain surplus item disposal requirements; defining the relationship between the Policy Commission and certain governing boards, and between the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education and certain governing boards; establishing and defining the duties of certain governing boards to address state priorities and the goals for post-secondary education established by the Legislature, and defining the state priorities, and requiring annual report of progress; expanding jurisdiction of certain campus police officers in certain situations; expanding jurisdiction of certain parking and vehicle operating violations for certain institutions; specifying certain acceptable qualifications for employment as campus police officer at certain institutions; expanding responsibility of certain institutions to investigate certain crimes; expanding authority of certain institutions to expend the excess of certain parking fees collected; increasing fines and expanding penalty options for certain parking and vehicle operating violations at certain institutions; exempting certain institutions from requirements to participate in certain cooperative purchasing and operating arrangements; specifying responsibility of certain institutions for ensuring fiscal integrity of operations; establishing requirements for implementing best business and management practices for certain institutions, including certain required reports; requiring study of insurance and risk management programs and subsequent report; specifying scope and parameters of insurance and risk study; expanding discretion of certain institutions to offer undergraduate and graduate level fee waivers, eliminating certain waiver award restrictions and requiring rule governing waivers; requiring certain institutions to establish a nonprofit Regional Brownfield Assistance Center; defining Assistance Center service regions; establishing Assistance Center powers and duties; creating Governor's Commission on Graduate Study in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, establishing membership, assigning charge to Commission, providing legislative findings and requiring report to Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability; deleting, repealing and updating certain obsolete provisions; and making technical corrections.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §18B-1-7 and §18B-1-9
of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be repealed; that sections §18B-2-1, §18B-2-2 and §18B-2-3 of said code be repealed; that §18B-3-1, §18B-3-2, §18B-3-3, §18B-3-5 and §18B-3-7 of said code be repealed; that §18B-5-2d of said code be repealed; that §18B-14-11 of said code be repealed; that §5-6-4A of said code be amended and reenacted; that §5G-1-2 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §12-3-5, §12-3-6, §12-3-7 and §12-3-8 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §18B-1-3 and §18B-1-6 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §18B-1A-2 and §18B-1A-6 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §18B-1B-4, §18B-1B-5 and §18B-1B-6 of said code be amended and reenacted; that said article be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-1B-13; that §18B-2A-3 and §18B-2A-4 of said code be amended and reenacted; that said code be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-2B-9; that said code be amended by adding thereto four new sections, designated §18B-3-1, §18B-3-2, §18B-3-3 and §18B-3-4; that §18B-4-5, §18B-4-5a, §18B-4-6 and §18B-4-7 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §18B-5-3, §18B-5-4, §18B-5-7 and §18B-5-9 of said code be amended and reenacted; that said code be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-5-10; that §18B-10-1, §18B-10-5 and §18B-10-6 of said code be amended and reenacted; that said code be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-10-6a; that said code be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §18-11-7; and that said code be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-14-12, all to read as follows:
CHAPTER 5. GENERAL POWERS AND AUTHORITY OF THE GOVERNOR, SECRETARY OF STATE AND ATTORNEY GENERAL; BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS; MISCELLANEOUS AGENCIES, COMMISSIONS, OFFICES, PROGRAMS, ETC.

ARTICLE 6. STATE BUILDINGS.
§5-6-4A. Review of real property contracts and agreements; master plan for office space.

(a) The Secretary of Administration shall provide to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance a copy of a contract or agreement for real property exceeding one million dollars and a report setting forth a detailed summary of the terms of the contract or agreement, including the name of the owner of the property and the agent involved in the sale, at least thirty days prior to any sale, exchange, transfer, purchase, lease purchase, lease or rental of real property, any refundings of lease purchases, leases or rental agreements, any construction of new buildings and any other acquisition or lease of buildings, office space or grounds by any state agency, including the Higher Education Policy Commission, but excepting the transactions of the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University, and the Division of Highways for state road purposes pursuant to article two-a, chapter seventeen of this code: Provided, That a contract or agreement for the lease purchase, lease or rental of real property by any state agency, where the costs of real property acquisition and improvements are to be financed, in whole or in part, with bond proceeds, may contain a preliminary schedule of rents and leases for purposes of review by the committee.
(b) For renewals of contracts or agreements required to be reported by the provisions of this section, the Secretary of Administration shall provide a report setting forth a detailed summary of the terms of the contract or agreement, including the name of the owner of the property.
(c) Within thirty days after receipt of the contract, agreement or report, the committee shall meet and review the contract, agreement or report.
(d) On or before the first day of July, two thousand six, the Secretary of Administration shall conduct an inventory of available office space and office space needs and shall develop and present a master plan for the utilization of office space for state agencies to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.
CHAPTER 5G. PROCUREMENT OF ARCHITECT-ENGINEER SERVICES BY STATE
AND ITS SUBDIVIDIONS.

ARTICLE 1. PROCUREMENT OF ARCHITECT-ENGINEER SERVICES.
§5G-1-2. Definitions.
As used in this section:
(a) The term "agency" means all state departments, agencies, authorities, quasi-public corporations and all political subdivisions, including cities, counties, boards of education and public service districts, except, for the purposes of this section, the term "agency" does not include the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University.
(b) The term "architectural and engineering services" includes those professional services of an architectural or engineering nature as well as incidental services that members of those professions and those in their employ may logically or justifiably perform.
(c) The term "director of purchasing" means any individual assigned by any agency to procure the services of architects and engineers.
(d) The term "firm" or "professional firm" means any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, association or other legal entity permitted by law to practice the professions of architecture and engineering.
CHAPTER 12. PUBLIC MONEYS AND SECURITIES.

ARTICLE 3. APPROPRIATIONS, EXPENDITURES AND DEDUCTIONS
§12-3-5. When requisition to auditor sufficient authority for issuing warrant.
(a) When an appropriation has been made by law, subject to the order or payable on the requisition of a particular officer, board, or person, the order or written or electronic requisition in writing of such officer, board, or person shall be is sufficient authority to the Auditor to issue his a warrant for the same or any party thereof.
(b) The Auditor:
(1) Shall accept an electronic requisition from Marshall University and West Virginia University;
(2) May accept an electronic requisition from any entity other than Marshall University or West Virginia University at his or her discretion; and
(3) May not issue a warrant for an amount that exceeds the appropriation or for an expired appropriation.
Provided, that the appropriation has not expired and the amount thereof shall not be exceeded.
§12-3-6. Requisitions on behalf of state boards and institutions.
Appropriations
(a) An appropriation made to or for any state board or institution shall be drawn from the Treasury upon the requisition of the proper officers an appropriate officer thereof made upon to the Auditor at such times and in such amounts as may be is necessary for the purposes for which such appropriations are the appropriation is made. and The auditor shall pay the amount named in any such the requisition at such times and in such installments as shall be are necessary for the purposes for which any such the appropriation is made.
But all requisitions for appropriations
(b) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, a requisition for appropriation for new buildings and substantial betterments except such as are under control of the state commissioner of public institutions shall be accompanied by the architect's estimate that the amount named in such the requisition is needed for immediate use.
(c) The provisions of subsection (b) of this section do not apply to a requisition from:
(1) An institution from which the Auditor is required to accept an electronic requisition. Such an institution is not required to submit the documentation required in said subsection (b), but shall maintain the documentation for inspection at the Auditor's request; and
(2) The Commissioner of Corrections.

(d) The Auditor shall not may issue his a warrant to pay any money out of the State Treasury unless the same only if the money is needed for the present use.
§12-3-7. Payment of compensation and expenses of members of state boards and commissions; embezzlement.

The members of all state boards and commissions, unless a different rate of compensation is provided by law, shall be allowed
(a) Unless otherwise provided by law, a member of any state board or commission:
(1) Receives
four dollars per day for each day necessarily employed as such, including the time spent in going traveling to and returning from the place of meeting location; and
(2) Receives the actual and necessary expenses incurred by them in the discharge of their his or her duties; and
(3) Does not receive mileage reimbursement. except where it is otherwise specifically provided no mileage shall be paid. But before payment to any such member of any such compensation or expenses, he shall make up
(b) Prior to receiving compensation or expense reimbursement:
(1) The member prepares
in duplicate and certify to the correctness of an itemized statement specifying of the number of days spent (giving dates) and of the expenses incurred;
(2) The member certifies the accuracy of the itemized statement;
(3) which statement shall be delivered The member delivers the original to the secretary or clerk of the institution on behalf of which the duties are performed, the original whereof the secretary or clerk shall file or preserve in his office, and board or commission for preservation in its office; and
(4) The secretary or clerk immediately forwards the duplicate of which he shall at once forward to the Auditor.
(c) The provisions of subsection (b) of this section do not apply to Marshall University or West Virginia University.
(d) If any such member shall willfully make makes a greater charge of such services or expenses than truth justified, he shall be or she is guilty of embezzlement and punished accordingly.
§12-3-8. Requisition on behalf of institutions to be accompanied by statement showing funds on hand.
No requisition shall be A requisition made upon the auditor for any money appropriated for the a penitentiary; state correctional facility; the West Virginia schools school for the deaf and blind; state mental health facilities; state hospitals; corrections facilities; or for Marshall University; West Virginia University; any other public institution for education, charity or correction; or institutions governed by the university of West Virginia board of trustees by the board of directors of the state college system, unless such requisition Higher Education Policy Commission or the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education shall be accompanied by the statement in writing of the treasurer or other a written or electronic statement of a financial officer of such the institution, showing the amount of money in his or her hands to the credit of such the institution, or otherwise in its control, on the day such the requisition is forwarded for payment.
CHAPTER 18B. HIGHER EDUCATION.

ARTICLE 1. GOVERNANCE.
§18B-1-3. Transfer of powers, duties, property, obligations, etc.
(a) All powers, duties and authorities transferred to the Board of Regents pursuant to former provisions of chapter eighteen of this code and transferred to the Board of Trustees and Board of Directors which were created as the governing boards pursuant to the former provisions of this chapter and all powers, duties and authorities of the Board of Trustees and Board of Directors, to the extent they are in effect on the seventeenth day of June, two thousand, are hereby transferred to the Interim Governing Board created in article one-c of this chapter and shall be exercised and performed by the Interim Governing Board until the first day of July, two thousand one, as such powers, duties and authorities may apply to the institutions under its jurisdiction.
(b) Title to all property previously transferred to or vested in the Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors and property vested in either of the Boards separately, formerly existing under the provisions of this chapter, are hereby transferred to the Interim Governing Board created in article one-c of this chapter until the first day of July, two thousand one. Property transferred to or vested in the Board of Trustees and Board of Directors shall include:
(1) All property vested in the Board of Governors of West Virginia University and transferred to and vested in the West Virginia Board of Regents;
(2) All property acquired in the name of the State Board of Control or the West Virginia Board of Education and used by or for the state colleges and universities and transferred to and vested in the West Virginia Board of Regents;
(3) All property acquired in the name of the State Commission on Higher Education and transferred to and vested in the West Virginia Board of Regents; and
(4) All property acquired in the name of the Board of Regents and transferred to and vested in the respective Board of Trustees and Board of Directors.
(c) Each valid agreement and obligation previously transferred to or vested in the Board of Trustees and Board of Directors formerly existing under the provisions of this chapter is hereby transferred to the Interim Governing Board until the first day of July, two thousand one, as those agreements and obligations may apply to the institutions under its jurisdiction. Valid agreements and obligations transferred to the Board of Trustees and Board of Directors shall include:
(1) Each valid agreement and obligation of the board of governors of West Virginia University transferred to and deemed the agreement and obligation of the West Virginia Board of Regents;
(2) Each valid agreement and obligation of the State Board of Education with respect to the state colleges and universities transferred to and deemed the agreement and obligation of the West Virginia Board of Regents;
(3) Each valid agreement and obligation of the State Commission on Higher Education transferred to and deemed the agreement and obligation of the West Virginia Board of Regents; and
(4) Each valid agreement and obligation of the Board of Regents transferred to and deemed the agreement and obligation of the respective Board of Trustees and Board of Directors.
(d) All orders, resolutions and rules adopted or promulgated by the respective Board of Trustees and Board of Directors and in effect immediately prior to the first day of July, two thousand, are hereby transferred to the Interim Governing Board until the first day of July, two thousand one, and shall continue in effect and shall be deemed the orders, resolutions and rules of the Interim Governing Board until rescinded, revised, altered or amended by the Commission or the governing boards in the manner and to the extent authorized and permitted by law. Such orders, resolutions and rules shall include:
(1) Those adopted or promulgated by the Board of Governors of West Virginia University and in effect immediately prior to the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred sixty-nine, unless and until rescinded, revised, altered or amended by the Board of Regents in the manner and to the extent authorized and permitted by law;
(2) Those respecting state colleges and universities adopted or promulgated by the West Virginia Board of Education and in effect immediately prior to the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred sixty-nine, unless and until rescinded, revised, altered or amended by the Board of Regents in the manner and to the extent authorized and permitted by law;
(3) Those adopted or promulgated by the State Commission on Higher Education and in effect immediately prior to the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred sixty-nine, unless and until rescinded, revised, altered or amended by the Board of Regents in the manner and to the extent authorized and permitted by law; and (4) Those adopted or promulgated by the Board of Regents prior to the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred eighty-nine, unless and until rescinded, revised, altered or amended by the respective Board of Trustees or Board of Directors in the manner and to the extent authorized and permitted by law.
(e) Title to all real property transferred to or vested in the Interim Governing Board pursuant to this section of the code is hereby transferred to the Commission effective the first day of July, two thousand one. The board of governors for each institution may request that the Commission transfer title to the board of governors of any real property specifically identifiable with that institution or the Commission may initiate the transfer. Any such request must be made within two years of the effective date of this section and be accompanied by an adequate legal description of the property. In the case of real property that is specifically identifiable with Marshall University or West Virginia University, the Commission shall transfer title to all real property, except real property that is used jointly by institutions or for statewide programs under the jurisdiction of the Commission or the Council, to the Board of Governors of Marshall University or West Virginia University, as appropriate, upon receipt of a request from the appropriate governing board accompanied by an adequate legal description of the property.
The title to any real property that is jointly utilized by institutions or for statewide programs under the jurisdiction of the Commission or the Council shall be retained by the Commission.
(f) Ownership of or title to any other property, materials, equipment or supplies obtained or purchased by the Interim Governing Board or the previous governing boards on behalf of an institution is hereby transferred to the board of governors of that institution effective the first day of July, two thousand one.
(g) Each valid agreement and obligation previously transferred or vested in the Interim Governing Board and which was undertaken or agreed to on behalf of an institution or institutions is hereby transferred to the board of governors of the institution or institutions for whose benefit the agreement was entered into or the obligation undertaken effective the first day of July, two thousand one.
(1) The obligations contained in revenue bonds issued by the previous governing boards under the provisions of section eight, article ten of this chapter and article twelve-b, chapter eighteen of this code are hereby transferred to the Commission and each institution shall transfer to the Commission those funds the Commission determines are necessary to pay that institution's share of bonded indebtedness.
(2) The obligations contained in revenue bonds issued on behalf of a state institution of higher education pursuant to any other section of this code is hereby transferred to the board of governors of the institution on whose behalf the bonds were issued.
(h) All orders, resolutions, policies and rules:
(1) Adopted or promulgated by the respective Board of Trustees, Board of Directors or Interim Governing Board and in effect immediately prior to the first day of July, two thousand one, are hereby transferred to the Commission effective the first day of July, two thousand one, and continue in effect until rescinded, revised, altered, amended or transferred to the governing boards by the Commission as provided in this section and in section six of this article.
(2) Adopted or promulgated by the Commission relating solely to community and technical colleges or community and technical college education, or rules which the Council finds necessary for the exercise of its lawful powers and duties pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, may be adopted by the Council and continue in effect until rescinded, revised, altered, amended or transferred to the governing boards under the jurisdiction of the Council pursuant to section six of this article. Nothing in this section requires the initial rules of the Commission that are adopted by the Council to be promulgated again under the procedure set forth in article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code unless such rules are rescinded, revised, altered or amended.
(3) Adopted or promulgated by the Commission relating to multiple types of public institutions of higher education or community and technical college education as well as baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate education are transferred to the Council in part as follows:
(A) That portion of the rule relating solely to community and technical colleges or community and technical college education is transferred to the Council and continues in effect until rescinded, revised, altered, amended or transferred to the governing boards by the Council as provided in this section and in section six of this article;
(B) That portion of the rule relating to institutions or education other than community and technical colleges is retained by the Commission and continues in effect until rescinded, revised, altered, amended or transferred to the governing boards by the Commission as provided in this section and in section six of this article.
(i) The Commission may, in its sole discretion, transfer any rule, other than a legislative rule, to the jurisdiction of the governing boards of the institutions under its jurisdiction who may rescind, revise, alter or amend any rule so transferred pursuant to rules adopted by the Commission pursuant to section six of this article.
The Council may, in its sole discretion, transfer any rule, other than a legislative rule, to the jurisdiction of the governing boards of the institutions under its jurisdiction who may rescind, revise, alter or amend any rule so transferred pursuant to rules adopted by the Council pursuant to section six of this article.
(j) As to any title, agreement, obligation, order, resolution, rule or any other matter about which there is some uncertainty, misunderstanding or question, the matter shall be summarized in writing and sent to the Commission which shall make a determination regarding such matter within thirty days of receipt thereof.
(k) Rules or provisions of law which refer to other provisions of law which were repealed, rendered inoperative or superseded by the provisions of this section shall remain in full force and effect to such extent as may still be applicable to higher education and may be so interpreted. Such references include, but are not limited to, references to sections and prior enactments of article twenty-six, chapter eighteen of this code and code provisions relating to retirement, health insurance, grievance procedures, purchasing, student loans and savings plans. Any determination which needs to be made regarding applicability of any provision of law shall first be made by the Commission.
§18B-1-6. Rule making.
(a) The Commission is hereby empowered to promulgate, adopt, amend or repeal rules, in accordance with the provisions of article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, subject to the provisions of section three of this article.
(b) The Council is hereby empowered to promulgate, adopt, amend or repeal rules, in accordance with the provisions of article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code and subject to the provisions of section three of this article. This grant of rule-making power extends only to those areas over which the Council has been granted specific authority and jurisdiction by law.
(c) As it relates to the authority granted to governing boards of state institutions of higher education to promulgate, adopt, amend or repeal any rule under the provisions of this code:
(1) "Rule" means any regulation, guideline, directive, standard, statement of policy, or interpretation of general application which has institution-wide effect or which affects the rights, privileges or interests of employees, students or citizens. Any regulation, guideline, directive, standard, statement of policy, or interpretation of general application that meets this definition is a rule for the purposes of this section.
(2) Regulations, guidelines, or policies established for individual units, divisions, departments or schools of the institution, which deal solely with the internal management or responsibilities of a single unit, division, department or school or with academic curricular policies that do not constitute a mission change for the institution, are excluded from this subsection, except for the requirements relating to posting.
(c) (3) The Commission and Council each shall promulgate a rule to guide the development and approval of rules guidelines and other policy statements made by their respective governing boards, including the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University. The rules promulgated by the Commission and Council shall include, but are not limited to, the following provisions which shall be included in the rule on rules adopted by each governing board of a state institution of higher education:
(1) A procedure to ensure that public notice is given and that the right of interested parties to have a fair and adequate opportunity to respond is protected, including providing for a thirty-day public comment period prior to final adoption of a rule;
(2) Designation of a single location where all proposed and approved rules, guidelines and other policy statements are posted and can be accessed by the public; and
(3) A procedure to maximize internet access to all proposed and approved rules, guidelines and other policy statements to the extent technically and financially feasible.
(d) On and after the effective date of this section, and notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, any rule heretofore required by law to be promulgated as a legislative rule prior to the first day of July, two thousand one, may not be considered to be a legislative rule for the purposes of article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code except for the following:
(1) The legislative rule required by subsection (c), section eight of this article;
(2) The legislative rule required by section eight-a of this article;
(3) The legislative rule required by section two, article one-a of this chapter;
(4) The legislative rule required by section four, article one-b of this chapter;
(5) The legislative rule required by section one, article three, chapter eighteen-c of this code;
(6) The legislative rule required by section one, article four, chapter eighteen-c of this code;
(7) The legislative rule required by section seven, article five, chapter eighteen-c of this code; and
(8) The legislative rule required by section one, article six, chapter eighteen-c of this code.
(e) (d) Nothing in this section requires that any rule reclassified or transferred under this section be promulgated again under the procedures set out in article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code unless the rule is amended or modified.
(f) (e) The Commission and Council each shall file with the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability any rule it proposes to promulgate, adopt, amend or repeal under the authority of this article.
(f) The governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, respectively, shall promulgate and adopt any rule which they are required to adopt by this chapter or chapter eighteen-c of this code no later than the first day of July, two thousand six. On and after this date:
(1) Any rule of either governing board which meets the definition set out in subsection (c) of this section and which has not been promulgated and adopted by formal vote of the appropriate governing board is void and may not be enforced;
(2) Any authority granted by this code which inherently requires the governing board to promulgate and adopt a rule is void until the governing board complies with the provisions of this section.
(3) Within thirty days of the adoption of a rule, including repeal or amendment of an existing rule, the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, respectively, shall furnish to the Commission or the Council, as appropriate, a copy of each rule which has been formally adopted;
(g) Not later than the first day of October, two thousand five, and annually thereafter, each governing board of a state institution of higher education shall file with the Commission or the Council, as appropriate, a list of all institutional rules that were in effect for that institution on the first day of July of that year, including the most recent date on which each rule was considered and adopted, amended or repealed by the governing board. For all rules adopted, amended or repealed after the effective date of this section, the list shall include a statement by the chair of the governing board certifying that the governing board has complied with the provisions of this section when each listed rule was adopted.
ARTICLE 1A. COMPACT WITH HIGHER EDUCATION FOR THE FUTURE OF WEST VIRGINIA.

