Senate Bill No. 591
(By Senator)
____________
[Originating in the Committee on Finance;
reported February 28, 1996.]
_____________
A BILL to amend and reenact section one-c and eight-a, article one,
chapter eighteen-b of the code of West Virginia, one thousand
nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, and to amend and reenact
section one, article four of said chapter, all relating to
higher education; strategic plans submitted by institutions of
higher education; changing the submission dates for strategic
plans and the requirements for approval of such plans;
allocating funds appropriated to the higher education
efficiency fund; changing the submission dates for state-wide
report cards required to be submitted by institutions of
higher education; update language concerning the vice
chancellor of health sciences and deleted obsolete language.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section one-c and eight-a, article one, chapter eighteen-
b of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-
one, as amended, be amended and reenacted, and that section one,
article four of said chapter be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
CHAPTER 18B. HIGHER EDUCATION.
ARTICLE 1. GOVERNANCE.
§18B-1-1c.Strategically focusing resources to maximize
opportunity; institution plans; resource allocation
exceptions.
(a) Purpose of strategic plans. -- To achieve the goals for
post-secondary education as set forth in section one-a of this
article, each of the following state institutions of higher
education shall prepare a strategic plan of change to refocus its
mission and leadership, and restructure its existing resources and
programs: Bluefield state college; Concord college; Glenville
state college; Fairmont state college; Marshall university; West
Virginia northern community college; Potomac state college of West
Virginia university; Shepherd college; southern West Virginia
community college; West Liberty state college; the West Virginia
graduate college; West Virginia institute of technology; West
Virginia university at Parkersburg; West Virginia school of
osteopathic medicine; West Virginia state college; West Virginia
university; and all branch campuses of these institutions of higher
education. Such The plans shall specifically state how the
institution will, over a five-year period, refocus its mission and
leadership and restructure its existing resources and programs to
achieve the goals for post-secondary education including, but not
limited to, the following: (1) Increase average faculty salaries
at the institution, not including health sciences, to a level at least equal to ninety-five percent of the average faculty salaries
at peer institutions in the southern regional education board
region: Provided, That West Virginia university, excluding West
Virginia university at Parkersburg and Potomac state college of
West Virginia university shall state specifically how it will
increase average faculty salaries at that institution, not
including health sciences, to a level at least equal to ninety
percent of the average faculty salaries at peer institutions in the
southern regional education board region; (2) achieve full funding
of the uniform employee classification system and salary policy for
classified employees adopted by the respective governing boards
pursuant to section four, article nine of this chapter; (3)
eliminate duplicative programs and services, acting alone or in
conjunction with another institution, and eliminate under-utilized
or unnecessary programs; (4) may combine administrative functions
among other institutions; and (5) use admission and exit standards
for students, incentives and staff development for assuring quality
teaching and learning and the critical assessment of programs to
meet the goals. The plan shall also state the manner in which any
pay increases will be funded, the sources of any funds used for pay
increases, and the savings and costs associated with achieving any
other goals specified in the plan and how the funds are to be
redirected. The faculty senate, classified staff council and the
student government association shall be consulted prior to the
submission of the plan and their recommendations included in the
presidents report to the board. Beginning the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-six, the budgets of state
institutions of higher education shall reflect movement to the
salary targets for faculty and classified staff as set forth in
this section and any other goals specified in their strategic plan
for change.
(b) Submission of strategic plans. -- The president or
administrative head of each state institution of higher education
shall submit the plan for the institution to its respective
governing board on or before the first day of November, one
thousand nine hundred ninety-five and every year thereafter,
through and including the fiscal year two thousand--two thousand
one: Provided, That community and technical college education shall
not be required to be segregated in such the plan until the first
day of November, one thousand nine hundred ninety-six.
(c) Approval of strategic plans by the governing boards. --
The governing boards shall approve or disapprove such the plans
within sixty days of receipt of the plans and notify the
institution president or administrative head of its decision.