§18B-1A-2. Institutional compacts with state institutions of higher education; establishment and review process.

(a) Each state college and university shall prepare an institutional compact for submission to the Commission. Each community and technical college shall prepare an institutional compact for submission to the Council. When the process herein provided is completed, the institutional compacts shall form the agreements between the institutions of higher education and the Commission or Council, respectively and, ultimately, between the institutions of higher education and the people of West Virginia on how the institutions will use their resources to address the intent of the Legislature and the goals set forth in section one-a, article one of this chapter. The compacts shall contain the following:
(1) A step-by-step process to accomplish the intent of the Legislature and the goals set forth in section one-a, article one of this chapter as organized by the Commission and Council. The step-by-step process shall be delineated by objectives and shall set forth a time line for achieving the objectives which shall, where applicable, include benchmarks to measure institutional progress as defined in subsection (e) of this section.
(2) A determination of the mission of the institution which specifically addresses changes, as applicable, in the areas of research, graduate education, baccalaureate education, revised admission requirements, community and technical colleges and such other areas as the Commission or Council determines appropriate. In the determination of mission, the institutions and the Commission or Council shall consider the report completed by the national center for higher education management systems pursuant to the legislative study as provided in section seven, article three of this chapter;
(A) Because of the history as and continuing linkage to Bluefield State College, it is the intent of the Legislature for the mission of the newly accredited community and technical college designated "New River Community and Technical College" to continue to serve as a historically black college and continue educating the black citizens of West Virginia with community and technical college programming.
(B) Because of the history as and continuing linkage to West Virginia State University, formerly named West Virginia State College, it is the intent of the Legislature for the mission of the newly accredited community and technical college designated "West Virginia State Community and Technical College" to continue to serve as a historically black college and continue educating the black citizens of West Virginia with community and technical college programming.

(3) A plan which is calculated to make any changes in institutional mission and structure within a six-year period;
(4) A statement of the geographic areas of responsibility, where applicable, for each goal to be accomplished as provided in subsection (d) of this section;
(5) A detailed statement of how the compact is aligned with and will be implemented in conjunction with the master plan of the institution;
(6) Such other items, requirements or initiatives, required by the Commission or Council, designed to accomplish the intent of the Legislature and the goals set forth in section one-a, article one of this chapter or other public policy goals established by the Commission or Council.
(b) Each institutional compact shall be updated annually and shall follow the same general guidelines contained in subsection (a) of this section.
(c) Development and updating of the institutional compacts is subject to the following:
(1) The ultimate responsibility for developing and updating the institutional compacts at the institutional level resides with the institutional board of advisors or the board of governors, as appropriate;
(2) Except as set forth in subdivision (4) of this subsection, the ultimate responsibility for developing and adopting the final version of the state college and university institutional compacts resides with the Commission and the ultimate responsibility for developing and adopting the final version of the community and technical college institutional compacts resides with the Council;
(3) Each institution shall submit its compact to the Commission or Council annually by the fifteenth day of November;
(4) The Commission and Council shall review each compact of the institutions under their respective jurisdictions and either adopt the compact or return it with specific comments for change or improvement with the following exceptions:
(A) The appropriate governing board shall develop and approve the compact for the state institution of higher education known as Marshall University and submit the approved document to the Commission; and
(B) The appropriate governing board shall develop and approve the compact for the state institution of higher education known as West Virginia University and submit the approved document to the Commission.

(5) For the remaining institutions, the Commission and Council, as appropriate, shall continue this process as long as each considers advisable;
(5) (6) Except as set forth in subdivision (4) of this subsection, by the first day of May annually, if the institutional compact of any institution as presented by that institution is not adopted by the Commission or Council, then the Commission or Council is empowered and directed to develop and adopt the institutional compact for the institution and the institution is bound by the compact so adopted; and
(6) (7) As far as practicable, the Commission and Council each shall establish uniform processes and forms for the development and submission of the institutional compacts by the institutions under their respective jurisdictions. As a part of this function, the Commission and Council shall organize the statements of legislative intent and goals contained in section one-a, article one of this chapter in a manner that facilitates the purposes of this subdivision and the purposes of this section.
(d) Assignment of geographic areas of responsibility.
(1) The Commission and Council shall assign geographic areas of responsibility to the state institutions of higher education under their respective jurisdictions its jurisdiction, except for the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University. For institutions other than the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University, the geographic areas of responsibility are made as a part of their institutional compacts to ensure that all areas of the state are provided necessary programs and services to achieve the public policy agenda.
(2) The Council shall assign geographic areas of responsibility to the state institutions of higher education under its jurisdiction, including the administratively-linked institution known as Marshall Community and Technical College, the administratively-linked institution known as the Community and Technical College at West Virginia University Institute of Technology, and the regional campus known as West Virginia University at Parkersburg.
(3) The geographic areas of responsibility for the state institutions known as Marshall University and West Virginia University are assigned by the Legislature.
(4) The benchmarks established in the institutional compacts shall include measures of programs and services by geographic area throughout the assigned geographic area of responsibility.
(e) The compacts shall contain benchmarks used to determine progress toward meeting the goals established in the compacts. The benchmarks shall meet the following criteria:
(1) They shall be as objective as possible;
(2) They shall be directly linked to the goals in the compacts;
(3) They shall be measured by the indicators described in subsection (f) of this section; and
(4) Where applicable, they shall be used to measure progress in geographic areas of responsibility.
(f) The Commission and Council each shall establish by legislative rule indicators which measure the degree to which the goals and objectives set forth in section one-a, article one of this chapter are being addressed and met by the institutions under their respective jurisdictions. The benchmarks established in subsection (e) of this section shall be measured by the indicators.
(1) The Legislature finds that an emergency exists; therefore, not later than the first day of October, two thousand four, the Council shall file as an emergency rule a legislative rule pertaining to benchmarks and indicators in accordance with the provisions of article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code. The rule rules pertaining to benchmarks and indicators in effect for the Commission and the Council at the time of on the effective date of this section remains remain in effect for the institutions under its jurisdiction their respective jurisdictions.
(2) The legislative rules shall set forth at the least the following as pertains to all state institutions of higher education:
(A) The indicators used to measure the degree to which the goals and objectives are being met;
(B) Uniform definitions for the various data elements to be used in establishing the indicators;
(C) Guidelines for the collection and reporting of data; and
(D) Sufficient detail within the benchmarks and indicators to:
(i) Provide measurable evidence that the pursuits of the institution are targeting the educational needs of the citizens of the state and the components of the compacts and master plans;
(ii) Delineate the goals and benchmarks for an institution so that the Commission or Council can precisely measure the degree to which progress is being made toward achieving the goals for post-secondary education provided in section one-a, article one of this chapter; and
(iii) Distinctly identify specific goals within the master plan or compact of an institution that are not being met or toward which sufficient progress is not being made.
(3) In addition to any other requirement, the legislative rule established by the Council shall set forth at the least the following as pertains to community and technical college education:
(A) Benchmarks and indicators which are targeted to identify:
(i) The degree to which progress is being made by institutions toward meeting the goals for post-secondary education and the essential conditions provided in section three, article three-c of this chapter;
(ii) Information and data necessary to be considered by the Council in making the determination required by section three, article two-c of this chapter;
(iii) The degree to which progress is being made in the areas considered by the Council for the purpose of making the determination required by section three, article two-c of this chapter; and
(B) Sufficient detail within the benchmarks and indicators to provide clear evidence to support an objective determination by the Council that an institution's progress toward achieving the goals for post-secondary education and the essential conditions is so deficient that implementation of the provisions of section four, article two-c of this chapter is warranted and necessary.
(g) The Commission or the Council, as appropriate, shall approve the master plans developed by the boards of governors and the institutional boards of advisors pursuant to section four, article two-a of this chapter or section one, article six of this chapter, as appropriate.
§18B-1A-6. Graduate education.
(a) Intent. -- It is the intent of the Legislature to address the need for high quality graduate education programs to be available throughout the state.
(b) Findings. -- The Legislature makes the following findings:
(1) Since West Virginia ranks below its competitor states in graduate degree production, particularly in the areas that are important to the state's competitive position in the new economy of the twenty-first century, there is a considerable need for greater access to graduate education, especially at the master's degree level;
(2) There is a significant disparity in access to part-time graduate degree programs among the different regions of the state and part-time graduate enrollments are heavily concentrated in the counties immediately surrounding Marshall University and West Virginia University;
(3) There is a particular need for increased access to graduate programs linked directly to the revitalization of the regional economies of the state; and
(4) There is a particular need for improved quality and accessibility of preservice and in-service programs for teachers in subject matter fields.
(c) In order to meet the need for graduate education, the Commission shall be responsible for accomplishing the following:
(1) Ensuring that West Virginia University and Marshall University expand access to master's degree programs throughout West Virginia. with. These institutions shall place a strong emphasis on collaboration with the baccalaureate colleges and community and technical colleges in each region when funds are available;
(2) Ensuring that any institution providing a master's degree program under the provisions of this section provides a meaningful, coherent program by offering courses in such a way that students, including place-bound adults, have ample opportunity to complete a degree in a reasonable period of time;
(3) Focusing on providing courses that enhance the professional skills of teachers in their subject areas; and
(4) Ensuring that programs are offered in the most cost-effective manner to expand access throughout the region and the state.
(d) Concord College University, Fairmont State College University, Glenville State College, Shepherd College University, West Liberty State College and West Virginia State College University shall meet the need for graduate education in their regions by following the procedures outlined below.
(1) The institutions shall develop as graduate centers for their regions to broker access to graduate programs by contracting with accredited colleges and universities in and out of the state. These programs shall be related directly to each region's education and economic needs.
(2) The institutions may begin collaborative programs with other institutions leading to the granting of master's degrees in selected areas that are demonstrated to be related directly to the needs of their regions and that draw on faculty strengths. An institution may continue to offer collaborative programs aimed at meeting the documented needs with the approval of the Commission or, if a sustained need still exists, the institution may move to the next level.
(3) If the graduate education needs of the region have not been met through brokering and collaborative programs, the institution may explore the option of beginning its own graduate-level program leading to the granting of a master's degree. The institution may begin its own master's degree program if it can meet the following conditions as determined by the Commission:
(A) Demonstrate that the institution has successfully completed each of the steps required before exploring development of its own master's degree program;
(B) Provide evidence based on experience gained in the brokering and collaborative arrangements that a sustained demand exists for the program;
(C) Demonstrate that the baccalaureate institution has the capacity to provide the program;
(D) Demonstrate that the core mission of the baccalaureate institution will not be impaired by offering the graduate program;
(E) Provide evidence that the graduate program has a reasonable expectation of being accredited;
(F) Demonstrate that the need documented in subdivision (B) of this subsection is not currently being met by any other state institution of higher education; and
(G) The Commission may designate one of the institutions listed in subsection (d) of this section to develop and implement no more than four of its own masters level programs as a pilot project: Provided, That the selected institution shall move toward and achieve regional accreditation of the master's program within a reasonable time as determined by the Commission. The institution shall be selected based on the following:
(i) Sufficient credentialed faculty to offer quality programs in the areas selected;
(ii) Sufficient unmet demand for the programs; and
(iii) Sustainable unmet demand based on generally accepted projections for population growth in the region served by the institution.
The programs authorized by this clause may not be restricted by the provisions of subdivisions (1), (2) and (3) of this subsection nor by the provisions of subsection (e) of this section.
(e) There is an urgent need for master's degree programs for teachers in disciplines or subject areas, such as mathematics, science, history, literature, foreign languages and the arts. Currently, master's-level courses in education that are offered in the regions served by the state universities are primarily in areas such as guidance and counseling, administration, special education and other disciplines unrelated to teaching in subject areas. If this need is not being met in a region through the procedure established in subsection (d) of this section, then the graduate center in that region may plan a master's degree program in education focused on teaching in subject area fields in which the demand is not being met. No institution may begin a graduate program under the provisions of this section until the program has been reviewed and approved by the Commission. The Commission shall approve only those programs, as authorized by this subsection, that emphasize serving the needs of teachers and schools in the colleges' immediate regions. In determining whether a program should be approved, the Commission also shall rely upon the recommendations of the statewide task force on teacher quality provided for in section eight, article fourteen of this chapter.
(f) The Commission shall review all graduate programs being offered under the provisions of this section and, using the criteria established for program startup in subsection (d) of this section, determine which programs should be discontinued.
(g) At least annually, the governing boards shall evaluate graduate programs developed pursuant to the provisions of this section and report to the Commission on the following:
(1) The number of programs being offered and the courses offered within each program;
(2) The disciplines in which programs are being offered;
(3) The locations and times at which courses are offered;
(4) The number of students enrolled in the program; and
(5) The number of students who have obtained master's degrees through each program.
The governing boards shall provide the Commission with any additional information the Commission requests in order to make a determination on the viability of a program.
(h) In developing any graduate program under the provisions of this section, institutions shall consider delivering courses at times and places convenient to adult students who are employed full time. Institutions shall place an emphasis on extended degree programs, distance learning and off-campus centers which utilize the cost-effective nature of extending existing university capacity to serve the state rather than duplicating the core university capacity and incurring the increased cost of developing master's degree programs at other institutions throughout the state.
(i) Brokering institutions shall invite proposals from other public institutions of higher education for service provision prior to contracting with other institutions: Provided, That if institutions propose providing graduate programs in service areas other than in their responsibility district, the institution seeking to establish a program shall work through the district's lead institution in providing those services.
(j) In addition to the approval required by the Commission, authorization for any institution to offer a master's degree program under the provisions of this section is subject to the formal approval processes established by the governing boards.
ARTICLE 1B. HIGHER EDUCATION POLICY COMMISSION.
§18B-1B-4. Powers and duties of higher education policy Commission.

(a) The primary responsibility of the Commission is to develop, establish and implement policy that will achieve the goals and objectives found in section one-a, article one of this chapter. The Commission shall exercise its authority and carry out its responsibilities in a manner that is consistent and not in conflict with the powers and duties assigned by law to the West Virginia Council for community and technical college education and the powers and duties assigned to the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, respectively. To that end, the Commission has the following powers and duties relating to the institutions under its jurisdiction:
(1) Develop, oversee and advance the public policy agenda pursuant to section one, article one-a of this chapter to address major challenges facing the state, including, but not limited to, the goals and objectives found in section one-a, article one of this chapter and including specifically those goals and objectives pertaining to the compacts created pursuant to section two, article one-a of this chapter and to develop and implement the master plan described in section nine of this article for the purpose of accomplishing the mandates of this section;
(2) Develop, oversee and advance the implementation jointly with the Council of a financing policy for higher education in West Virginia. The policy shall meet the following criteria:
(A) Provide an adequate level of education and general funding for institutions pursuant to section five, article one-a of this chapter;
(B) Serve to maintain institutional assets, including, but not limited to, human and physical resources and deferred maintenance;
(C) Invest and provide incentives for achieving the priority goals in the public policy agenda, including, but not limited to, those found in section one-a, article one of this chapter; and
(D) Incorporate the plan for strategic funding to strengthen capacity for support of community and technical college education established by the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education pursuant to the provisions of section six, article two-b of this chapter;
(3) In collaboration with the Council, create a policy leadership structure capable of the following actions:
(A) Developing, building public consensus around and sustaining attention to a long-range public policy agenda. In developing the agenda, the Commission and Council shall seek input from the Legislature and the Governor and specifically from the State Board of Education and local school districts in order to create the necessary linkages to assure smooth, effective and seamless movement of students through the public education and post-secondary education systems and to ensure that the needs of public school courses and programs can be fulfilled by the graduates produced and the programs offered;
(B) Ensuring that the governing boards carry out their duty effectively to govern the individual institutions of higher education; and
(C) Holding the higher education institutions and the higher education systems as a whole accountable for accomplishing their missions and implementing the provisions of the compacts;
(4) Develop and adopt each institutional compact compacts in accordance with the provisions of section two, article one-a of this chapter;
(5) Review and adopt the annual updates of the institutional compacts in accordance with the provisions of section two, article one-a of this chapter;
(6) Serve as the accountability point to:
(A) The Governor for implementation of the public policy agenda; and
(B) The Legislature by maintaining a close working relationship with the legislative leadership and the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability;
(7) Jointly with the Council, promulgate legislative rules pursuant to article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to fulfill the purposes of section five, article one-a of this chapter;
(8) Establish and implement a peer group for each institution as described in section three, article one-a of this chapter;
(9) Establish and implement the benchmarks and performance indicators necessary to measure institutional achievement towards state policy priorities and institutional missions pursuant to section two, article one-a of this chapter;
(10) Annually report to the Legislature and to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability during the January interim meetings on a date and at a time and location to be determined by the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Delegates. The report shall address at least the following:
(A) The performance of its system of higher education during the previous fiscal year, including, but not limited to, progress in meeting goals stated in the compacts and progress of the institutions and the higher education system as a whole in meeting the goals and objectives set forth in section one-a, article one of this chapter;
(B) An analysis of enrollment data collected pursuant to section one, article ten of this chapter and recommendations for any changes necessary to assure access to high-quality, high-demand education programs for West Virginia residents;
(C) The priorities established for capital investment needs pursuant to subdivision (11) of this subsection and the justification for such priority;
(D) Recommendations of the Commission for statutory changes needed to further the goals and objectives set forth in section one-a, article one of this chapter;
(11) Establish a formal process for identifying needs for capital investments and for determining priorities for these investments, except the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, respectively, may each develop a formal process for identifying capital needs and priorities for the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University without the approval of the Commission. It is the responsibility of the Commission to assure a fair distribution of funds for capital projects between the Commission and the Council. To that end the Commission shall take the following steps:
(A) Receive the list of priorities developed by the Council for capital investment for the institutions under the Council's jurisdiction pursuant to subsection (b), section six, article two-b of this chapter;
(B) Place the ranked list of projects on the agenda for action within sixty days of the date on which the list was received;
(C) Select a minimum of three projects from the list submitted by the Council to be included on the ranked list established by the Commission. At least one of the three projects selected must come from the top two priorities established by the Council.
(12) Maintain guidelines for institutions to follow concerning extensive capital projects except the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University are not subject to the provisions of this subdivision as it relates to the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University. The guidelines shall provide a process for developing capital projects, including, but not limited to, the notification by an institution to the Commission of any proposed capital project which has the potential to exceed one million dollars in cost. Such a project may not be pursued by an institution without the approval of the Commission. An institution may not participate directly or indirectly with any public or private entity in any capital project which has the potential to exceed one million dollars in cost;
(13) Acquire legal services as are considered necessary, including representation of the Commission, its institutions, employees and officers before any court or administrative body, notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary. The counsel may be employed either on a salaried basis or on a reasonable fee basis. In addition, the Commission may, but is not required to, call upon the Attorney General for legal assistance and representation as provided by law;
(14) Employ a Chancellor for Higher Education pursuant to section five of this article;
(15) Employ other staff as necessary and appropriate to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the Commission and the Council, in accordance with the provisions of article four of this chapter;
(16) Provide suitable offices in Charleston for the chancellor, vice chancellors and other staff;
(17) Advise and consent in the appointment of the presidents of the institutions of higher education under its jurisdiction pursuant to section six of this article. The role of the Commission in approving an institutional president is to assure through personal interview that the person selected understands and is committed to achieving the goals and objectives as set forth in the institutional compact and in section one-a, article one of this chapter;
(18) Approve the total compensation package from all sources for presidents of institutions under its jurisdiction, as proposed by the governing boards, except the compensation packages proposed for the presidents of the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University, respectively, are not subject to the provisions of this subdivision. The governing boards must obtain approval from the Commission of the total compensation package both when institutional presidents are employed initially and afterward when any change is made in the amount of the total compensation package;
(19) Establish and implement the policy of the state to assure that parents and students have sufficient information at the earliest possible age on which to base academic decisions about what is required for students to be successful in college, other post-secondary education and careers related, as far as possible, to results from current assessment tools in use in West Virginia;
(20) Approve and implement a uniform standard jointly with the Council to determine which students shall be placed in remedial or developmental courses. The standard shall be aligned with college admission tests and assessment tools used in West Virginia and shall be applied uniformly by the governing boards throughout the public higher education system. The chancellors shall develop a clear, concise explanation of the standard which they shall communicate to the State Board of Education and the State Superintendent of schools;
(21) Review and approve or disapprove capital projects as described in subdivision (11) of this subsection;
(22) Jointly with the Council, develop and implement an oversight plan to manage systemwide technology such as the following:
(A) Expanding distance learning and technology networks to enhance teaching and learning, promote access to quality educational offerings with minimum duplication of effort; and
(B) Increasing the delivery of instruction to nontraditional students, to provide services to business and industry and increase the management capabilities of the higher education system.
(C) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or this code to the contrary, the Council, Commission and state institutions of higher educations are not subject to the jurisdiction of the chief technology officer for any purpose.
(23) Establish and implement policies and procedures to ensure that students may transfer and apply toward the requirements for a bachelor's degree the maximum number of credits earned at any regionally accredited in-state or out-of-state community and technical college with as few requirements to repeat courses or to incur additional costs as is consistent with sound academic policy;
(24) Establish and implement policies and procedures to ensure that students may transfer and apply toward the requirements for a degree the maximum number of credits earned at any regionally accredited in-state or out-of-state higher education institution with as few requirements to repeat courses or to incur additional costs as is consistent with sound academic policy;
(25) Establish and implement policies and procedures to ensure that students may transfer and apply toward the requirements for a master's degree the maximum number of credits earned at any regionally accredited in-state or out-of-state higher education institution with as few requirements to repeat courses or to incur additional costs as is consistent with sound academic policy;
(26) Establish and implement policies and programs, in cooperation with the Council and the institutions of higher education, through which students who have gained knowledge and skills through employment, participation in education and training at vocational schools or other education institutions, or internet-based education programs, may demonstrate by competency-based assessment that they have the necessary knowledge and skills to be granted academic credit or advanced placement standing toward the requirements of an associate degree or a bachelor's degree at a state institution of higher education;
(27) Seek out and attend regional, national and international meetings and forums on education and workforce development-related topics, as in the Commission's discretion is critical for the performance of their duties as members, for the purpose of keeping abreast of education trends and policies to aid it in developing the policies for this state to meet the established education goals and objectives pursuant to section one-a, article one of this chapter;
(28) Develop, establish and implement guidelines a rule for higher education governing boards and institutions to follow when considering capital projects. The guidelines shall include, but not be limited to, the following
(A) That the governing boards and institutions not approve or promote projects that give competitive advantage to new private sector projects over existing West Virginia businesses, unless the Commission determines such private sector projects are in the best interest of the students, the institution and the community to be served; and
(B) That assure that the governing boards and institutions do not approve or promote capital projects involving private sector businesses which would have the effect of reducing property taxes on existing properties or avoiding, in whole or in part, the full amount of taxes which would be due on newly developed or future properties;
(29) Consider and submit to the appropriate agencies of the executive and legislative branches of state government a budget that reflects recommended appropriations from the Commission and the institutions under its jurisdiction. The Commission shall submit as part of its budget proposal the separate recommended appropriations it received from the Council, both for the Council and the institutions under the Council's jurisdiction. The Commission annually shall submit the proposed institutional allocations based on each institution's progress toward meeting the goals of its institutional compact;
(30) The Commission has the authority to assess institutions under its jurisdiction, including the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University, for the payment of expenses of the Commission or for the funding of statewide higher education services, obligations or initiatives related to the goals set forth for the provision of public higher education in the state;
(31) Promulgate rules allocating reimbursement of appropriations, if made available by the Legislature, to institutions of higher education for qualifying noncapital expenditures incurred in the provision of services to students with physical, learning or severe sensory disabilities;
(32) Make appointments to boards and Commissions where this code requires appointments from the state college system Board of Directors or the university of West Virginia system Board of Trustees which were abolished effective the thirtieth day of June, two thousand, except in those cases where the required appointment has a specific and direct connection to the provision of community and technical college education, the appointment shall be made by the Council. Notwithstanding any provisions of this code to the contrary, the Commission or the Council may appoint one of its own members or any other citizen of the state as its designee. The Commission and Council shall appoint the total number of persons in the aggregate required to be appointed by these previous governing boards;
(33) Pursuant to the provisions of article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code and section six, article one of this chapter, promulgate rules as necessary or expedient to fulfill the purposes of this chapter. The Commission and the Council shall promulgate a uniform joint legislative rule for the purpose of standardizing, as much as possible, the administration of personnel matters among the institutions of higher education;
(34) Determine when a joint rule among the governing boards of the institutions under its jurisdiction is necessary or required by law and, in those instances, and in consultation with the governing boards of all the institutions under its jurisdiction, promulgate the joint rule;
(35) In consultation with the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, implement a policy jointly with the Council whereby course credit earned at a community and technical college transfers for program credit at any other state institution of higher education and is not limited to fulfilling a general education requirement; and
(36) Promulgate a joint rule with the Council establishing tuition and fee policy for all institutions of higher education, other than state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University which are subject to the provisions of section one, article ten of this chapter. The rule shall include, but is not limited to, the following:
(A) Comparisons with peer institutions;
(B) Differences among institutional missions;
(C) Strategies for promoting student access;
(D) Consideration of charges to out-of-state students; and
(E) Such other policies as the Commission and Council consider appropriate.
(b) In addition to the powers and duties listed in subsection (a) of this section, the Commission has the following general powers and duties related to its role in developing, articulating and overseeing the implementation of the public policy agenda:
(1) Planning and policy leadership including a distinct and visible role in setting the state's policy agenda and in serving as an agent of change;
(2) Policy analysis and research focused on issues affecting the system as a whole or a geographical region thereof;
(3) Development and implementation of institutional mission definitions including use of incentive funds to influence institutional behavior in ways that are consistent with public priorities;
(4) Academic program review and approval for institutions under its jurisdiction except state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University, including the use of institutional missions as a template to judge the appropriateness of both new and existing programs and the authority to implement needed changes;
(5) Development of budget and allocation of resources, including reviewing and approving institutional operating and budgets and the capital budgets of all institutions except the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University, respectively, and distributing incentive and performance-based funding;
(6) Administration of state and federal student aid programs under the supervision of the vice chancellor for administration, including promulgation of any rules necessary to administer those programs;
(7) Serving as the agent to receive and disburse public funds when a governmental entity requires designation of a statewide higher education agency for this purpose;
(8) Development, establishment and implementation of information, assessment and accountability systems, including maintenance of statewide data systems that facilitate long-term planning and accurate measurement of strategic outcomes and performance indicators;
(9) Jointly with the Council, developing, establishing and implementing policies for licensing and oversight for both public and private degree-granting and nondegree-granting institutions that provide post-secondary education courses or programs in the state pursuant to the findings and policy recommendations to be determined as set forth in required by section eleven of this article and in accordance with the provisions of section nine, article two-b of this chapter;
(10) Development, implementation and oversight of statewide and region wide projects and initiatives related to providing post-secondary education at the baccalaureate level and above such as those using funds from federal categorical programs or those using incentive and performance-based funding from any source; and
(11) Quality assurance that intersects with all other duties of the Commission particularly in the areas of research, data collection and analysis, planning, policy analysis, program review and approval, budgeting and information and accountability systems.
(c) In addition to the powers and duties provided for in subsections (a) and (b) of this section and any other powers and duties as may be assigned to it by law, the Commission has such other powers and duties as may be necessary or expedient to accomplish the purposes of this article.
(d) The Commission is authorized to withdraw specific powers of any governing board of an institution under its jurisdiction except the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University as it relates to the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University for a period not to exceed two years if the Commission makes a determination that:
(1) The governing board has failed for two consecutive years to develop an institutional compact as required in article one of this chapter;
(2) The Commission has received information, substantiated by independent audit, of significant mismanagement or failure to carry out the powers and duties of the board of governors according to state law; or
(3) Other circumstances which, in the view of the Commission, severely limit the capacity of the board of governors to carry out its duties and responsibilities.
(4) The period of withdrawal of specific powers may not exceed two years during which time the Commission is authorized to take steps necessary to reestablish the conditions for restoration of sound, stable and responsible institutional governance.
§18B-1B-5. Employment of Chancellor for Higher Education; office; powers and duties generally; employment of vice chancellors.

(a) The Commission, created pursuant to section one of this article, shall employ a Chancellor for Higher Education who is the chief executive officer of the Commission and who serves at its will and pleasure.
(b) The Commission shall set the qualifications for the position of chancellor and shall conduct a thorough nationwide search for qualified candidates. A qualified candidate is one who meets at least the following criteria:
(1) Possesses an excellent academic and administrative background;
(2) Demonstrates strong communication skills;
(3) Has significant experience and an established national reputation as a professional in the field of higher education;
(4) Is free of institutional or regional biases; and
(5) Holds or retains no other administrative position within a system of higher education while employed as chancellor.
(c) The Commission shall conduct written performance evaluations of the chancellor annually and may offer the chancellor a contract not to exceed three years. At the end of each contract period, the Commission shall review the evaluations and make a determination by vote of its members on continuing employment and compensation level.
(d) When filling a vacancy in the position of chancellor, the Commission shall enter into an initial employment contract for one year with the candidate selected. At the end of the initial contract period, and each contract period thereafter, the Commission shall review the evaluations and make a determination by vote of its members on continuing employment and compensation level for the chancellor.
(e) The shall be compensated on a basis in excess of, but not to exceed twenty percent greater than, the base salary of any president of a state institution of higher education or the administrative head of a governing board Commission shall determine the compensation of the Chancellor for Higher Education.
(f) The Commission may employ a vice chancellor for health sciences who serves at the will and pleasure of the Commission. The vice chancellor for health sciences shall coordinate the West Virginia University School of Medicine, the Marshall University School of Medicine and the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine and also shall provide assistance to the governing boards on matters related to medical education and health sciences. The vice chancellor for health sciences shall perform all duties assigned by the chancellor, the Commission and state law. In the case of a vacancy in the office of vice chancellor of health sciences, the duties assigned to this office by law are the responsibility of the chancellor or a designee.
(g) The Commission shall employ a vice chancellor for administration pursuant to section two, article four of this chapter.
(h) The Commission may employ a vice chancellor for state colleges who serves at the will and pleasure of the Commission. It is the duty and responsibility of the vice chancellor for state colleges to:
(1) Provide assistance to the Commission, the chancellor and the state colleges on matters related to or of interest and concern to these institutions;
(2) Advise, assist and consult regularly with the institutional presidents and institutional boards of governors of each state college;
(3) Serve as an advocate and spokesperson for the state colleges to represent them and to make their interests, views and issues known to the chancellor, the Commission and governmental agencies;
(4) Perform all duties assigned by the chancellor, the Commission and state law.
In addition, the vice chancellor for state colleges has the responsibility and the duty to provide staff assistance to the institutional presidents and governing boards to the extent practicable.
(i) On behalf of the Commission, the chancellor may enter into agreements with any state agency or political subdivision of the state, any state higher education institution or any other person or entity to enlist staff assistance to implement the powers and duties assigned by the Commission or by state law.
(j) The chancellor is responsible for the daily operations of the Commission and has the following responsibilities relating to the Commission and the institutions under its jurisdiction:
(1) To carry out policy and program directives of the Commission;
(2) To develop and submit annual reports on the implementation plan to achieve the goals and objectives set forth in section one-a, article one of this chapter and in the institutional compacts;
(3) To prepare and submit to the Commission for its approval the proposed budget of the Commission including the offices of the chancellor and the vice chancellors;
(4) To assist the governing boards in developing rules, subject to the provisions of section six, article one of this chapter. Nothing in this chapter requires the rules of the governing boards to be filed pursuant to the rule-making procedures provided in article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code. The chancellor is Commission and the Council, either separately or jointly, as appropriate, are responsible for ensuring that any policy which is required to be uniform across the institutions is applied in a uniform manner;
(5) To perform all other duties and responsibilities assigned by the Commission or by state law.
(k) The chancellor shall be reimbursed for all actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of all assigned duties and responsibilities.
(l) The chancellor, with the Commission, advises the Legislature on matters of higher education in West Virginia. The chancellor shall work closely with the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability and with the elected leadership of the state to ensure that they are fully informed about higher education issues and that the Commission fully understands the goals for higher education that the Legislature has established by law.
(m) The chancellor may design and develop for consideration by the Commission new statewide or regional initiatives in accordance with the goals set forth in section one-a, article one of this chapter and the public policy agenda articulated by the Commission. In those instances where the initiatives to be proposed have a direct and specific impact or connection to community and technical college education as well as to baccalaureate and graduate education, the Chancellor for Higher Education and the Chancellor for Community and Technical College Education shall design and develop the initiatives jointly for consideration by the Commission and the Council.
(n) The chancellor shall work closely with members of the State Board of Education and with the State Superintendent of Schools to assure that the following goals are met:
(1) Development and implementation of a seamless kindergarten-through-college system of education; and
(2) Appropriate coordination of missions and programs. To further the goals of cooperation and coordination between the Commission and the State Board of Education, the chancellor serves as an ex officio, nonvoting member of the State Board of Education.
§18B-1B-6. Appointment of institutional presidents; evaluation.