Approval or disapproval of the plan of each institution shall be
decided by a vote of the appropriate governing board and shall be
made part of its minute record: Provided, however, That if the
plan submitted by the institution includes retirement and
separation incentives pursuant to section one-d of this article,
such that portion of the plan shall be submitted by the governing
board to the legislative joint standing committee on pensions and
retirement, and the time required for review by such the committee shall not be included in the sixty days.
(d) Approval of strategic plans by the secretary of education
and the arts. -- Once the appropriate governing board approves the
plan, it shall submit the plan to the secretary of education and
the arts, as established in section two, article one, chapter five-
f of this code, and hereby known as the "secretary" for purposes of
this section, for approval or disapproval. The secretary shall
approve or disapprove the plan and notify the appropriate governing
board of the decision within forty-five calendar days. Upon such
approval the institution shall receive its share of the funds from
the "higher education efficiency fund", pursuant to subsection (h)
of this section. If a plan from any institution is disapproved by
the secretary, the secretary shall notify the appropriate governing
board and shall return the plan to the institution for revision and
resubmission to the appropriate governing board.
(e) Disapproval of strategic plans by the governing boards. --
If disapproved, the governing board shall return the plan to the
institution president or administrative head stating its reasons
for disapproval. The institution president or administrative head
may modify and resubmit a plan which was disapproved at any time
and the governing board shall vote, in accordance with subsection
(c) of this section, to approve or disapprove such the resubmitted
plan within sixty thirty calendar days and notify the institution
president or administrative head. as herein provided for the
original plan. If such the plans have has not been approved by
the appropriate governing board on or before the first day of March February following the November submission date, the board is
authorized to develop a plan for such the institutions. The
president or administrative head of every state institution of
higher education with an approved plan shall update such the plan
on an annual basis to reflect performance during the preceding year
and make any necessary modifications. Such The updated plans shall
be submitted on the first day of November in each of the subsequent
years that the plan is in effect through and including the fiscal
year two thousand--two thousand one, and the governing board shall
follow the same procedures for approval or disapproval as herein
provided in this section for the original plan. Upon the approval
of a plan or plan update which includes the elimination of a
program, the institution president or administrative head
immediately shall immediately notify affected students, faculty and
staff.
(f) Approval or disapproval by the secretary of education and
the arts of resubmitted strategic plans. -- Once a plan has been
resubmitted to and approved by the appropriate governing board, the
governing board shall resubmit the plan to the secretary for
approval or disapproval. The secretary shall notify the
appropriate governing board within twenty calendar days of his or
her action. Upon such approval, the institution shall receive its
share of the funds from the higher education efficiency fund,
pursuant to subsection (h) of this section: Provided, That
approval was secured prior to the first day of July of the next
ensuing fiscal year. If a resubmitted plan from any institution fails to secure approval of the secretary, the appropriate
governing board shall be notified and the plan shall be returned to
the institution for revision and resubmission to the appropriate
governing board and no funds from the higher education efficiency
fund shall be allocated pursuant to subsection (h) of this section.
(c)(g) Exceptions under the resource allocation model and
policies. -- Any state institution of higher education with an
approved plan may apply to its governing board for an exception
under the resource allocation model and policies to retain funding
for student enrollments that decline due to planned program
reductions or elimination under the strategic plan. The number of
student enrollments subject to the exception shall be based on the
average full-time equivalent enrollments over the five preceding
years in such the program. The allocation exception shall become
effective in the next ensuing allocation cycle following approval
by the governing board and notification of affected faculty,
students and staff of the program reduction or elimination, and
shall remain effective for the number of years normally required
for students to complete the full program from beginning enrollment
to graduation, subject to annual review by the governing board of
the actual decline in program enrollments. Notwithstanding any
other provision of this section, any program suspended or
discontinued by action of the governing board on or after the first
day of September, one thousand nine hundred ninety-four, and prior
to the effective date of this section eleventh day of March, one thousand nine hundred ninety-five, which program is being
eliminated pursuant to said that action, is eligible for an
exception under the resource allocation model and policies pursuant
to this section for the fiscal year one thousand nine hundred
ninety-six.