(a) Appointment of institutional presidents. -- Appointment of presidents of the public state institutions of higher education shall be made as follows:
(1) Subject to the approval of the Commission, the governing board of the institution appoints a president for Bluefield State College, Concord college University, Fairmont State college University, Glenville State College, Marshall University, Shepherd college University, West Liberty State College, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, West Virginia State college University and West Virginia University.
(2) Subject to the approval of the Council and to the provisions of article three-c of this chapter, the governing board of West Virginia University appoints the president of the regional campus known as West Virginia University at Parkersburg. When selecting candidates for consideration to fill the office of president, the governing board shall use the search and screening process provided for in section one, article six of this chapter.
Subject to the approval of the Commission, the governing board of West Virginia University appoints the president of the regional campus known as West Virginia University Institute of Technology. The president of each regional campus serves at the will and pleasure of the appointing governing board.
(3) Subject to the approval of the Council, the governing board of the community and technical college appoints a president for Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College, Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College and West Virginia Northern Community and Technical College.
(4) Subject to the approval of the Council, the governing board of the sponsoring institution appoints a president for each administratively linked community and technical colleges college which shares a physical campus location with the sponsoring institution, including Fairmont State Community and Technical College, Marshall Community and Technical College, the Community and Technical College at West Virginia University Institute of Technology and West Virginia State Community and Technical College.
(5) Subject to the approval of the Council, the governing board of the community and technical college appoints a president for each administratively linked community and technical college which does not share a physical campus location with the sponsoring institution, including New River Community and Technical College and the Community and Technical College of Shepherd.
Subject to the approval of the Council, the governing board of the sponsoring institution appoints a president for each of these two community and technical colleges until the institution gains independent accreditation.
(b) Other appointments. -- Effective the first day of July, two thousand five, The institutional president shall appoint appoints a provost to be the administrative head of the Potomac campus of West Virginia University.
(c) Evaluation of presidents. -- The appointing governing board shall conduct written performance evaluations of each institution's president, including the presidents of administratively linked community and technical colleges. Evaluations shall be done in every fourth year of employment as president, recognizing unique characteristics of the institution and utilizing institutional personnel, institutional boards of advisors as appropriate, staff of the appropriate governing board and persons knowledgeable in higher education matters who are not otherwise employed by a governing board. A part of the evaluation shall be a determination of the success of the institution in meeting the requirements of its institutional compact.
§18B-1B-13. Study of issues affecting employees in public higher education.
(a) In consultation with the Council, the governing boards, the State Advisory Council of Faculty established pursuant to section two, article six of this chapter and the State Advisory Council of Classified Employees established pursuant to section five, article six of this chapter, the Commission shall conduct a study relating to issues affecting employees in public higher education.
(b) The study includes, but is not limited to, the following:
(1) Reviewing statutes, rules, guidelines, interpretations and other statements of policy;
(2) Surveying the capacity, professional training and practices of human resources staff by institution, including the number of staff employed in each institutional human resources office, their job titles, and responsibilities;
(3) Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the state-wide classification and compensation system and examining alternatives;
(4) Reviewing job titles and responsibilities to determine if certain families of jobs should be classified or nonclassified;
(5) Evaluating and recommending best practices and methods to establish salary rates for faculty, classified employees, non- classified employees and administrators; including:
(A) Developing measurable indicators of "merit" and "performance" if these terms are to be used in a system for determining benefits;
(B) Developing reliable instruments of performance evaluation for all classes of employees; and
(C) Exploring the feasibility of authorizing employee bonuses under a merit or performance-based system;
(6) Determining the most effective and efficient method to train administrators who perform employee evaluations and assuring that they use these instruments appropriately;
(7) Exploring justifications for maintaining or removing the internal preference for hiring, promoting and transferring classified employees pursuant to article seven of this chapter;
(8) Developing recommendations for a fair and rational policy covering reductions in force;
(9) Identifying unnecessary state-level paperwork requirements related to personnel and recommending methods to eliminate them while maintaining strict fiscal accountability;
(10) Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of state-wide tenure and promotion policies for faculty and examining alternatives;
(11) Evaluating the feasibility of implementing differential salary rates based on cost of living or other relevant factors;
(12) Determining whether employees whose salaries are derived from funds other than state appropriations should be subject to the provisions of article seven of this chapter and how such employees should be treated in any policy on reductions in force; and
(13) Determining the true costs or benefits that may accrue as a result of decisions to outsource certain institutional functions. In order to perform a cost/benefit analysis, the Commission must first develop an accurate database of institutional practices including the number of positions being outsourced or filled by temporary employees, and the true amount of cost savings, if any.
(c) The Commission shall report to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability by the first day of October, two thousand five, and every six months thereafter on the progress of the study.
(d) The Commission shall complete its work and report its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate the recommendations, to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability by the first day of December, two thousand eight.
(1) In making its recommendations, the Commission shall take into account the impact of proposed changes on employees and the communities in which state institutions of higher education are located; and
(2) The Commission shall include documentation to support any conclusion or recommendation included as a part of their findings and shall attach estimates of cost or savings to each recommendation, if that recommendation has a fiscal impact on any public agency or institution.
ARTICLE 2A. INSTITUTIONAL BOARDS OF GOVERNORS.
§18B-2A-3. Supervision of governing boards; promulgation of rules.
(a) For the transition year beginning on the first day of July, two thousand and ending on the thirtieth day of June, two thousand one, the Interim Governing Board is subject to the supervision of the secretary of education and the arts. Rules adopted by the governing board are subject to approval by the secretary of education and the arts.
(b) (a) Effective the first day of July, two thousand one, and thereafter, The governing boards are subject to the supervision of the chancellor Commission or the Council, as appropriate, except for the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University as it relates to the state institutions of higher education know as Marshall University and West Virginia University. The Chancellor for Higher Education and the Chancellor for Community and Technical College Education, under the supervision of their respective boards, is are responsible for the coordination of policies and purposes of the governing boards and shall provide for and facilitate sufficient interaction among the governing boards and between the governing boards and the State Board of Education to meet the goals and objectives provided for in the compacts and in section one-a, article one of this chapter.
(c) (b) The governing boards and the State Board of Education shall provide any and all information requested by the chancellor Commission or the Council in a an appropriate format and in a timely manner.
§18B-2A-4. Powers and duties of governing boards generally.
Each governing board separately has the following powers and duties:
(a) Determine, control, supervise and manage the financial, business and education policies and affairs of the state institutions of higher education under its jurisdiction;
(b) Develop a master plan for the institutions under its jurisdiction, except the administratively linked community and technical colleges which retain an institutional board of advisors shall develop their master plans subject to the provisions of section one, article six of this chapter.
(1) The ultimate responsibility for developing and updating the master plans at the institutional level resides with the board of governors, or board of advisors, as applicable, but the ultimate responsibility for approving the final version of the institutional master plans, including periodic updates, resides with the Commission or Council, as appropriate with the following exceptions:
(A) The institutional governing board shall develop and approve a master plan for the state institution of higher education known as Marshall University and shall submit the approved document to the Commission; and
(B) The institutional governing board shall develop and approve a master plan for the state institution of higher education known as West Virginia University and shall submit the approved document to the Commission.
(2) Each master plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) (A) A detailed demonstration of how the master plan will be used to meet the goals and objectives of the institutional compact;
(2) (B) A well-developed set of goals outlining missions, degree offerings, resource requirements, physical plant needs, personnel needs, enrollment levels and other planning determinates and projections necessary in such a plan to assure that the needs of the institution's area of responsibility for a quality system of higher education are addressed;
(3) (C) Documentation of the involvement of the Commission or Council, as appropriate, institutional constituency groups, clientele of the institution and the general public in the development of all segments of the institutional master plan.
(3) The plan shall be established for periods of not less than three nor more than six years and shall be revised periodically as necessary, including the addition or deletion of degree programs as, in the discretion of the appropriate governing board, may be necessary;
(c) Prescribe for the institutions under its jurisdiction, in accordance with its master plan and the compact for each institution, specific functions and responsibilities to meet the higher education needs of its area of responsibility and to avoid unnecessary duplication;
(d) Direct the preparation of a budget request for the institutions under its jurisdiction, such request to relate directly to missions, goals and projections as found in the institutional master plans and the institutional compacts;
(e) Consider, revise and submit to the Commission or Council, as appropriate, a budget request on behalf of the institutions under its jurisdiction;
(f) Review, at least every five years, all academic programs offered at the institutions under its jurisdiction. The review shall address the viability, adequacy and necessity of the programs in relation to its institutional master plan, the institutional compact and the education and workforce needs of its responsibility district. As a part of the review, each governing board shall require the institutions under its jurisdiction to conduct periodic studies of its graduates and their employers to determine placement patterns and the effectiveness of the education experience. Where appropriate, these studies should coincide with the studies required of many academic disciplines by their accrediting bodies;
(g) The governing boards shall ensure that the sequence and availability of academic programs and courses offered by the institutions under their jurisdiction is such that students have the maximum opportunity to complete programs in the time frame normally associated with program completion. Each governing board is responsible to see that the needs of nontraditional college-age students are appropriately addressed and, to the extent it is possible for the individual governing board to control, to assure core course work completed at institutions under its jurisdiction is transferable to any other state institution of higher education for credit with the grade earned;
(h) Subject to the provisions of article one-b of this chapter, the appropriate governing board has the exclusive authority to approve the teacher education programs offered in the institution under its control. In order to permit graduates of teacher education programs to receive a degree from a nationally accredited program and in order to prevent expensive duplication of program accreditation, the Commission may select and utilize one nationally recognized teacher education program accreditation standard as the appropriate standard for program evaluation;
(i) Utilize faculty, students and classified employees in institutional-level planning and decision making when those groups are affected;
(j) Subject to the provisions of federal law and pursuant to the provisions of article nine of this chapter and to rules adopted by the Commission and the Council, administer a system for the management of personnel matters, including, but not limited to, personnel classification, compensation and discipline for employees at the institutions under their jurisdiction;
(k) Administer a system for hearing employee grievances and appeals. Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, the procedure established in article six-a, chapter twenty-nine of this code is the exclusive mechanism for hearing prospective employee grievances and appeals. In construing the application of said article to grievances of higher education employees, the following apply:
(1) "Chief administrator" means the president of a state institution of higher education as to those employees employed by the institution and the appropriate chancellor as to those employees employed by the Commission or Council;
(2) The State Division of Personnel may not be a party to nor have any authority regarding a grievance initiated by a higher education employee; and
(3) The provisions of this section supersede and replace the grievance procedure set out in article twenty-nine, chapter eighteen of this code for any grievance initiated by a higher education employee after the first day of July, two thousand one;
(l) Solicit and utilize or expend voluntary support, including financial contributions and support services, for the institutions under its jurisdiction;
(m) Appoint a president for the institutions under its jurisdiction subject to the provisions of section six, article one-b of this chapter;
(n) Conduct written performance evaluations of the president pursuant to section six, article one-b of this chapter;
(o) Employ all faculty and staff at the institution under its jurisdiction. Such employees operate under the supervision of the president, but are employees of the governing board;
(p) Submit to the Commission or Council, as appropriate, no later than the first day of November of each year an annual report of the performance of the institution under its jurisdiction during the previous fiscal year as compared to stated goals in its master plan and institutional compact;
(q) Enter into contracts or consortium agreements with the public schools, private schools or private industry to provide technical, vocational, college preparatory, remedial and customized training courses at locations either on campuses of the public institution of higher education or at off-campus locations in the institution's responsibility district. To accomplish this goal, the boards are permitted to share resources among the various groups in the community;
(r) Provide and transfer funding and property to certain corporations pursuant to section ten, article twelve of this chapter;
(s) Delegate, with prescribed standards and limitations, the part of its power and control over the business affairs of the institution to the president in any case where it considers the delegation necessary and prudent in order to enable the institution to function in a proper and expeditious manner and to meet the requirements of its institutional compact. If a governing board elects to delegate any of its power and control under the provisions of this subsection, it shall enter such delegation in the minutes of the meeting when the decision was made and shall notify the appropriate chancellor Commission or Council, as appropriate. Any such delegation of power and control may be rescinded by the appropriate governing board, or the chancellor the Commission or Council, as appropriate, at any time, in whole or in part except that the Commission may not revoke delegations of authority made by the governing boards of Marshall University or West Virginia University as they relate to the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University;
(t) Unless changed by the Commission or the Council, as appropriate, the governing boards shall continue to abide by existing rules setting forth standards for acceptance of advanced placement credit for their respective institutions. Individual departments at institutions of higher education may, upon approval of the institutional faculty senate, require higher scores on the advanced placement test than scores designated by the appropriate governing board when the credit is to be used toward meeting a requirement of the core curriculum for a major in that department;
(u) Each governing board, or its designee, shall consult, cooperate and work with the State Treasurer and the State Auditor to update as necessary and maintain an efficient and cost-effective system for the financial management and expenditure of special revenue and appropriated state funds at the institutions under its jurisdiction that ensures that properly submitted requests for payment be paid on or before due date but, in any event, within fifteen days of receipt in the State Auditor's office;
(v) The governing boards in consultation with the appropriate chancellor and the Secretary of the Department of Administration shall develop, update as necessary and maintain a plan to administer a consistent method of conducting personnel transactions, including, but not limited to, hiring, dismissal, promotions and transfers at the institutions under their jurisdiction. Each such personnel transaction shall be accompanied by the appropriate standardized system or forms which will be submitted to the respective governing board and the Department of Finance and Administration;
(w) Transfer of funds.
(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, the governing boards may transfer funds from any account specifically appropriated for their use to any corresponding line item in a general revenue account at any agency or institution under their jurisdiction as long as such transferred funds are used for the purposes appropriated.
(2) The governing boards may transfer funds from appropriated special revenue accounts for capital improvements under their jurisdiction to special revenue accounts at agencies or institutions under their jurisdiction as long as such transferred funds are used for the purposes appropriated.
(x) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, the governing boards may acquire legal services as are considered necessary, including representation of the governing boards, their institutions, employees and officers before any court or administrative body. The counsel may be employed either on a salaried basis or on a reasonable fee basis. In addition, the governing boards may, but are not required to, call upon the Attorney General for legal assistance and representation as provided by law; and
(y) Each governing board which has under its jurisdiction an administratively linked community and technical college or a regional campus offering community and technical college education programs shall create within the administrative structure of its governing board a subcommittee for community and technical college education. The subcommittee shall have at least four members, one of whom is the chairperson of the board of advisors of the community and technical college or, in the case of the governing board of West Virginia university, both the member representing the community and technical college and the member representing the regional campus.
ARTICLE 2B. WEST VIRGINIA COUNCIL FOR COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE EDUCATION.
§18B-2B-9. Permits required for correspondence, business, occupational and trade schools; surety bonds and fees; issuance, renewal and revocation of permit; reports; rules; penalty and enforcement.

(a) The following words when used in this section have the meaning hereinafter ascribed to them unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
(1) "Proprietary schools that award specialized associate degrees" means institutions of higher education, and
(2) "Specialized associate degrees" means degrees awarded by such institutions pursuant to a program of not fewer than two academic years.
(b) Nothing in this section qualifies proprietary schools for additional state moneys not otherwise qualified under other provisions of this code.
(a) (c) It shall be is unlawful for any person representing a correspondence, business, occupational or trade school inside or outside this state, as such shall be these are defined by the Board of Directors Council by rule promulgated in accordance with article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, to solicit, sell or offer to sell courses of instruction to any resident of this state for consideration or remuneration unless the school first applies for a permit, or obtains a permit, from the West Virginia Board of Directors Council in the manner and on the terms herein prescribed, except this section does not apply to private organizations which offer only tax return preparation courses. The rule previously promulgated by the state college system Board of Directors and transferred to the Council by section six, article two-b, chapter eighteen-b of this code remains in effect until rescinded or amended by the Council.
(1) All private training or educational institutions, schools or academies or other organizations shall apply for a permit from the Board of Directors of the state college system Council on forms provided by the board Council. This section does not apply to private organizations that offer only tax return preparation courses.
(2) Each initial application shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable fee of two thousand dollars. The board Council also may also assess an additional fee based on any additional expense required to evaluate the application.
(3) The board Council shall make a determination on the initial permit application within ninety days after receipt of the application and fee.
(4) An applicant for an initial permit shall show proof at the time of filing an application that adequate facilities are available and ready for occupancy and that all instructional equipment, books and supplies, and personnel are in place and ready for operation. A representative of the board Council shall make an on-site visit to the facilities of all new applicants' facilities applicants to confirm its their readiness for operation prior to issuance of the initial permit if the facilities are located in West Virginia. (5) A school is considered to be established under the provisions of this article on the date it first begins to lawfully operate lawfully. An established school is not required to reapply for a permit as a result of changes in governance; administration; ownership; or form of operation.
(6) After the first permit year, an annual fee of five hundred dollars is imposed on each school for each campus it operates in this state.
(b) (d)Each application shall be accompanied by a surety bond in the penal sum of thirty-five thousand dollars for any school which has its physical facilities located in this state and which has operated in this state for at least ten years: Provided, That
(1) If the school has changed ownership within the last ten years by transfer of ownership control to a person who is a spouse, parent, sibling, child or grandchild of the previous owner, the surety bond shall continue in the penal sum of thirty-five thousand dollars. Provided, however, That
(2) Any school which has operated in West Virginia for less fewer than ten years, including excluding those schools which have changed ownership within the last ten years as provided in subdivision (1) of this section, except those schools noted above who have transferred ownership control to a spouse, parent, sibling, child or grandchild of the previous owner within the last ten years and any school located in another state which applies for a permit hereunder, shall provide a surety bond of fifty thousand dollars.
(3) Provided further, That Any school may be required to increase its bond to one hundred fifty thousand dollars if either of the following conditions apply:
(A) if its The school's accreditation is terminated for cause; or
(B) if The school's institutional eligibility under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, has been terminated for cause. And provided further, That Expiration, non-renewal or voluntary relinquishment of accreditation or institutional eligibility under said the Higher Education Act, or failure to meet the requirements of one or more programs under said the act, shall are not be deemed considered to be a termination for cause.
(4) In addition, Any school may be required to increase its bond to an amount not to exceed four hundred thousand dollars if, in accordance with the standards of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the school's audited financial statements are qualified because the school's continued financial viability as an ongoing concern is in doubt, and the Board of Directors Council determines an increased bond is reasonably necessary to protect the financial obligations legally due the students then enrolled at the institution.
(A) A school may be required to maintain the increased bonding requirements described above until all students attending classes at the date of termination either graduate or withdraw.
(B) The bond may be continuous and shall be conditioned to provide indemnification to any student suffering loss as a result of any fraud or misrepresentation used in procuring the student's enrollment, failure of the school to meet contractual obligations, or failure of the school to meet the requirements of this section.
(C) The bond shall be given by the school itself as a blanket bond covering all of its representatives.
(D) The surety on any such a bond may cancel the same upon giving thirty days' notice in writing to the principal on said the bond and to the state Board of Directors Council and thereafter shall be relieved of liability for any breach of condition occurring after the effective date of said the cancellation.
(c) (e) A permit shall be valid for one year corresponding to the effective date of the bond and may be renewed upon application, accompanied by the required fee and the surety bond as herein required., may be renewed. All fees collected for the issuance or renewal of such a permit shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the Board of Directors Council. (f) The board Council may refuse a permit to any school if the board Council finds that the school engages in practices which are inconsistent with this section or with rules and regulations issued pursuant thereto.
(g) A permit issued hereunder upon fifteen days' notice and after a hearing, if a hearing is requested by the school, may be suspended or revoked by the Board of Directors Council for fraud or misrepresentation in soliciting or enrolling students, for failure of the school to fulfill its contract with one or more students who are residents of West Virginia, or for violation of or failure to comply with any provision of this section or with any regulation of the state Board of Directors Council pertinent thereto.
(1) Before taking any action to suspend or revoke a school's permit, the Council shall give the school fifteen days' notice and convene a hearing, if a hearing is requested by the school.

(2) Prior to the board Council taking any adverse action, including refusal, suspension or revocation of a permit, the Council shall give the school shall be given reasonable opportunity to take corrective measures.
(3) Any refusal, suspension or revocation of a permit, or any other adverse action against a school, shall comply with all constitutional provisions, including due process, relating to the protection of property rights.
(d) (h) All correspondence, business, occupational or trade schools which have been issued a permit shall make annual reports to the Board of Directors Council on forms furnished by the board Council and shall provide such appropriate information as the board Council reasonably may require. All correspondence, business, occupational or trade schools which have been issued a permit shall furnish to the Board of Directors Council a list of its official representatives. Each school shall be issued a certificate of identification by the Board of Directors Council for each of its official representatives.
(e) (i) The issuance of a permit pursuant to this section does not constitute approval or accreditation of any course or school. No school, nor any representative of a school, shall may make any representation stating, asserting or implying that a permit issued pursuant to this section constitutes approval or accreditation by the state of West Virginia, state Board of Directors Council or any other department or agency of the state. (j) The Board of Directors Council is hereby authorized to adopt rules and conduct on-site reviews to evaluate academic standards maintained by schools for the awarding of certificates, diplomas, associate degrees and specialized associate degrees. which
(1) These
standards may include curriculum, personnel, facilities, materials and equipment.: Provided, That in the case of (2) For accredited correspondence, business, occupational and trade schools under permit on the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred seventy-nine, which have having their physical facilities located in this state and which are accredited by the appropriate nationally recognized accrediting agency or association approved by the United States Department of Education, the accrediting agency's standards, procedures and criteria shall be are accepted as meeting applicable laws, standards and rules of the Board of Directors Council. Provided, however, That
(3) Institutions which are institutionally accredited by accrediting agencies that are recognized by the United States Department of Education to establish academic standards for postsecondary education may offer postsecondary educational programs leading to (and upon successful completion of such programs award graduates) certificates, diplomas and associate degrees and may award certificates, diplomas and associate degrees to graduates who successfully complete required programs in accordance with the academic standards required by such accrediting agency.
(4) If a review undertaken by the board Council indicates there may be deficiencies in the academic standards the institution maintains in its educational programs and if such deficiencies that are of such a material nature as to that they jeopardize continued accreditation, the board Council shall notify the institution. If the board Council and the institution are unable to agree on the deficiencies or the steps necessary to correct the deficiencies, the board Council shall consult with the institution's accrediting agency regarding an academically appropriate resolution which resolution may include a joint on-site review by the board Council and the accrediting agency.
(5) The board Council also may also review the academic standards of unaccredited institutions and may require such institutions to maintain recognized academic standards that are reasonably appropriate to the nature of the institution and the training offered.
(k) The Board of Directors Council may authorize an investigation of written student complaints alleging a violation of this section, board Council rules, or accreditation standards and may take appropriate action based on the findings of such an investigation.
(l) All evaluations or investigations of correspondence, business, occupational and trade schools, and actions resulting from such evaluations or investigations, shall be made in accordance with rules promulgated by the Board of Directors Council pursuant to article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code.
For the purposes of this section, proprietary schools that award specialized associate degrees shall be are defined as institutions of higher education, and specialized associate degrees shall mean degrees awarded by such institutions pursuant to a program of not less than two academic years: Provided, That nothing herein shall be construed to qualify the said proprietary schools for additional state moneys not otherwise qualified for under other provisions of this code.
(f) (m)In regard to private, proprietary educational institutions operating under this section of the code, accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency or association recognized by the United States Department of Education and which provide training at a campus located in this state:
(1)Any rule or standard which is authorized by this or any section of the code or other law and which is now in effect or promulgated hereafter by the Board of Directors Council (or other agency with jurisdiction) shall be clearly, specifically and expressly authorized by narrowly construed enabling law and shall be unenforceable and without legal effect unless authorized by an act of the Legislature under the provisions of article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code.
(2)Notwithstanding any other provision of this section or other law to the contrary, the institution's accrediting agency standards, procedures and criteria shall be accepted as the standards and rules of the Board of Directors Council (or other agency with jurisdiction) and as meeting other law or legal requirements relating to the operation of proprietary institutions which such board Council or other agency has the legal authority to enforce under any section of the code or other law. Provided, That. Nothing in this section shall be construed to deny denies students the use of remedies that would otherwise be available under state or federal consumer laws or federal law relating to federal college financial assistance programs.
(3)Accredited institutions operating hereunder are hereby recognized as postsecondary. Academic progress shall be is measured and reported in credit hours and all reports/documents are filed on a credit hour basis unless the institution notifies the board Council that it utilizes clock hours as its unit of measurement.
(g) (n)A representative of any school who solicits, sells or offers to sell courses of instruction to any resident of this state for consideration or remuneration unless the school first applies for a permit, or obtains a permit, shall be is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more that than two hundred dollars per day per violation, or imprisoned in the county jail not more than sixty days, or both fined and imprisoned. No correspondence, business, occupational or trade school shall maintain an action in any court of this state to recover for services rendered pursuant to a contract solicited by the school if the school did not hold a valid permit at the time the contract was signed by any of the parties thereto. The Attorney General or any county prosecuting attorney, at the request of the Board of Directors Council or upon his or her own motion, may bring any appropriate action or proceeding in any court of competent jurisdiction for the enforcement of the provisions of this section relating to permits, bonds and sureties.
(h) (o) In regard to institutions operating under this section, all substantive standards and procedural requirements established by the Board of Directors Council (or the West Virginia state program review entity or other agency with jurisdiction over institutions operating hereunder) shall meet all substantive and procedural standards of due process relating to the protection of an individual citizen's property rights as provided for under the United States Constitution, and shall follow the substantive standards and procedural requirements established by or under authority of this section.
ARTICLE 3. ADDITIONAL POWERS AND DUTIES OF RESEARCH, DOCTORAL-GRANTING PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES.

§18B-3-1. Legislative findings, purpose; intent; definition.
(a) The Legislature finds that an effective and efficient system of doctoral-level education is vital to providing for the economic well-being of the citizens of West Virginia and for accomplishing established state goals and objectives. As the only research and doctoral granting public universities in the state, Marshall University and West Virginia University are major assets to the citizens of West Virginia and must be an integral part of any plan to strengthen and expand the economy.
(b) The Legislature further finds that these two institutions must compete in both a national and global environment that is rapidly changing, while they continue to provide high quality education that is both affordable and accessible and remain accountable to the people of West Virginia for the most efficient and effective use of scarce resources.
(c) The Legislature further finds that Marshall University and West Virginia University, under the direction of their respective governing boards, have sufficient staff and internal expertise to manage operational governance of their institutions in an efficient and accountable manner and can best fulfill their public missions when their governing boards are given flexibility and autonomy sufficient to meet state goals established in this article and in section one-a, article one of this chapter.
(d) Therefore, the purposes of this article include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) Enhancing the competitive position of Marshall University and West Virginia University in the current environment for research and development;
(2) Providing the governing boards of these institutions with operational flexibility and autonomy including tools to promote economic development in West Virginia;
(3) Encouraging the development of research expertise in areas directly beneficial to the state; and
(4) Focusing the attention and resources of the governing boards on state goals and priorities to enhance the competitive position of the state and the economic, social and cultural well- being of its citizens.
(e) The following terms wherever used or referred to in this chapter have the following meaning, unless a different meaning plainly appears from the context
:
(1) "State institution of higher education known as Marshall University" means the doctoral-granting research institution and does not include Marshall Community and Technical College; and
(2) "State institution of higher education known as West Virginia University" means the doctoral-granting research institution and does not include any of the following:
(A) The regional campus known as West Virginia University Institute of Technology;
(B) The administratively-linked institution known as the Community and Technical College at West Virginia University Institute of Technology; and
(C) The regional campus known as West Virginia University at Parkersburg.
(f) The governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University each have the power and the obligation to perform functions, tasks and duties as prescribed by law and to exercise their authority and carry out their responsibilities in a manner that is consistent with and not in conflict with the powers and duties assigned by law to the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education and the Higher Education Policy Commission;
(g) While the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, respectively, may choose to delegate powers and duties to the presidents of the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University
pursuant to subsection (s), section four, article two-a of this chapter, ultimately, it is they who are accountable to the Legislature, the Governor and the citizens of West Virginia for meeting the established state goals set forth in this article and section one-a, article one of this chapter. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature that grants of operational flexibility and autonomy be made directly to the governing boards and are not grants of operational flexibility and autonomy to the presidents of these institutions.
§18B-3-2. Computer and computer equipment donation program.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, the governing boards are authorized to create a program to donate surplus computers and computer-related equipment to education facilities, nonprofit organizations, juvenile detention centers, municipal and county public safety offices, and other public, charitable or educational enterprises or organizations in this state.
(a) Only equipment which otherwise would be transferred to the Surplus Property Unit of the Purchasing Division may be donated;
(b) The governing boards shall keep records and accounts that clearly identify the equipment donated, the age of the equipment, the reasons for declaring it obsolete, and the name of the education facility, nonprofit organization, juvenile detention center, municipal or county public safety office or other public, charitable or educational enterprise or organization to which the equipment was donated;
(c) Each governing board shall promulgate a rule in accordance with the provisions of section six, article one of this chapter to implement the donation program. The rules shall specify the procedures to be used for record keeping and shall provide for fair and impartial selection of equipment recipients.
§18B-3-3. Relationship of Governing Boards to the Commission and the Council.
(a) Relationship between the Commission and the governing boards:
(1) The Commission functions as a state-level coordinating board exercising its powers and duties in relation to the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University only as specifically prescribed by law;
(2) The primary responsibility of the Commission is to work collaboratively with the governing boards to research, develop
and propose policy that will achieve the established goals and objectives set forth in this chapter and chapter eighteen-c of this code; and
(3) The Commission has specific responsibility including, but not limited to, the following:
(A) Advocating for public higher education at the state level; and
(B) Collecting and analyzing data, researching, developing recommendations, and advising the Legislature and the Governor on broad policy initiatives, use of incentive funding, national and regional trends in higher education, and issues of resource allocation involving multiple governing boards.
(b)
Relationship between the Council and the governing boards:
(1) The Council maintains all powers and duties assigned to it by law or policy relating to the administratively-linked institution known as Marshall Community and Technical College, the administratively-linked institution known as the Community and Technical College at West Virginia University Institute of Technology, and the regional campus known as West Virginia University at Parkersburg;
(2) In addition to recognizing the authority assigned by law to the Council, it is the responsibility of the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University to exercise their authority and carry out their responsibilities in a manner that is consistent with and complementary to the powers and duties assigned by law or policy to the community and technical colleges or to the Council;
(3) It is further the responsibility of the governing boards to abide by the rules duly promulgated by the Council relating to the community and technical colleges, to strengthen the community and technical college mission of these institutions, to aid them in meeting the essential conditions set forth in section three, article three-c of this chapter, and to promote them to students, parents and the community as independently-accredited institutions in their own right.
(c) The governing boards shall work collaboratively with the Commission, the Council and their staff to provide any and all information requested by the Commission or the Council in an appropriate format and in a timely manner.
§18B-3-4. Duty of governing boards to address state priorities.
(a) The expertise of faculty and graduate students at the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University is important to every citizen of this state. It is the responsibility of the governing boards to channel this expertise into research and analysis that will yield measurable benefits to the citizens of West Virginia. Therefore, in addition to the goals for post-secondary education established in section one-a, article one of this chapter, and goals established elsewhere in this code, it is the responsibility of the governing boards in collaboration to concentrate attention and resources on certain specific state priorities that have a direct, positive impact on the economic, social, and cultural well-being of the people of West Virginia. These priorities include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) Developing Regional Brownfield Assistant Centers pursuant to section seven, article eleven of this chapter;
(2) Coordinating the delivery of professional development to educators in the public schools of the state pursuant to the provisions of article three-a, chapter eighteen of this code;
(3) Building subject matter expertise in public school finance, including mastery of the theories and concepts used in developing formulas to provide state-level financial support to public education;
(4) Researching, developing and recommending objective standards of accountability that may be used to determine when, or if, the governing board of a public institution of higher education other than Marshall University or West Virginia University, is prepared to meet the obligations required to receive greater operational flexibility and autonomy.
(A) In developing the standards, the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University shall draw upon available higher education research in the field and upon their own experiences;
(B) At least annually, the governing boards shall provide interim reports on the progress of their research to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance and the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability; and
(C) No later than the first day of December, two thousand eight, the governing boards shall complete their work and report their findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate the recommendations, to the Governor, the Joint Committee on Government and Finance and the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability; and
(5) Researching and proposing cost-efficient methods to the Legislature for governing boards other than Marshall University and West Virginia University to dispose of obsolete computers and computer-related equipment.
(b) The Legislature may, but is not required, to make additional appropriations for the benefit of the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University to assist them in fulfilling the purposes set forth in subsection (a) of this section.
(c) In addition to the priorities established in subsection (a) of this section, each governing board separately shall focus resources and attention on improving their graduation rates for undergraduate students as a specific institutional priority and shall develop goals to that end as follows:
(1) Marshall University shall attain a graduation rate for undergraduate students of forty percent by the first day of July, two thousand eight, and shall attain a graduation rate for undergraduate students of forty-five percent by the first day of July, two thousand ten.
(2) West Virginia University shall attain a graduation rate for undergraduate students of sixty percent by the first day of July, two thousand eight, and shall attain a graduation rate of sixty-three percent by the first day of July, two thousand ten.
(3) The Commission shall monitor and report by the first day of December, two thousand five and annually thereafter to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability on the progress of the governing boards toward meeting the goals set forth in subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection.
ARTICLE 4. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION.