(d) Any state institution of higher education with an approved
plan may apply to its governing board for an exception under the
resource allocation model and policies to retain funding for
student enrollments that decline due to the planned reductions for
the purpose of enhancing the quality of a particular program. The
number of student enrollments subject to the exception shall be
based on the average full-time equivalent enrollments over the
preceding five years in such the program. Money allocated to the
institution as a result of this exception shall be used to enhance
the quality of that particular program. The allocation exception
shall become effective in the next ensuing allocation cycle
following approval by the governing board and notification of
affected faculty, students and staff of the program reduction and
shall remain in effect subject to biennial review by the governing
board of the actual decline in program enrollments and enhancements
in quality of the program.
(e) The application for an exception in subsections (c) and
(d) of under this subsection shall be submitted to the appropriate
governing board by the institution president or administrative head
and state how the funds will be redirected to achieve the purposes
of the institution's approved plan including, but not limited to, salary increases to attract and retain quality faculty and staff,
expand and improve the quality of existing programs, and make
additional investments in technology and increased access. and, in
the exemption provided in subsection (c) of this section, begin new
programs. The governing board shall approve or disapprove the
application within sixty days of receipt and if disapproved, shall
return the application to the institution president or
administrative head stating the reasons for disapproval. The
institution president or administrative head may modify and
resubmit an application which was disapproved at any time and the
governing board shall approve or disapprove such the resubmitted
application within sixty days and notify the institution president
or administrative head as herein provided in this subsection for
the original plan.
(f) An exception to the resource allocation model and policies
granted under this section and any differential approved for an
institution by its governing board to reflect the high costs of a
program within the institution's mission shall be removed from the
institutions base budget and, to the extent included therein, from
the indicated level of state support for the purposes of subsection
(d), section two, article five of this chapter, and any governing
board rule to the contrary is hereby specifically modified.
(g)(h) Higher education efficiency fund. -- It is the
expressed intent of the Legislature, subject to the availability of
funds and appropriations therefor, to increase state appropriated
funds for state institutions of higher education in each of the five fiscal years, one thousand nine hundred ninety-seven, through
and including, fiscal year two thousand--two thousand one, at a
rate of at least three and twenty-five one-hundredths percent per
year to assist the institutions in achieving their strategic plan
of change, subject to demonstrated effort by the institutions as
determined by the Legislature to refocus and restructure their
missions, leadership, resources and programs to meet said the plans
in accordance with this section. In any fiscal year in which the
state appropriated funds are less than such the expressed intent,
the governing boards may adjust the targets set forth in the
strategic plans for change by a like proportion: Provided, That
the target shall not be adjusted for those institutions which have
lost funds as a result of failure to secure approval, pursuant to
this section, or failure to comply with their approved strategic
plans. Beginning with legislative appropriations under this
subsection for the fiscal year one thousand nine hundred ninety-
seven--ninety-eight ninety-six--ninety-seven, the Legislature shall
appropriate such the funds, if any, to a separate account known as
the "higher education efficiency fund" in the state budget. Funds
from the higher education efficiency fund shall be allocated in the
following manner:
(1) For the fiscal year, one thousand nine hundred ninety-six-
-ninety-seven, appropriations to the fund shall be allocated only
to the institutions with approved plans, pursuant to this section;
and
(2) For the fiscal year one thousand nine hundred ninety-seven--ninety-eight, and every year through and including, the
fiscal year two thousand--two thousand one, appropriations to the
fund shall be allocated only to institutions with approved plans,
pursuant to this section, that which are in compliance with their
strategic plan for change as certified approved by the appropriate
governing board and the secretary of education and the arts,
pursuant to section one, article ten of this chapter. Such The
allocations shall be made in accordance with the resource
allocation model and policies in the following manner:
(i) Any institution with a plan approved by the appropriate
governing board and the secretary by the first day of July of each
fiscal year is entitled to its full annual share of the monies
appropriated to the higher education efficiency fund;
(ii) Any institution which fails to secure approval by both,
the appropriate governing board and the secretary by the first day
of July, but secure the approval before the first day of October,
is entitled to the remaining three-quarters of its annual share of
the monies appropriated to the higher education efficiency fund;
(iii) Any institution which fails to secure approval by both,
the appropriate governing board and the secretary by the first day
of July, but secures approval before the first day of January, is
entitled to the remaining one-half of its annual share of the
monies appropriated to the higher education efficiency fund; and
(iv) Any institution which fails to secure approval by both,
the appropriate governing board and the secretary by the first day
of July, but secures approval before the first day of April, is entitled to the remaining one-quarter of its annual share of the
monies appropriated to the higher education efficiency fund.
Any portion of the fund The quarterly share of the higher
education efficiency fund of an institution which is not so
allocated, by the beginning of each quarter, shall be appropriated
allocated immediately to the higher education grant program,
pursuant to article five, chapter eighteen-c of this code, or if
such program is fully funded, for expenditure among all
institutions for scholarships and student grant programs.
§18B-1-8a.Higher education accountability; institutional and
statewide report cards.
(a) The governing boards are directed to make information
available to parents, students, faculty, staff, state policymakers
and the general public on the quality and performance of public
higher education. This information shall be consistent and
comparable between and among the state institutions of higher
education and, if applicable, comparable with information from peer
institutions in the region and the nation.
(b) On or before the first day of November, one thousand nine
hundred ninety-five, the governing boards are directed to adopt a
rule pursuant to the provisions of article three-a, chapter
twenty-nine-a of this code, providing for the collection, analysis
and dissemination of data and information on the performance of the
state institutions of higher education, including health sciences
education, in relation to the findings, directives, goals and
objectives set forth in sections one-a and one-b of this article and in comparison to their peers in the region and the nation. In
developing the rule, the governing boards shall consult with the
governor, the legislative oversight commission on education
accountability and the state department of education regarding the
relevant areas of data and information deemed considered necessary
for inclusion in a higher education report card. Upon approval of
the rule by the legislative oversight commission on education
accountability, and the effective date of the rule, the provisions
of subsection (c) of this section shall be are null and void:
Provided, That the statewide report card due on the first day of
December, one thousand nine hundred ninety-five, pursuant to said
section, shall be compiled and disseminated pursuant to said
subsection. Such The legislative rules shall provide the
legislative oversight commission on education accountability with
full and accurate information while minimizing the institutional
burden of recordkeeping and reporting. Such The legislative rules
shall include uniform definitions for the various indicators of
student and institutional performance and guidelines for the
collection and reporting of data and the preparation, printing and
distribution of report cards under this section. The report card
forms shall provide for brief, concise reporting in nontechnical
language of required information. Any technical or explanatory
material which an institution or governing board wishes to include
shall be contained in a separate appendix available to the general
public upon request.
(c) The president or chief executive officer of each public college, university or community college shall prepare and submit
annually all requested data to the appropriate governing board at
such the time as the governing board may establish. The governing
boards shall prepare institutional report cards for institutions
under their jurisdiction and systemwide report cards which shall
include the information required in the following subdivisions:
(1) For all undergraduate students and for all institutions
having undergraduate programs, the institution shall report the
following as available and applicable: Average scores of incoming
freshmen and transfer students on the American college test (ACT)
or scholastic aptitude test (SAT); percentage of incoming freshmen
enrolled in developmental classes; student performance as measured
by grade point average and/or appropriate testing measures; the
graduation or completion rate as may be defined by federal law or
regulation for the student body as a whole and separately for
students at the institution who received athletically-related
student aid categorized by sex and athletic program; the rate at
which individuals who complete or graduate from the program of an
institution pass applicable licensure or certification examinations
required for employment in a particular vocation, trade or
professional field; student mobility (transfers in, transfers out
and withdrawals); number and percentage of student body receiving
tuition fee waivers; and number, percentage and dollar value of
tuition fee waivers categorized by whether such the waiver is for
athletic participation or is an academic waiver and by whether the
recipient is a resident or nonresident of this state.