§18B-4-5. Campus police officers; appointment; qualifications; authority; compensation and removal.
(a) The governing boards are hereby authorized to may appoint bona fide residents of this state to act serve as campus police officers upon any premises owned or leased by the State of West Virginia and under the jurisdiction of the governing boards, subject to the conditions and restrictions hereinafter imposed established in this section.
(1) A person who qualifies for employment as an officer in a state, local or municipal law-enforcement agency is not required to repeat any previously completed training prior to appointment as a campus police officer at either of the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University
.
(2) Before performing duties as a campus police officer in any county, each person so appointed shall first qualify therefor in the same manner as is a person shall qualify as is required of county police officers by: the
(A) Taking and filing of an oath of office as required by article one, chapter six of this code; and by
(B) Posting an official bond as required by article two, chapter six of this code.
(b) A campus police officer shall have authority to carry a gun and may carry a gun and any other dangerous weapon while on duty if the campus police officer fulfills the certification requirement for law-enforcement officers under section five, article twenty-nine, chapter thirty of this code.
(c) It is the duty of any person so appointed and qualified as a campus police officer to preserve law and order: only upon those
(1) On the premises under the jurisdiction of the governing boards and board; and
(2)
On any other street, road or thoroughfare, except controlled access and open country highways, immediately adjacent to or passing through such premises, to which the person may be officer is assigned by the president or other administrative head of the state institution of higher education.
(A) For this purpose the purpose of this subdivision the campus police officer is a law-enforcement officer pursuant to the provisions of section one, article twenty-nine, chapter thirty of this code. and as to offenses committed within any area so assigned
(B) The officer has and may exercise all the powers and authority and of a law-enforcement officer as to offenses committed within the area assigned;
(C) The officer is subject to all the requirements and responsibilities of a law-enforcement officer; Provided, That the assignment of campus police officers to the duties authorized by this section may not be deemed to
(D) Authority assigned pursuant to this subdivision does not supersede in any way the authority or duty of other peace law-enforcement officers to preserve law and order on such premises. In addition, the
(E) Campus police officers appointed under provisions of this section have authority to assist local peace officers may assist a local law-enforcement agency on public highways. in the control of The assistance may be provided to control traffic in and around premises owned by the state when: of West Virginia whenever such
(i) Traffic is generated as a result of athletic or other activities conducted or sponsored by a state institution of higher education; and when such
(ii) The assistance has been requested by the local peace officers local law-enforcement agency.
(F) For the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University only, campus police officers may assist a local law-enforcement agency in any location under the agency's jurisdiction at the request of the agency.
(d) The salary of all such campus police officers shall be a campus police officer is paid by the appropriate governing board. Each state institution may furnish each campus police officer with a firearm and an official uniform to be worn while on duty. and The institution shall furnish and require each officer while on duty to wear a shield with an appropriate inscription and to carry credentials certifying to the person's identity and authority as a campus police officer. The
(e) A governing boards board may at their its pleasure revoke the authority of any campus police officer. The president or other administrative head of the state institution of higher education shall report the termination of employment of a campus police officer by filing a notice to that effect in the office of the clerk of each county in which the campus police officer's oath of office was filed.
§18B-4-5a. Crimes committed on campus of institutions of higher education.
(a) The president or a designee of each state institution of higher education in this state shall on a regular and timely basis provide information to the public concerning alleged crimes occurring on the institution's property which have been reported to a campus police officer or any other officer of the institution.
(1) A crime shall be deemed reported whenever is considered reported when:
(A)
A campus police officer or other officer of the institution determines that the report is credible; when
(B) The report is submitted in writing and attested to by the victim on such forms as shall be made available by forms at the institution for such purpose; or when
(C) The institution is notified by a law-enforcement agency of the reporting of a crime alleged to have occurred on the institution's property.
(2) Such reports shall be are referred within twenty-four hours to the appropriate law-enforcement agencies, as defined in section one, article twenty-nine, chapter thirty of this code, for further investigation.
(b) For the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University only, the campus police shall investigate a crime within their respective jurisdictions for up to thirty days if the county prosecuting attorney does not sooner reassign the case to another agency.
(c) The information required to be made available to the public regarding the crime report shall be so available within ten days of the report. and The information shall include the nature of the criminal offense, the date of the offense, the general location of the offense (such as a designation of a specific building or area of the campus) and the time of day when the offense occurred. Provided, That this requirement shall not be construed to
(1) This subsection does not require the release of any information which may disclose the identity of the victim. Provided, however, That
(2) The institution shall withhold the information required to be made available to the public for a longer period upon certification of investigative need that the information be withheld from the public. such certification to
(A) The certification shall be filed by an officer of one of the investigating law-enforcement agencies with the president of the institution or the designee to whom the duties required by this section have been delegated. Provided further, That
(B) The required information may in no event not be withheld after an arrest has been made in connection with the crime report.
(d) For purposes of this section, "crime" is defined as those offenses required to be reported under the federal Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990, as amended, and under section eight-a, article one of this chapter. and "Crime" includes murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft and arrests for liquor, drug or weapons laws violations.
(e) The governing boards Council and Commission shall provide crime reporting forms to institutions under their respective jurisdictions and promulgate such a legislative rule pursuant to the provisions of article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code as are necessary for the implementation of to implement this section. Such The forms and rules shall be provided by the central office to other institutions of higher education in this state to assist them with the implementation of this section.
§18B-4-6. Acquisition, operation and regulation of parking areas and facilities at state institutions of higher education; regulation of parking, speed and flow of traffic on campus roads and driveways; civil and criminal penalties; disposition of revenue.
(a) The governing boards are hereby authorized to construct, maintain and operate automobile parking facilities or areas upon any premises owned or leased at any state institution of higher education under their jurisdiction for use by students, faculty, staff and visitors. The governing boards may charge fees for use of the parking facilities or areas under their control. All moneys collected for the use of the parking facilities or areas shall be paid to the credit of the state institution of higher education at which the fees were charged into a special fund which is hereby created in the State Treasury. The moneys in the fund shall be used first are used to pay the cost of maintaining and operating the parking facilities or areas. but
(1) Any excess not needed for this purpose may be used for the acquisition of property by lease or purchase and the construction thereon of additional parking facilities or areas. Any money in the fund not needed immediately for the acquisition, construction maintenance or operation of the parking facilities or areas may be temporarily invested by the governing boards with the state board of investments a governing board with the West Virginia Investment Management Board to the credit of the state institution of higher education at by which the fees were charged.
(2) For the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University only, the excess may be deposited into any account of the institution and used for any lawful purpose as determined by the institution. Any money in the fund not needed immediately for maintenance or operation of the parking facilities or areas may be temporarily invested by a governing board with the West Virginia Investment Management Board to the credit of the institution by which the fees were charged.
(b) Notwithstanding any other motor vehicle or traffic law or regulation to the contrary, the governing boards are hereby authorized to a governing board may regulate and control at any state institution of higher education under their under its jurisdiction the speed, flow and parking of vehicles on campus roads, driveways and parking facilities or areas.
(1) Rules for this purpose shall be promulgated by the governing boards in the manner prescribed in chapter twenty-nine-a of this code and in section six, article one of this chapter; and
(2) When so promulgated, shall the rules have the force and effect of law.
(3) The governing board shall post in a conspicuous location in each parking facility or area, a summary of the rules governing the use of the facility or area including, but not limited to, the availability of temporary parking permits and where same these permits may be obtained, and of the penalties which may be imposed for violations of the rules. shall be conspicuously posted
(4) The governing board shall post in a conspicuous location along each campus road and driveway, notice signs pertaining to the speed of vehicles, spaces available for parking, directional flow of traffic and penalties which may be imposed for violations of the rules. shall be conspicuously posted
(c) Any person parking or operating any vehicle or operating any a vehicle in violation of the rules shall be issued a citation:
(1) Describing the offense charged; and
(2) Ordering an appearance:
(A) Within ten days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays observed by the college or university state institution, before a designated official of the state institution of higher education, and institution;
(B) Before a magistrate located in the county if the person cited fails to appear within said the ten days; ordering an appearance before a magistrate located in the county in which the state institution of higher education is located or
(C) Before the judge of the municipal court, if the state institution of higher education is located within a municipality having such an official, and the person cited fails to appear within the ten days.
(d) The designated official of the state institution of higher education shall have has exclusive jurisdiction of the offense during the ten-day period until the citations are forwarded to a magistrate. For the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University only, the designated official of the institution has exclusive jurisdiction of the offense for thirty days following the violation. After thirty days the official forwards the citation to a magistrate. Any person so cited may plead no contest to the offense and, by so pleading, shall be is subject to a civil penalty to be determined uniformly by the designated official and commensurate with the severity of the offense. in an amount not more than ten For the state institutions known as Marshall University and West Virginia University only, the amount imposed may not exceed fifty dollars, and for all other institutions the amount may not exceed ten dollars, for each offense as partial reimbursement to the state institution of higher education for the cost of regulating traffic and parking. In the case of the state institutions known as Marshall University and West Virginia University only, the designated official shall determine the penalty uniformly, commensurate with the severity of the offense, and may apply academic restrictions in lieu of requiring a student to appear in court and receive penalties otherwise provided in this section. Moneys derived from civil penalties imposed herein shall be deposited in the special fund in the State Treasury created by this section and credited to the state institution of higher education at to which the penalty was paid.
(e) Upon the expiration of the ten days ten-day or thirty-day period, as applicable, or upon a pleading of not guilty before the designated official of the state institution of higher education within the ten days applicable period, the magistrate or judge of the municipal court shall have has jurisdiction of the offense. and Any person cited under the provisions of this section, upon a finding of guilty by the magistrate or municipal judge, shall be is subject to a fine of for each offense by the state institutions known as Marshall University and West Virginia University only, of up to one hundred dollars, and at all other state institutions not less than ten dollars nor more than twenty dollars, for each offense the amount to be commensurate with the severity of the offense.
(f) Each designated official of the a state institution of higher education presiding over a case under the provisions of this section shall keep or cause to be kept a record of every citation which alleges a violation of such provisions, or the rules promulgated in accordance therewith, and shall keep a record of every official action in reference thereto including, but not limited to, a record of every plea of no contest, conviction or acquittal, of the offense charged, and the amount of the fine or of the civil penalty resulting from each citation.
(d) (g) Whenever a vehicle is parked on any state institution of higher education campus road, driveway or parking facility or area in a manner which violates posted rules and substantially impedes the flow of traffic or endangers the health and safety, the institution may, in addition to the issuing of a citation and subsequent procedures set forth herein, remove the vehicle, by towing or otherwise, to an area owned by the institution or areas designated for this purpose. The vehicle, having been towed to the designated area or areas, may be rendered immovable by use of locking wheel blocks or other device not damaging to the vehicle. The state institution of higher education shall maintain any vehicle so towed in the same condition as it was immediately prior to being towed, but shall not be liable for any damage to a vehicle towed to, or kept in, a designated area pursuant to the provisions of this section. The state institution of higher education shall pay for the cost of removing the vehicle and shall have a right to reimbursement from the owner for this cost and for the reasonable cost of keeping the vehicle in the designated area. Until payment of these costs, the state institution of higher education may retain possession of the vehicle, and the institution shall have a lien on the vehicle for the amount due. The state institution of higher education may enforce this lien in the manner provided in section fourteen, article eleven, chapter thirty-eight of this code for the enforcement of other liens. For the state institutions known as Marshall University and West Virginia University only, the provisions of this subsection also apply when a vehicle is subject to three or more unpaid citations.
§18B-4-7. Accreditation of institutions of higher education; standards for degrees.

The Council shall make rules for the accreditation of community and technical colleges in this state and shall determine the minimum standards for conferring degrees. The Commission shall make rules for the accreditation of colleges and universities in this state, except the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University shall make rules for the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University, and shall determine the minimum standards for conferring degrees. The governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University shall promulgate rules pursuant to the provisions of section six, article one of this chapter, for the accreditation of the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University. An institution of higher education may not confer any degree on any basis of work or merit below the minimum standards prescribed by the Council, or Commission or the governing boards. Nothing in this section infringes upon the rights, including rights to award degrees, granted to any institution by charter given according to law, or by actions of the Council or Commission or their predecessors, prior to the effective date of this section. With the approval of the Commission, governing boards of institutions which currently offer substantial undergraduate course offerings and a master's degree in a discipline are authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees in that discipline.
Except as otherwise provided in this section, a charter or other instrument containing the right to confer degrees of higher education status may not be granted by the State of West Virginia to any institution, association or organization within the state, nor may any such degree be awarded, until the condition of conferring the degree has first been approved in writing by the Council, or Commission or appropriate governing board.
ARTICLE 5. HIGHER EDUCATION BUDGETS AND EXPENDITURES.

§18B-5-3. Authority to contract for programs, services and facilities.

The governing boards, and the Commission, and the Council are authorized and empowered to enter into contracts and expend funds for programs, services and facilities provided by public and private education institutions, associations, boards, agencies, consortia, corporations, partnerships, individuals and local, state and federal governmental bodies within and outside of West Virginia in order that maximum higher education opportunities of high quality may be provided to the citizens of the state in the most economical manner. In no event may a contract for such services and facilities be entered into unless the Commission, the Council or the governing boards have determined that such services and facilities are necessary and would be at a savings to the state.
§18B-5-4. Purchase or acquisition of materials, supplies, equipment, services and printing.

(a) The Council, Commission and each governing board, through the vice chancellor for administration, shall purchase or acquire all materials, supplies, equipment, services and printing required for that governing board or the Council or Commission, as appropriate, and the state institutions of higher education under their jurisdiction, except the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, respectively, are subject to the provisions of subsection (c) of this section.
(b) The Commission and Council jointly shall adopt rules governing and controlling acquisitions and purchases in accordance with the provisions of this section. The rules shall assure that the Council, Commission and governing boards:
(1) Do not preclude any person from participating and making sales thereof to the governing board or to the Council or Commission except as otherwise provided in section five of this article. Provision of consultant services such as strategic planning services will not preclude or inhibit the governing boards, Council or Commission from considering any qualified bid or response for delivery of a product or a commodity because of the rendering of those consultant services;
(2) Establish and prescribe specifications, in all proper cases, for materials, supplies, equipment, services and printing to be purchased;
(3) Adopt and prescribe such purchase order, requisition or other forms as may be required;
(4) Negotiate for and make purchases and acquisitions in such quantities, at such times and under contract, in the open market or through other accepted methods of governmental purchasing as may be practicable in accordance with general law;
(5) Advertise for bids on all purchases exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars, to purchase by means of sealed bids and competitive bidding or to effect advantageous purchases through other accepted governmental methods and practices;
(6) Post notices of all acquisitions and purchases for which competitive bids are being solicited in the purchasing office of the specified institution involved in the purchase, at least two weeks prior to making such purchases and ensure that the notice is available to the public during business hours;
(7) Provide for purchasing in the open market;
(8) Provide for vendor notification of bid solicitation and emergency purchasing;
(9) Provide that competitive bids are not required for purchases of twenty-five thousand dollars or less; and
(10) Provide for not fewer than three bids where bidding is required. If fewer than three bids are submitted, an award may be made from among those received.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, a contract, purchase order, or bond entered into either jointly or separately by the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University pursuant to this section does not require the approval of the Attorney General as to form or substance. A public officer or employee may not submit any such contract, purchase order or bond to the Attorney General without the permission of the Marshall University or West Virginia University, respectively; however, these institutions voluntarily may seek the assistance of the Attorney General in drafting and reviewing such documents.
(d) Pursuant to this subsection, the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, respectively, may:
(1) Purchase or acquire all materials, supplies, equipment, services and printing required for the governing board without approval from the Commission or the Vice Chancellor for Administration and may issue checks in advance to cover postage as provided in subsection (f) of this section;
(2) Make purchases from cooperative buying groups, consortia, the federal government or from federal government contracts if the materials, supplies, services, equipment or printing to be purchased is available from these groups and if this would be the most financially advantageous manner of making the purchase;
(3) Select and acquire by contract or lease all grounds, buildings, office space or other space, the rental of which is necessarily required by the governing board;
(4) Use purchase cards under terms approved for the Commission, the Council and governing boards of state institutions of higher education and participate in any expanded program of use as provided in subsection (u) of this section; and
(e) The governing boards shall adopt sufficient accounting and auditing procedures and promulgate and adopt appropriate rules subject to the provisions of section six, article one of this chapter, to govern and control acquisitions, purchases, leases and other instruments for grounds, buildings, office or other space or lease-purchase agreements.
(b) (f) The Council, Commission or each governing board, through the vice chancellor for administration, may issue a check in advance to a company supplying postage meters for postage used by that board, the Council or Commission and by the state institutions of higher education under their jurisdiction.
(c) (g) When a purchase is to be made by bid, any or all bids may be rejected. However, all purchases based on advertised bid requests shall be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder taking into consideration the qualities of the articles to be supplied, their conformity with specifications, their suitability to the requirements of the governing boards, Council or Commission and delivery terms. The preference for resident vendors as provided in section thirty-seven, article three, chapter five-a of this code apply to the competitive bids made pursuant to this section.
(d) (h) The governing boards, Council and Commission shall maintain a purchase file, which shall be a public record and open for public inspection. After the award of the order or contract, the governing boards, Council and Commission shall indicate upon the successful bid that it was the successful bid and shall further indicate why bids are rejected and, if the mathematical low vendor is not awarded the order or contract, the reason therefor. A record in the purchase file may not be destroyed without the written consent of the Legislative Auditor. Those files in which the original documentation has been held for at least one year and in which the original documents have been reproduced and archived on microfilm or other equivalent method of duplication may be destroyed without the written consent of the Legislative Auditor. All files, no matter the storage method, shall be open for inspection by the Legislative Auditor upon request.
(e) (i) The Commission and Council also jointly shall adopt rules to prescribe qualifications to be met by any person who is to be employed as a buyer pursuant to this section. These rules shall require that a person may not be employed as a buyer unless that person, at the time of employment, either is:
(1) A graduate of an accredited college or university; or
(2) Has at least four years' experience in purchasing for any unit of government or for any business, commercial or industrial enterprise.
(f) (j) Any person making purchases and acquisitions pursuant to this section shall execute a bond in the penalty of fifty thousand dollars, payable to the State of West Virginia, with a corporate bonding or surety company authorized to do business in this state as surety thereon, in form prescribed by the Attorney General and conditioned upon the faithful performance of all duties in accordance with this section and sections five through eight, inclusive, of this article and the rules of the governing board and the Council and Commission. In lieu of separate bonds for such buyers, a blanket surety bond may be obtained. Any such bond shall be filed with the Secretary of State. The cost of any such bond shall be paid from funds appropriated to the applicable governing board or the Council or Commission.
(g) (k) All purchases and acquisitions shall be made in consideration and within limits of available appropriations and funds and in accordance with applicable provisions of article two, chapter five-a of this code relating to expenditure schedules and quarterly allotments of funds. Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, only those purchases exceeding the dollar amount for competitive sealed bids in this section are required to be encumbered and they may be entered into the state's centralized accounting system by the staff of the Commission, Council or governing boards to satisfy the requirements of article two, chapter five-a, and specifically sections twenty-six, twenty-seven and twenty-eight of said article two, to determine whether the amount of the purchase is within the Commission's, Council's or governing board's quarterly allotment, is in accordance with the approved expenditure schedule, and otherwise conforms to the provisions of article two, chapter five-a of this code.
(h) (l) The governing boards, Council and Commission may make requisitions upon the Auditor for a sum to be known as an advance allowance account, not to exceed five percent of the total of the appropriations for the governing board, Council or Commission, and the Auditor shall draw a warrant upon the Treasurer for such accounts. All advance allowance accounts shall be accounted for by the applicable governing board or the Council or Commission once every thirty days or more often if required by the State Auditor.
(i) (m) Contracts entered into pursuant to this section shall be signed by the applicable governing board or the Council or Commission in the name of the state and shall be approved as to form by the Attorney General. A contract which requires approval as to form by the Attorney General is considered approved if the Attorney General has not responded within fifteen days of presentation of the contract. A contract or a change order for that contract and notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, associated documents such as performance and labor/material payments, bonds and certificates of insurance which use terms and conditions or standardized forms previously approved by the Attorney General and do not make substantive changes in the terms and conditions of the contract do not require approval by the Attorney General. The Attorney General shall make a list of those changes which he or she deems considers to be substantive and the list, and any changes thereto, shall be published in the state register. A contract that exceeds the dollar amount requiring competitive sealed bids in this section shall be filed with the State Auditor. If requested to do so, the governing boards, Council or Commission shall make all contracts available for inspection by the State Auditor. The governing board, Council or Commission, as appropriate, shall prescribe the amount of deposit or bond to be submitted with a bid or contract, if any, and the amount of deposit or bond to be given for the faithful performance of a contract.
(j) (n) If the governing board, Council or Commission purchases or contracts for materials, supplies, equipment, services and printing contrary to the provisions of sections four through seven of this article or the rules pursuant thereto, such purchase or contract is void and of no effect.
(k) (o) Any governing board or the Council or Commission, as appropriate, may request the Director of purchases to make available, from time to time, the facilities and services of that department to the governing boards, Council or Commission in the purchase and acquisition of materials, supplies, equipment, services and printing and the Director of purchases shall cooperate with that governing board, Council or Commission, as appropriate, in all such purchases and acquisitions upon such request.
(l) (p) Each governing board or the Council or Commission, as appropriate, shall permit private institutions of higher education to join as purchasers on purchase contracts for materials, supplies, services and equipment entered into by that governing board or the Council or Commission. Any private school desiring to join as purchasers on such purchase contracts shall file with that governing board or the Council or Commission an affidavit signed by the president of the institution of higher education or a designee requesting that it be authorized to join as purchaser on purchase contracts of that governing board or the Council or Commission, as appropriate. The private school shall agree that it is bound by such terms and conditions as that governing board or the Council or Commission may prescribe and that it will be responsible for payment directly to the vendor under each purchase contract.
(m) (q) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, the governing boards, Council and Commission, as appropriate, may make purchases from cooperative buying groups, consortia, the federal government or from federal government contracts if the materials, supplies, services, equipment or printing to be purchased is available from cooperative buying groups, consortia, the federal government or from a federal contract and purchasing from the cooperative buying groups, consortia, federal government or from a federal government contract would be the most financially advantageous manner of making the purchase.
(n) (r) An independent performance audit of all purchasing functions and duties which are performed at any institution of higher education, except Marshall University and West Virginia University, shall be performed each fiscal year. The Joint Committee on Government and Finance shall conduct the performance audit and the governing boards, Council and Commission, as appropriate, are responsible for paying the cost of the audit from funds appropriated to the governing boards, Council or Commission.
(1) The governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, respectively, shall provide for independent performance audits of all purchasing functions and duties on their campuses at least once in each three-year period.
(2) Each audit shall be inclusive of the entire time period that has elapsed since the date of the preceding audit.
(3) Copies of all appropriate documents relating to any audit performed by the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University shall be furnished to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance and the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability within thirty days of the date the audit report is completed.
(o) (s) The governing boards shall require each institution under their respective jurisdictions to notify and inform every vendor doing business with that institution of the provisions of section fifty-four, article three, chapter five-a of this code, also known as the "Prompt Pay Act of 1990."
(p) (t) Consultant services, such as strategic planning services, may not preclude or inhibit the governing boards, Council or Commission from considering any qualified bid or response for delivery of a product or a commodity because of the rendering of those consultant services.
(q) (u) After the Commission or Council, as appropriate, has granted approval for lease-purchase arrangements by the governing boards, a governing board may enter into lease-purchase arrangements for capital improvements, including equipment, except the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University are authorized to enter into lease-purchase arrangements for the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University without seeking the approval of the Commission or the Council. Any lease-purchase arrangement so entered shall constitute a special obligation of the State of West Virginia. The obligation under a lease-purchase arrangement so entered may be from any funds legally available to the institution and must be cancelable at the option of the governing board or institution at the end of any fiscal year. The obligation, any assignment or securitization thereof, never constitutes an indebtedness of the State of West Virginia or any department, agency or political subdivision thereof, within the meaning of any constitutional provision or statutory limitation, and may not be a charge against the general credit or taxing powers of the state or any political subdivision thereof. Such facts shall be plainly stated in any lease-purchase agreement. Further, the lease-purchase agreement shall prohibit assignment or securitization without consent of the lessee and the approval of the Attorney General of West Virginia. Proposals for any arrangement must be requested in accordance with the requirements of this section and any rules or guidelines of the Commission and Council. In addition, any lease-purchase agreement which exceeds one hundred thousand dollars total shall be approved by the Attorney General of West Virginia. The interest component of any lease-purchase obligation is exempt from all taxation of the State of West Virginia, except inheritance, estate and transfer taxes. It is the intent of the Legislature that if the requirements set forth in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any regulations promulgated pursuant thereto are met, the interest component of any lease-purchase obligation also is exempt from the gross income of the recipient for purposes of federal income taxation and may be designated by the governing board or the president of the institution as a bank-qualified obligation.
(r) (v) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, the Commission, Council and governing boards have the authority, in the name of the state, to lease, or offer to lease, as lessee, any grounds, buildings, office or other space in accordance with this paragraph and as provided below:
(1) The Commission, Council and governing boards have sole authority to select and to acquire by contract or lease all grounds, buildings, office space or other space, the rental of which is necessarily required by the Commission, Council or governing boards for the institutions under their jurisdiction. For state institutions of higher education other than Marshall University and West Virginia University, the chief executive officer of the Commission, Council or an institution shall certify the following:
(A) That the grounds, buildings, office space or other space requested is necessarily required for the proper function of the Commission, Council or institution;
(B) That the Commission, Council or institution will be responsible for all rent and other necessary payments in connection with the contract or lease; and
(C) That satisfactory grounds, buildings, office space or other space is not available on grounds and in buildings currently owned or leased by the Commission, Council or the institution.
Before executing any rental contract or lease, the Commission, Council or a governing board shall determine the fair rental value for the rental of the requested grounds, buildings, office space or other space, in the condition in which they exist, and shall contract for or lease the premises at a price not to exceed the fair rental value.
(2) The Commission, Council and governing boards are authorized to enter into long-term agreements for buildings, land and space for periods longer than one fiscal year but not to exceed forty years. Any purchase of real estate, any lease-purchase agreement and any construction of new buildings or other acquisition of buildings, office space or grounds resulting therefrom, pursuant to the provisions of this subsection shall be presented by the policy Commission or Council, as appropriate, to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance for prior review. Any such lease shall contain, in substance, all the following provisions:
(A) That the Commission, Council or governing board, as lessee, has the right to cancel the lease without further obligation on the part of the lessee upon giving thirty days' written notice to the lessor at least thirty days prior to the last day of the succeeding month;
(B) That the lease is considered canceled without further obligation on the part of the lessee if the Legislature or the federal government fails to appropriate sufficient funds therefor or otherwise acts to impair the lease or cause it to be canceled; and
(C) That the lease is considered renewed for each ensuing fiscal year during the term of the lease unless it is canceled by the Commission, Council or governing board before the end of the then-current fiscal year.
(3) The Commission, Council or institution which is granted any grounds, buildings, office space or other space leased in accordance with this section may not order or make permanent changes of any type thereto, unless the Commission, Council or governing board, as appropriate, has first determined that the change is necessary for the proper, efficient and economically sound operation of the institution. For purposes of this section, a "permanent change" means any addition, alteration, improvement, remodeling, repair or other change involving the expenditure of state funds for the installation of any tangible thing which cannot be economically removed from the grounds, buildings, office space or other space when vacated by the institution.
(4) Leases and other instruments for grounds, buildings, office or other space, once approved by the Commission, Council or governing board, may be signed by the chief executive officer of the Commission, Council or institution. Any lease or instrument exceeding one hundred thousand dollars annually shall be approved as to form by the Attorney General except any lease or instrument approved by the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, respectively. A lease or other instrument for grounds, buildings, office or other space that contains a term, including any options, of more than six months for its fulfillment shall be filed with the State Auditor.
(5) The Commission and Council jointly may promulgate rules they consider necessary to carry out the provisions of this section. The governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University shall promulgate rules pursuant to section six, article one of this chapter to implement the provisions of this section.
(s) (w) Purchasing card use may be expanded by the Council, Commission and state institutions of higher education pursuant to the provisions of this subsection.
(1) The Council and Commission jointly shall establish procedures to be implemented by the Council, Commission and any institution under their respective jurisdictions using purchasing cards. The procedures shall ensure that each maintains:
(A) Appropriate use of the purchasing card system;
(B) Full compliance with the provisions of article three, chapter twelve of this code relating to the purchasing card program; and
(C) Sufficient accounting and auditing procedures for all purchasing card transactions.
(2) By the first day of November, two thousand four, the Council and Commission jointly shall present the procedures to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability for its adoption.
(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, if the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability adopts the procedures, the Council, Commission, and any institution authorized pursuant to subdivision (4) of this subsection, may use purchasing cards for:
(A) Travel expenses directly related to the job duties of the traveling employee, including fuel and food; and
(B) Any routine, regularly-scheduled payment, including, but not limited to, utility payments and real property rental fees. The Council, Commission and each institution annually by the thirtieth day of June, shall provide to the State Purchasing Division a list of all goods or services for which payment was made pursuant to this provision during that fiscal year.
(4) The Commission and Council each shall evaluate the capacity of each institution under its jurisdiction for complying with the procedures established pursuant to subdivision (3) of this subsection. The Commission and Council each shall authorize expanded use of purchasing cards pursuant to said subdivision (3) for any such institution it determines has the capacity to comply.
§18B-5-7. Disposition of obsolete and unusable equipment, surplus supplies and other unneeded materials.
(a) The Commission, the Council and the governing boards shall dispose of obsolete and unusable equipment, surplus supplies and other unneeded materials, either by transfer to other governmental agencies or institutions, by exchange or trade, or by sale as junk or otherwise. The commission, the Council and each governing board shall adopt rules governing and controlling the disposition of all such equipment, supplies and materials.
(1) At least ten days prior to the disposition, the Commission, the Council or the governing boards, as applicable, shall advertise, by newspaper publication as a Class II legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of article three, chapter fifty-nine of this code, in the county in which the equipment, supplies and materials are located the availability or sales of such disposable equipment, supplies and materials.
(2) The Commission, the Council or governing boards, as applicable, may sell the disposable equipment, supplies and materials, in whole or in part, at public auction or by sealed bid, or may transfer, exchange or trade the same to other governmental agencies or institutions (if by transfer, exchange or trade, then without advertising), in whole or in part, as sound business practices may warrant under existing circumstances and conditions.
(3) The requirements set forth in subsection (a) of this section, apply to Marshall University and West Virginia University relating only to those items of obsolete and unusable equipment, surplus supplies and other unneeded materials that exceed five thousand dollars in recorded net book value. Marshall University and West Virginia University may dispose of obsolete and unusable computers and computer-related equipment pursuant to the provisions of section two, article three of this chapter.
(b) The Commission, Council or governing board, as appropriate, except for Marshall University and West Virginia University, shall report semiannually annually to the Legislative Auditor, all sales of commodities made during the preceding six months.
(1) The report shall include a description of the commodities sold, the name of the buyer to whom each commodity was sold, and the price paid by the buyer.
(2) Marshall University and West Virginia University shall report biannually to the Legislative Auditor the total sales of commodities made during the preceding biennium along with the total recorded net book value of such commodities.
(c) The proceeds of sales or transfers shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit on a pro rata basis of the fund or funds from which the purchase of the particular commodities or expendable commodities was made. The Commission, Council or governing board, as appropriate, may charge and assess fees reasonably related to the costs of care and handling with respect to the transfer, warehousing, sale and distribution of state property that is disposed of or sold pursuant to the provisions of this section.
§18B-5-9. Higher education fiscal responsibility.
(a) The governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University each shall ensure the fiscal integrity of its operations using best business and management practices.
(1) The practices include at least the following:
(A) Complying with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GAAP); and the Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards of the Government Accountability Office (GAGAS);
(B) Operating without material weakness in internal controls as defined by GAAP, GAGAS and, where applicable, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-133;
(C) Maintaining annual audited financial statements with an unqualified opinion;
(D) Presenting annual audited financial statements to the respective governing board;
(E) Maintaining quarterly financial statements certified by the chief financial officer of the institution; and
(F) Implementing best practices from Sarbanes-Oxley, or adopting the applicable tenets of Sarbanes-Oxley as best practices.
(2) Marshall University, West Virginia University and the research corporation of each:
(A) Shall comply with the OMB Circular A-133 annual grant award audit requirements; and
(B) Is exempt from the provisions of section fourteen, article four, chapter twelve of this code.
(3) Within thirty days of the completion of the financial audit report, the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University each shall furnish to the Commission, the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability, and the Joint Committee on Government and Finance copies of the annual audited financial statements.
(a) (b) The Commission or Council, as appropriate shall ensure the fiscal integrity of any electronic process conducted at its offices or at any institution and at all other institutions using best business and management practices.
(b) (c) Marshall University, West Virginia University, the Council and the Commission each shall implement a process whereby, to the maximum extent practicable, employees of Marshall University, West Virginia University, the Council, Commission and any state institution all other state institutions of higher education receive their wages via electronic transfer or direct deposit.
(c) (d) Notwithstanding the provisions of section ten-a, article three, chapter twelve of this code, and except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the amount of any purchase made with a purchasing card used by the Council, the Commission or any other institution of higher education may not exceed five thousand dollars.
(1) Subject to approval of the purchasing division of the department of administration auditor, any emergency payment and any routine, regularly-scheduled payment, including, but not limited to, utility payments, contracts and real property rental fees may exceed this amount limit by an amount to be determined by the auditor.
(2)
The Council, Commission or and any state institution of higher education may use a purchasing card for travel expenses directly related to the job duties of the traveling employee. Where approved by the auditor, such expenses may exceed five thousand dollars by an amount to be determined by the auditor. Traveling expenses may include registration fees and airline and other transportation reservations, if approved by the administrative head president of the institution. For the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, traveling expenses may not include fuel or and food purchases.
(3) The state institutions known as Marshall University and West Virginia University each shall maintain one purchasing card for use only in a situation declared an emergency by the institution's president. The Council, Commission and each institution all other institutions shall maintain one purchase card for use only in and for situations a situation declared an emergency by the president of the institution and approved by the appropriate chancellor. Such Emergencies may include, but are not limed to, partial or total destruction of a campus facility; loss of a critical component of utility infrastructure; heating, ventilation or air condition failure in an essential academic building; loss of campus road, parking lot or campus entrance; or a local, regional, or national emergency situation that has a direct impact on the campus.
(d) (e) Notwithstanding the provisions of section ten-f, article three, chapter twelve of this code, or any other provision of this code or law to the contrary, by the thirtieth day of June, two thousand four the auditor shall accept any receiving report submitted in a format utilizing electronic media. and from the effective date of this section The auditor shall conduct any audit or investigation of the Council, Commission or any institution at its own expense and at no cost to the Council, Commission or institution.
(e) The Legislature finds that an emergency exists, and, therefore, by the first day of July, two thousand three
(f) The Council and the commission shall file an emergency the Commission each shall maintain a legislative rule in accordance with the provisions of article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code. The rule shall provide for institutions individually or cooperatively to maximize their use of any of the following purchasing practices that are determined to provide a financial advantage:
(1) Bulk purchasing;
(2) Reverse bidding;
(3) Electronic marketplaces; and
(4) Electronic remitting.
(f) (g) Each institution shall establish a consortium with at least one other institution in the most cost-efficient manner feasible, to consolidate the following operations and student services:
(1) Payroll operations;
(2) Human resources operations;
(3) Warehousing operations;
(4) Financial transactions;
(5) Student financial aid application, processing and disbursement;
(6) Standard and bulk purchasing; and
(7) Any other operation or service appropriate for consolidation as determined by the Council or Commission.
(g) (h) An institution may charge a fee to each institution for which it provides a service or performs an operation. The fee rate shall be in the best interest of both the institution being served and the providing institution, as approved by the Council and Commission.
(h) (i) Any community and technical college, college and university may provide the services authorized by this section for the benefit of any governmental body or public or private institution.
(i) Commencing with the two thousand four fall academic term
(j) Each institution shall reduce strive to minimize its number of low-enrollment sections of introductory courses. To the maximum extent practicable, institutions shall use distance learning to consolidate the course sections. Marshall University, West Virginia University, the Council and Commission shall report the progress of the reduction to reductions as requested by the legislative oversight commission on education accountability. by the first day of December, two thousand four
(j) (k) An institution shall use its natural resources and alternative fuel resources to the maximum extent feasible. The institution:
(1) May supply the resources for its own use and for use by any other institution; The institution
(2) May supply the resources to the general public at fair market value; An institution
(3) Shall maximize all federal or grant funds available for research regarding alternative energy sources; and
(4) May develop research parks to further the purpose of this section and to expand the economic development opportunities in the state.
(k) (l) Any cost-savings realized or fee procured or retained by an institution pursuant to implementation of the provisions of this section shall be is retained by the institution.
(l) In assuring the fiscal integrity of processes implemented under this section, at a minimum, the commission has the following responsibilities:
(1) To conduct a performance audit of the policies, procedures and results of the procurement of goods and service by the state institutions of higher education;
(2) To make progress reports on the implementation of this section to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability throughout the two thousand three interim meetings period;
(3) To make a comprehensive report to the legislative oversight commission on education accountability by the first day of December, two thousand three, on the result of the performance audit, together with any recommendations for additional actions that might be taken to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and economy of the administrative operations of the state institution of higher education, and the commission.
(m) The provisions of subsection (b) of this section do not apply to the state institutions known as Marshall University and West Virginia University. Each is authorized but not required to comply with the provisions of subsections (f), (g) and (h) of this section.
(1) Each governing board shall promulgate a rule on purchasing procedures pursuant to the provisions of section six, article one of this chapter. Neither institution is subject to the rules required by said subsection (f).
(2) If either governing board elects to implement the provisions of said subsection (g), the following conditions apply:
(A) The governing board makes the determination regarding any additional operation or service which is appropriate for consolidation without input from the Council or Commission;
(B) The governing board sets the fee charged to any institution for which it provides a service or performs an operation. The fee rate shall be in the best interest of both the institution being served and the providing institution, but it is not subject to approval by the Council or Commission; and
(C) The governing board may not implement the provisions of this subdivision in a manner which supercedes the requirements established in section twelve, article three-c of this chapter.
(m) The Commission shall report annually to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability regarding any savings achieved by implementing the provisions of this section.
§18B-5-10. Legislative findings; study of insurance and risk management plans by Joint Committee on Government and Finance; report.

(a) The Legislature finds that, while recent reforms have helped to address the rising costs and limited availability of medical malpractice and risk management insurance in West Virginia, the state's doctoral-granting research universities and their medical schools continue to face significant challenges related to the cost and operation of insurance and risk management programs.
(b) The Legislature further finds that the availability of cost-efficient insurance and risk management programs is essential to the long-term financial integrity and viability of these universities and their medical and other health professional schools.
(c) It is the responsibility of the Legislature to make the best use of available resources and to assure the availability of high quality medical education to meet the needs of the citizens of the state. Therefore, the Joint Committee on Government and Finance shall authorize a study for the purpose of making specific and detailed recommendations to the Legislature. The study shall include, but is not limited to, the following:
(1) Analyzing the legality and feasibility of authorizing the state's doctoral-granting research universities and their medical and other health professional schools to participate in a self- insurance or a private insurance plan and evaluating the financial impact on the state's risk and insurance management programs; and
(2) Collecting and analyzing data in the following areas:
(A) The number of physicians at the state's doctoral-granting research universities and their medical and other health professional schools who are insured through Board of Risk and Insurance Management programs; and
(B) For physicians who are covered by Board of Risk and Insurance Management programs, determining the number who are employed by the state; the number employed by each university, and the number who are adjunct teaching faculty.
(d) The Joint Committee on Government and Finance shall report to the regular session of the Legislature, two thousand six, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations and shall make copies of its findings, conclusions, and recommendations available to the Governor and to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability.
ARTICLE 10. FEES AND OTHER MONEY COLLECTED AT STATE INSTITUTIONS
OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
§18B-10-1. Enrollment, tuition and other fees at education institutions; refund of fees.