(2) For professional schools, defined for the purposes of this
section as academic programs leading to professions in which
licensing is normally required and for which an undergraduate
degree is a general prerequisite, the institution shall report the
following as available and applicable: Average scores of beginning
students and transfer students on standardized entrance
examinations; number and percentage of student body receiving
tuition fee waivers; number, percentage and dollar value of tuition
fee waivers categorized by whether the recipient is a resident or
nonresident of this state; the number of degrees granted; the
graduation or completion rate as may be defined by federal law or
regulation for the student body as a whole; the rate at which
individuals who complete or graduate from the program of an
institution pass applicable licensure or certification examinations
required for employment in the particular professional field; the
total number of students in each program, including the percentage
of those students who are state residents, the percentage of
students who are nonresidents of the state, the percentage of
students who are women and the percentage of students who are
minorities as the term is defined by federal law; and the ratio of
expenditures per pupil directly attributable to students enrolled
in the professional school as compared to expenditures per pupil
calculated as to students enrolled in the institution as a whole.
(3) For graduate schools, defined for the purposes of this
section as academic programs leading to advanced degrees (masters
or doctorates of philosophy in fields for which bachelor's degree programs are available) and for which an undergraduate degree is a
general prerequisite, the institution shall report the following as
available and applicable: Average scores of beginning students and
transfer students on standardized entrance examinations; number and
percentage of student body receiving tuition fee waivers; number,
percentage and dollar value of tuition fee waivers categorized by
whether the recipient is a resident or nonresident of this state;
the number of degrees granted; the graduation or completion rate as
may be defined by federal law or regulation for the student body as
a whole; the rate at which individuals who complete or graduate
from the program of an institution pass applicable licensure or
certification examinations required for employment; and the total
number of students in each program, including the percentage of
those students who are state residents, the percentage of students
who are nonresidents of the state, the percentage of students who
are women and the percentage of students who are minorities as the
term is defined by federal law.
(4) In addition to any and all information required by
subdivision (2) of this subsection, each health sciences school
shall assist the vice chancellor for health sciences in providing
information for the institutional and statewide report cards, which
shall include reports on the following:
(A) Information on graduates, including, but not limited to,
placement of interns and residents, retention rates in the state,
retention rates in unreserved areas as determined by the division
of health, the percentage practicing in primary care in this state to be defined as family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics and
obstetrics/gynecology, and other information pertinent to health
sciences education as it relates to health care delivery in this
state such the as recruitment programs to attract health care
providers to West Virginia; reasons obtained from graduate surveys
as to why health care graduates are leaving West Virginia; programs
developed to direct graduates into primary care practices and
specialty shortage areas in this state; and ways in which the
health sciences schools intend to assist in meeting the projected
health care needs of this state, including specialty and
subspecialty health care professional needs and where such those
needs are expected to arise, as those needs are defined by the
division of health or such other state agency as the division of
health may deem consider appropriate;
(B) Contractual and financial arrangements between the health
sciences schools and such nonprofit and for-profit entities
receiving moneys from the health sciences schools that the board of
trustees determines have a significant impact on the provision of
health sciences education in this state. , such The report to shall
state the entity, the amount of funds paid to such the entity and
what the payment is for;
(C) The roles and missions of the health sciences schools and
evaluation of each school's performance in accordance with outcome
measures developed to evaluate the attainment of the roles,
missions and programs developed for each school;
(D) The annual audit of the expenditures of each health sciences school and any audit received by the board from such the nonprofit
and for-profit entities determined by the board of trustees to have
a significant affiliation to any health sciences school;
(E) Findings regarding management and operation of the health
sciences schools, such the findings to be based on the annual
audits and to include proposals for and barriers to improving
efficiency and generating cost savings in health sciences
education;
(F) The quality of health sciences education, including, but not
limited to, a review of any accrediting agency's report on health
sciences education at any state-funded health sciences school;
(G) The clinical health care services and programs offered or
delivered by the health sciences schools, including, but not
limited to, programs which use existing state facilities for the
purposes of clinical rotations;
(H) Matters relating to the funding and budgeting of health
sciences education in this state, including, but not limited to,
ways in which such the budget effectuates the roles and missions of
the health sciences schools;
(I) The financing of health sciences education subsequent to an
annual, comprehensive review thereof., which The report shall
include anticipated capital costs, projected operating expenses and
future growth and recommendations on the allocation of any state or
other tax dedicated to the funding of health sciences education;
and
(J) Such other administrative, budgetary, financial, educational and other concerns as the board of trustees may deem consider
necessary or helpful in providing information about the health
sciences schools pursuant to this subsection.
(5) For all public institutions of higher education in the
state, the following indicators of institutional performance in
comparison with the aggregate of all other institutions in the
state, region and nation as applicable and to the extent comparison
data are available: Student-faculty ratio by school;
student-administrator ratio; faculty turnover by school;
educational and general expenditure per full-time equivalent (FTE)
student; expenditure by fund in graphic display; the academic rank
and years of experience of the faculty and administrators at the
institution; percentage minorities comprise of faculty and major
administrative staff; percentage women comprise of faculty and
major administrative staff; percentage of classes taught by adjunct
or part-time faculty; statistics concerning the occurrence on
campus during the most recent school year and during the preceding
school years for which data are available of criminal offenses
reported to campus security authorities or local police; and
statistics concerning the number of arrests for crimes occurring on
campus during the most recent school year and during the preceding
school years for which data are available.
The statewide report card shall include the data for each
institution for each separately listed applicable indicator and the
aggregate of the data for all institutions under the jurisdiction
of the board of trustees of the university of West Virginia and for all institutions under the jurisdiction of the board of directors
of the state college system for each indicator.
The statewide report cards shall be prepared using actual
institutional, state, regional and national data as applicable and
available indicating the present performance of the individual
institutions and the state systems of higher education and shall
also include goals and trends for the institutions and the higher
education systems. Each governing board as part of its assessment
of the individual institutions under its jurisdiction shall include
the number and gross dollar amount of grants received for academic
research for each institution and a succinct review of research
projects including a brief description of each project and the
numbers of faculty, graduate and undergraduate students involved in
each project. In assessing progress toward meeting goals and in
developing trend information, the governing boards shall review
report card data in relation to previously adopted board goals,
five-year plans, regional and national higher education trends and
the resource allocation model.
(d) The higher education central office staff under the
direction of the senior administrator shall provide technical
assistance to each institution and governing board in data
collection and reporting and shall be is responsible for assembling
the statewide report card from information submitted by each
governing board.
Each governing board shall prepare report card information in
accordance with the guidelines set forth in this section and rules promulgated hereunder. The statewide report card shall be
presented at a regular board meeting of the appropriate governing
board subject to applicable notice requirements.
The statewide report cards shall be completed and disseminated
with copies to the legislative oversight commission on education
accountability prior to the first day of December January, one
thousand nine hundred ninety-two ninety-seven, and each year
thereafter. Statewide report cards shall be based upon information
for the current school year or for the most recent school year for
which such the information is available, in which case such year
shall be clearly footnoted.
The governing boards shall make copies of both the institutional
and statewide report cards available to any individual requesting
them.
ARTICLE 4. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION.