(a) Each governing board shall fix tuition and other fees for each school term for the different classes or categories of students enrolling at each state institution of higher education under its jurisdiction and may include among the tuition and fees any one or more of the following as defined in section one-b of this article:
(1) Tuition and required educational and general fees;
(2) Auxiliary and auxiliary capital fees; and
(3) Required educational and general capital fees.
(b) An institution may establish a single special revenue account for each of the following classifications of fees:
(1) All tuition and required educational and general fees collected;
(2) All auxiliary and auxiliary capital fees collected; and
(3) All required educational and general capital fees collected to support existing system-wide and institutional debt service and future systemwide and institutional debt service, capital projects and campus renewal for educational and general facilities.
(4) Subject to any covenants or restrictions imposed with respect to revenue bonds payable from such accounts, an institution may expend funds from each such special revenue account for any purpose for which funds were collected within that account regardless of the original purpose for which the funds were collected.
(c) The purposes for which tuition and fees may be expended include, but are not limited to, health services, student activities, recreational, athletic and extracurricular activities. Additionally, tuition and fees may be used to finance a student's attorney to perform legal services for students in civil matters at the institutions: Provided, That the legal services are limited only to those types of cases, programs or services approved by the administrative head of the institution where the legal services are to be performed.
(d) The Commission and Council jointly shall propose a rule for legislative approval in accordance with the provisions of article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to govern the fixing, collection and expenditure of tuition and other fees.
(e) The Legislature finds that an emergency exists and, therefore, the Commission and Council jointly shall file the rule required by subsection (d) of this section as an emergency rule pursuant to the provisions of article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, subject to the prior approval of the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability.
(f) The schedule of all tuition and fees, and any changes therein, shall be entered in the minutes of the meeting of the appropriate governing board and the board shall file with the Commission or Council, or both, as appropriate, and the legislative auditor a certified copy of such schedule and changes.
(g) The boards shall establish the rates to be charged full-time students, as defined in section one-b of this article, who are enrolled during a regular academic term.
(1) Undergraduate students taking fewer than twelve credit hours in a regular term shall have their fees reduced pro rata based upon one twelfth of the full-time rate per credit hour and graduate students taking fewer than nine credit hours in a regular term shall have their fees reduced pro rata based upon one ninth of the full-time rate per credit hour.
(2) Fees for students enrolled in summer terms or other nontraditional time periods shall be prorated based upon the number of credit hours for which the student enrolls in accordance with the above provisions.
(h) All fees are due and payable by the student upon enrollment and registration for classes except as provided in this subsection:
(1) The governing boards shall permit fee payments to be made in installments over the course of the academic term. All fees shall be paid prior to the awarding of course credit at the end of the academic term.
(2) The governing boards also shall authorize the acceptance of credit cards or other payment methods which may be generally available to students for the payment of fees. The governing boards may charge the students for the reasonable and customary charges incurred in accepting credit cards and other methods of payment.
(3) If a governing board determines that a student's finances are affected adversely by a legal work stoppage, it may allow the student an additional six months to pay the fees for any academic term. The governing board shall determine on a case-by-case basis if the finances of a student are affected adversely.
(4) The Commission and Council jointly shall propose a rule in accordance with the provisions of article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, defining conditions under which an institution may offer tuition and fee deferred payment plans through the institution or through third parties.
(5) An institution may charge interest or fees for any deferred or installment payment plans.
(i) In addition to the other fees provided in this section, each governing board may impose, collect and distribute a fee to be used to finance a nonprofit, student-controlled public interest research group if the students at the institution demonstrate support for the increased fee in a manner and method established by that institution's elected student government. The fee may not be used to finance litigation against the institution.
(j) Institutions shall retain tuition and fee revenues not pledged for bonded indebtedness or other purposes in accordance with the tuition rule proposed by the Commission and Council jointly pursuant to this section. The tuition rule shall:
(1) Provide a basis for establishing nonresident tuition and fees;
(2) Allow institutions to charge different tuition and fees for different programs;
(3) Provide that a board of governors may propose to the Commission, Council or both, as appropriate, a mandatory auxiliary fee under the following conditions:
(A) The fee shall be approved by the Commission, Council or both, as appropriate, and either the students below the senior level at the institution or the Legislature before becoming effective;
(B) Increases may not exceed previous state subsidies by more than ten percent;
(C) The fee may be used only to replace existing state funds subsidizing auxiliary services such as athletics or bookstores;
(D) If the fee is approved, the amount of the state subsidy shall be reduced annually by the amount of money generated for the institution by the fees. All state subsidies for the auxiliary services shall cease five years from the date the mandatory auxiliary fee is implemented;
(E) The Commission, Council or both, as appropriate, shall certify to the Legislature by the first day of October in the fiscal year following implementation of the fee, and annually thereafter, the amount of fees collected for each of the five years;
(4) Establish methodology, where applicable, to ensure that, within the appropriate time period under the compact, community and technical college tuition rates for community and technical college students in all independently accredited community and technical colleges will be commensurate with the tuition and fees charged by their peer institutions.
(k) A penalty may not be imposed by the Commission or Council upon any institution based upon the number of nonresidents who attend the institution unless the Commission or Council determines that admission of nonresidents to any institution or program of study within the institution is impeding unreasonably the ability of resident students to attend the institution or participate in the programs of the institution. The institutions shall report annually to the Commission or Council on the numbers of nonresidents and such other enrollment information as the Commission or Council may request.
(l) Tuition and fee increases of the governing boards, except for the governing boards of the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University, are subject to rules adopted by the Commission and Council jointly pursuant to this section and in accordance with the provisions of article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code.
(1) Subject to the provisions of subdivision (4) of this subsection, a governing board of an institution under the jurisdiction of the Commission may propose tuition and fee increases of up to nine and one-half percent for undergraduate resident students for any fiscal year. The nine and one-half percent total includes the amount of increase over existing tuition and fees, combined with the amount of any newly established, specialized fee which may be proposed by a governing board.
(2) A governing board of an institution under the jurisdiction of the Council may propose tuition and fee increases of up to four and three quarters percent for undergraduate resident students for any fiscal year. The four and three-quarters percent total includes the amount of increase over existing tuition and fees, combined with the amount of any newly established, specialized fee which may be proposed by a governing board.
(3) The Commission or Council, as appropriate, shall examine individually each request from a governing board for an increase. (4) The governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, as these provisions relate to the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University, each may annually:
(A) Increase tuition and fees for undergraduate resident students to the maximum allowed by this section without seeking approval from the Commission; and
(B) Set tuition and fee rates for post-baccalaureate resident students and for all nonresident students, including establishing regional tuition and fee rates, reciprocity agreements or both.
(C) The provisions of this subdivision do not apply to tuition and fee rates of the administratively-linked institution known as Marshall Community and Technical College, the administratively- linked institution known as the Community and Technical College at West Virginia University Institute of Technology, and the regional campuses known as West Virginia University Institute of Technology and West Virginia University at Parkersburg.
(5) Any proposed tuition and fee increase for state institutions of higher education other than Marshall University and West Virginia University requires the approval of the Commission or Council, as appropriate. In determining whether to approve or disapprove deny the governing board's request, the Commission or Council shall determine the progress the institution has made toward meeting the conditions outlined in this subdivision and shall make this determination the predominate factor in its decision. The Commission or Council shall consider the degree to which each institution has met the following conditions:
(A) Has maximized resources available through nonresident tuition and fee charges to the satisfaction of the Commission or Council;
(B) Is consistently achieving the benchmarks established in the compact of the institution pursuant to the provisions of article one-a of this chapter;
(C) Is continuously pursuing the statewide goals for post-secondary education and the statewide compact established in articles one and one-a of this chapter;
(D) Is implementing the efficiency measures required by section nine, article five of this chapter;
(E) (D) Has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Commission or Council that an increase will be used to maintain high-quality programs at the institution;
(F) (E) Has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Commission or Council that the institution is making adequate progress toward achieving the goals for education established by the southern regional education board; and
(G) (F) To the extent authorized, will increase by up to five percent the available tuition and fee waivers provided by the institution. The increased waivers may not be used for athletics.
(2) (6) This section does not require equal increases among institutions or require any level of increase at an institution.
(3) (7) The Commission and Council shall report to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability regarding the basis for each approval or denial as determined using the criteria established in subdivision (1) (5) of this subsection.
(4) For fiscal year two thousand five only, a governing board of any institution under the jurisdiction of the Commission may increase tuition and fees for undergraduate resident students by one and one-half percent greater than the amount authorized by the Commission pursuant to the provisions of this section.
(m) The amount of fees assessed immediately prior to the effective date of this act under the provisions of this article relating to a higher education resource fee, a faculty improvement fee, a medical education fee, a health professions fee and a student activities fee are included in the appropriate tuition or fees classifications established under subsection (a) of this section.
§18B-10-5. Fee waivers -- Undergraduate schools.
Each governing board periodically may establish fee waivers for students in undergraduate studies at institutions under its jurisdiction entitling recipients to waiver of tuition, capital and other fees subject to the following conditions and limitations:
(a) Undergraduate fee waivers established by the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, respectively, for the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University, are subject to the provisions of section six-a, article ten of this chapter;
(b) For the governing boards of
A state institution institutions of higher education other than the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University, the following conditions apply:
(1) An institution
may not have in effect at any time a number of undergraduate fee waivers which exceeds five percent of the number of full-time equivalent undergraduate students registered during the fall semester of the immediately preceding academic year.
(b) (2) Each undergraduate fee waiver entitles the recipient thereof to attend a designated state institution of higher education without payment of the tuition, capital and other fees as may be prescribed by the governing board and is for a period of time not to exceed eight semesters of undergraduate study.
(c) (3) The governing board shall make rules pursuant to the provisions of section six, article one of this chapter, governing the award of undergraduate fee waivers; the issuance and cancellation of certificates entitling the recipients to the benefits thereof; the use of the fee waivers by the recipients; and the rights and duties of the recipients with respect to the fee waivers. These rules may not be inconsistent with the provisions of this section.
(d) (4) The awarding of undergraduate fee waivers shall be entered in the minutes of the meetings of the governing board.
(e) (5) Students enrolled in an administratively-linked community and technical college shall be awarded a proportionate share of the total number of undergraduate fee waivers awarded by a governing board. The number to be awarded to students of the community and technical college is based upon the full-time equivalent enrollment of that institution.
§18B-10-6. Fee waivers - Professional and graduate schools.
In addition to the fee waivers authorized for undergraduate study by the provisions of section five of this article, each governing board periodically may establish fee waivers for study in graduate and professional schools under its jurisdiction, including medicine and dentistry, entitling the recipients to waiver of tuition, capital, and other fees, subject to the following conditions and limitations:
(a) West Virginia University may not have in effect at any time graduate and professional school fee waivers in a number which exceeds ten percent of the number of full-time equivalent graduate and professional students registered during the corresponding fall semester, spring semester and summer term of the immediately preceding academic year. In addition to the above ten percent, all graduate assistants employed by West Virginia university shall be granted a fee waiver. Graduate and professional fee waivers established by the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, respectively, are subject to the provisions of section six-a, article ten of this chapter;
(b) For the governing boards of state institutions of higher education other than Marshall University and West Virginia University the following conditions apply:
(1) An institution
may not have in effect at any time a number of graduate and professional school fee waivers which exceeds five percent of the number of full-time equivalent graduate and professional students registered during the corresponding fall semester, spring semester and summer term of the immediately preceding academic year. In addition to the above five percent, all graduate assistants employed by these institutions shall be granted a fee waiver.
(c) (2) Each graduate or professional school fee waiver entitles the recipient to waiver of the tuition, capital, and other fees as may be prescribed by the governing boards and is for a period of time not to exceed the number of semesters normally required in the recipient's academic discipline.
(d) (3) The governing boards shall make rules pursuant to the provisions of section six, article one of this chapter, governing the award of graduate and professional school fee waivers; the issuance and cancellation of certificates entitling the recipients to the benefits thereof; the use of the fee waivers by the recipients; and the rights and duties of the recipients with respect to the fee waivers. These rules may not be inconsistent with the provisions of this section.
(e) (4) The awarding of graduate and professional school fee waivers shall be entered in the minutes of the meeting of each governing board.
§18B-10-6a. Undergraduate, graduate and professional fee waivers - Marshall University and West Virginia University.
(a) Undergraduate fee waivers.
(1) The governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, respectively, may establish fee waivers for students in undergraduate studies at institutions under their jurisdiction which entitle recipients to waiver of tuition, capital and other fees, in whole or in part.
(2) Each undergraduate fee waiver is for a period of time not to exceed eight semesters of undergraduate study.
(3) Each governing board shall promulgate rules pursuant to the provisions of section six, article one of this chapter to govern the award of undergraduate fee waivers; the issuance and cancellation of certificates entitling the recipients to the benefits thereof; the use of the fee waivers by the recipients; and the rights and duties of the recipients with respect to the fee waivers. These rules may not be inconsistent with the provisions of this section.
(4) The awarding of undergraduate fee waivers shall be entered in the minutes of the meetings of the governing board.
(5) Students enrolled in an administratively-linked community and technical college shall be awarded a proportionate share of the total number of undergraduate fee waivers awarded by a governing board. The number to be awarded to students of the community and technical college is based upon the full-time equivalent enrollment of that institution.
(b)
Graduate and professional school fee waivers.
(1) In addition to the fee waivers authorized for undergraduate study by subsection (a) of this section, the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, respectively, may establish fee waivers for study in graduate and professional schools under its jurisdiction, including medicine and dentistry, which entitle the recipients to waiver of tuition, capital, and other fees, in whole or in part.
(2) Each graduate or professional school fee waiver entitles the recipient to waiver of the tuition, capital, and other fees, in whole or in part, as may be prescribed by the governing boards and is for a period of time not to exceed the number of semesters normally required in the recipient's academic discipline.
(3) The governing boards shall promulgate rules pursuant to the provisions of section six, article one of this chapter, governing the award of graduate and professional school fee waivers; the issuance and cancellation of certificates entitling the recipients to the benefits thereof; the use of the fee waivers by the recipients; and the rights and duties of the recipients with respect to the fee waivers. These rules may not be inconsistent with the provisions of this section.
(4) The awarding of graduate and professional school fee waivers shall be entered in the minutes of the meeting of each governing board.
ARTICLE 11. MISCELLANEOUS INSTITUTES AND CENTERS.
§18B-11-7. Regional Brownfield Assistance Centers.
(a) For the purposes of this section, "eligible entities" means government entities as defined by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, at 42 U.S.C. 9604 or nonprofit organizations as defined by the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act at 31 U.S.C. 6101.
(b) Marshall University and West Virginia University each shall establish a nonprofit Regional Brownfield Assistance Center in accordance with the provisions of article twelve of this chapter for the purposes of expediting the redevelopment of Brownfield sites. The Centers shall provide assistance to eligible entities on state and federal Brownfield programs, secure state and federal funding for Brownfield redevelopment, and acquire property eligible for state and federal Brownfield assistance.
(b) The Center established by Marshall University serves the following counties:
(1) McDowell, Mercer, Monroe, Raleigh, Summers and Wyoming;
(2) Cabell, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, Mingo and Wayne;
(3) Boone, Clay, Kanawha and Putnam; and
(4) Braxton, Fayette, Greenbrier, Nicholas, Pocahontas and Webster.
(c) The Center established by West Virginia University serves the following counties:
(1) Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Wirt and Wood;
(2) Brooke, Hancock, Marshall, Ohio and Wetzel;
(3) Barbour, Doddridge, Gilmer, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Randolph, Taylor, Tucker and Upshur; and
(4) Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan and Pendleton.
(d) To accomplish the purposes of this section, the Regional Brownfield Assistance Centers each have powers and duties including, but not limited to, the following:
(1) Acquiring property that is eligible for state and federal Brownfield assistance pursuant to the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act (Public Law No. 107-118, 185 stat. 2356) and the West Virginia Voluntary Remediation and Redevelopment Act established in article twenty-two, chapter twenty-two of this code;
(2) Serving as the developer of the property for the purposes of managing and coordinating remediation and redevelopment activities;
(3) Preparing an inventory of Brownfield sites within their respective geographic regions by the first day of July, two thousand six, and updating the inventory of sites on an annual basis;
(4) Promoting and coordinating the development of Brownfield property by providing training and technical assistance on Brownfield development, grant writing, site assessments, remediation, community involvement and site preparation to eligible entities;
(5) Administering federal Brownfield Job Training Grants, the Brownfields Revolving Fund, and other federal Brownfield financial assistance programs to assist eligible entities in their Brownfield development efforts;
(6) Coordinating efforts to secure federal Brownfield funding by establishing priority rankings and by other necessary measures to maximize federal financial assistance and eliminate overlapping competition for federal dollars;
(7) Coordinating the development and publication by the first day of July, two thousand six, of a website to provide education and appropriate information on Brownfields development in West Virginia; and
(8) Coordinating with the West Virginia Development Office and the Department of Environmental Protection to establish and track key Brownfield economic statistics and conduct Brownfield conferences, as appropriate.
ARTICLE 14. MISCELLANEOUS.

§18B-14-12. Legislative findings; creation of Governor's Commission on Graduate Study in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics; membership; report.

(a) The Legislature finds that West Virginia ranks below most other states on key indicators of scientific and technical capacity, including the number of scientists and engineers who hold doctoral degrees, the number of science and engineering post- doctorates, and the number of science and engineering graduate students.
(b) The Legislature further finds that this lack of scientific and technical capacity places the state at a competitive disadvantage to other states in terms of generating economic development and winning research grants, as evidenced by limited amounts of academic research and development funding, industrial research and development, small business innovation grant awards, technology-related start-up companies, and the low number of high- tech jobs.
(c) To address these findings, there is created the Governor's Commission on Graduate Study in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, which may be cited as the STEM Commission, to address issues which include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) Promoting coordination between higher education and K-12 education to create a seamless system of science and mathematics education and improve science and mathematics education at all levels;
(2) Increasing the number of graduate students and post- doctorates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, including the number of women and minority graduate students in these fields;
(3) Increasing the number of West Virginia undergraduate and graduate students who receive nationally-competitive scholarships and fellowships in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, such as Goldwater, Howard Hughes, National Science Foundation and Udall Fellowships;
(4) Improving the quality of graduate faculty and programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics;
(5) Aligning graduate programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics with the goals and objectives of the State EPSCoR Program, the State Science and Technology Advisory Council, the West Virginia Development Office, and the Doctoral Scholars Program of the Southern Regional Education Board; and
(6) Increasing the quantity and enhancing the quality of academic research, as measured by federal and external expenditures for research and development.
(d)
STEM Commission membership.
(1) The Commission is comprised of fourteen members selected as follows:
(A) The Governor or designee, who serves as Chair;
(B) The Chancellor for the Higher Education Policy Commission; (C) The Director of Academic Affairs of the Higher Education Policy Commission;
(D) The Executive Director of the State EPSCoR Program;
(E) The Executive Director of the West Virginia Development Office or designee;
(F) The provosts of Marshall University and West Virginia University or their designees;
(G) Five members appointed by the Governor who represent academic, business and research interests; and
(H) The Chair of the House of Delegates' Committee on Education and the Chair of the West Virginia Senate's Committee on Education as ex officio, nonvoting members who serve in an advisory capacity.
(2) At least two of the Governor's appointees are state residents.
(3) The Governor shall make appointments to the Commission so that members may begin their deliberations no later than the first day of July, two thousand five.
(e) The Commission shall complete its work and report its findings, conclusions, and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate the recommendations, to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability, the Higher Education Policy Commission, and the State EPSCoR Advisory Council by the first day of December, two thousand five.




NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide flexibility measures for West Virginia University and Marshall University.


Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.


Article three of Chapter 18B has been rewritten; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.

§18B-2B-9 was formerly codified as §18-3-5; therefore strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
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