§18B-4-1. Officers of governing boards; employment of chancellors
and senior administrator; offices.
(a) At its annual meeting in June of each year, each governing
board shall elect from its members appointed by the governor a
president and such other officers as it may deem consider necessary
or desirable: Provided, That the initial annual meeting shall be
held during July, one thousand nine hundred eighty-nine. The
president and such other officers shall be elected for a one-year
term commencing on the first day of July following the annual
meeting and ending on the thirtieth day of June of the following
year. The president of the board shall serve no more than two consecutive terms.
(b) Each governing board shall employ a chancellor who shall
serve at the will and pleasure of the employing board and shall
assist the governing board in the performance of its duties and
responsibilities. No chancellor may hold or retain any other
administrative position within the system of higher education while
employed as chancellor. Each chancellor is responsible for
carrying out the directives of the governing board by which he or
she is employed and shall work with such the board in developing
policy options. For the purpose of developing or evaluating policy
options, the chancellors may request the assistance of the
presidents and other administrative heads of the institutions under
their jurisdiction and their staffs. The respective chancellors
shall jointly agree to and shall hire one senior administrator who
shall serve at their will and pleasure in accordance with section
two of this article.
(c) The director of health shall serve as the vice chancellor
for health affairs sciences, who shall coordinate the West Virginia
university school of medicine, the Marshall university school of
medicine and the West Virginia school of osteopathic medicine. The
vice chancellor for health affairs shall conduct a special study of
the West Virginia university school of medicine, the Marshall
university school of medicine and the West Virginia school of
osteopathic medicine to determine the role and mission of said
institutions in the reorganized system of higher education in the
state. The special study shall include, but is not limited to, coordinating medical education, training and delivery of health
services in the state; preparing nurse-midwives, nurse
practitioners, medical technologists and other members of the
allied health professions; and providing for rural health care.
The vice chancellor shall submit a report on said study to the
governor and to the Legislature by the first day of December, one
thousand nine hundred eighty-nine.
(d) Suitable offices for the senior administrator and other
staff shall be provided in Charleston.
(e) The governing boards shall jointly employ a vice chancellor
for instructional technology to establish a plan and funding
recommendations for development and implementation of a
multifaceted instructional technology strategy that includes, but
is not limited to, a goal that every full-time freshman student
beginning in the fall semester, one thousand nine hundred
ninety-six, and thereafter, and as many other students and faculty
as possible will own or lease a computer, and alternatively that
computers be available for part-time students through on-site labs;
integrating the integration of computer usage into all course work;
involving the involvement of faculty in the development and use of
technology-based instruction and instructional courseware for
community and technical colleges, colleges and universities; and
expanding the expansion distance learning and technology networks
throughout the higher education systems to enhance teaching and
learning, promote access to quality educational offerings with
minimum duplication of effort, increase the delivery of instruction to nontraditional students, provide services to business and
industry, and increase the management capabilities of the higher
education system. The vice chancellor shall submit the plan shall
be submitted to the Legislature on or before the first day of
January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-six.
The vice chancellor for instructional technology shall supervise
the administration, oversight, coordination and implementation of
such the plan, or portions thereof of the plan, subject to the
availability of funds and the direction of the governing boards.
In addition, the vice chancellor shall review all technology
related matters within the department of education and the arts and
suggest appropriate integration and compatibility of the technology
systems within the department and the institutions governed by the
board.
(f) The governing boards shall jointly employ a vice chancellor
for community and technical education pursuant to the terms
provisions of section three-a, article three of this chapter.
Note: The purpose of this bill is to move forward the dates for
the governing boards to approve the strategic plans for the
institutions; to require the institutions to have an approved plan
for this fiscal year before they can receive the 3.25%
appropriation; to require the appropriate governing board to
approve the plans, as well as the secretary of education and the
arts; and to change the submission date of the higher education
report cards and to update obsolete language.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.