ENGROSSED

Senate Bill No. 653

(By Senators Prezioso, Unger, Boley, Edgell, Ross,

Rowe, Sharpe, Smith and Weeks )

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[Originating in the Committee on Health and Human Resources;

reported February 25, 2003.]

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A BILL to amend section four, article one-b, chapter eighteen-b of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty- one, as amended, relating to powers and duties of the higher education policy commission; requiring development of a policy to standardize the curricula of state institutions of higher education offering undergraduate degree programs in nursing; and making technical corrections to delete provisions and dates for actions that have been completed.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section four, article one-b, chapter eighteen-b of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
§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. To that end, the commission has the following powers and duties:
(1) Develop, oversee and advance the public policy agenda 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 ten of this article for the purpose of accomplishing the mandates of this section;
(2) Develop, oversee and advance the implementation 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; and
(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;
(3) 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 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 system as a whole accountable for accomplishing their missions and implementing the provisions of the compacts;
(4) Develop and adopt each institutional compact;
(5) Review and adopt the annual updates of the institutional compacts;
(6) Review the progress of community and technical colleges in every region of West Virginia; such review includes, but is not limited to, evaluating and reporting annually to the legislative oversight commission on education accountability on the step-by-step implementation required in article three-c of this chapter;
(7) Serve as the accountability point for the governor for implementation of the public policy agenda and for the Legislature by maintaining a close working relationship with the legislative leadership and the legislative oversight commission on education accountability;
(8) 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;
(9) Establish and implement a peer group for each public institution of higher education in the state as described in section three, article one-a of this chapter;
(10) Establish and implement the benchmarks and performance indicators necessary to measure institutional achievement toward state policy priorities and institutional missions;
(11) In January, two thousand one, and Annually thereafter, 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 the 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 subsection (i), 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 (12) 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;
(12) Establish a formal process for identifying needs for capital investments and for determining priorities for these investments;
(13) On or before the first day of October, two thousand, Develop, establish and implement guidelines for institutions to follow concerning extensive capital projects. 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. No such project may be pursued by an institution without the approval of the commission nor may an institution 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;
(14) Draw upon the expertise available within the governor's work force investment office and the West Virginia development office as a resource in the area of work force development and training;
(15) 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;
(16) Employ a chancellor for higher education pursuant to section five of this article;
(17) Employ other staff as necessary and appropriate to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the commission;
(18) Provide suitable offices in Charleston for the chancellor, vice chancellors and other staff;
(19) Conduct a study of the faculty tenure system as administered by the governing boards with specific attention to the role of community service and other criteria for achieving tenured status; The commission shall make a report of its findings and recommendations to the legislative oversight commission on education accountability by the first day of July, two thousand one;
(20) Advise and consent in the appointment of the presidents of the institutions of higher education 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;
(21) Approve the total compensation package from all sources for institutional presidents, as proposed by the governing boards. 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;
(22) 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;
(23) Approve and implement a uniform standard, as developed by the chancellor, 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 chancellor shall develop a clear, concise explanation of the standard which the governing boards shall communicate to the state board of education and the state superintendent of schools;
(24) Review and approve or disapprove capital projects as described in subdivision (12), subsection (a) of this section;
(25) 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, increase the delivery of instruction to nontraditional students, provide services to business and industry and increase the management capabilities of the higher education system; and
(B) Reviewing courses and programs offered within the state by nonstate public or private institutions of higher education;
(26) 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;
(27) 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;
(28) 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;
(29) Establish and implement policies and programs, in cooperation with 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;
(30) 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;
(31) Develop, establish and implement guidelines 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 the governing boards and institutions not approve or promote 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.
The commission shall determine whether the guidelines developed pursuant to this subdivision should apply to any project which a governing board and institution allege to have been planned on or before the seventeenth day of June, two thousand. In making the determination, the commission shall be guided by the best interests of the students, the institution and the community to be served;
(32) Certify to the Legislature, on or before the first day of February, two thousand one, the priority funding percentages and other information needed to complete the allocation of funds in section five, article one-a of this chapter;
(33) (32) Consider and submit to the appropriate agencies of the executive and legislative branches of state government, a single budget for higher education that reflects recommended appropriations: Provided, That on the first day of January, two thousand one, and annually thereafter, the commission shall submit the proposed institutional allocations based on each institution's progress toward meeting the goals of its institutional compact;
(34) Initiate a full review and analysis of all student fees charged by state institutions of higher education and make recommendations to the legislative oversight commission on education accountability no later than the second day of January, two thousand two. The final report shall contain findings of fact and recommendations for proposed legislation to condense, simplify and streamline the fee schedule and the use of fees or other money collected by state institutions of higher education;
(35)(33) The commission has the authority to assess institutions for the payment of expenses of the commission or for the funding of statewide higher education services, obligations or initiatives;
(36)(34) 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;
(37)(35) 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. Notwithstanding any provisions of this code to the contrary, the commission may appoint one of its own members or any other citizen of the state as its designee. The commission shall appoint the total number of persons in the aggregate required to be appointed by these previous governing boards;
(38)(36) Assume the powers set out in section five, article three of this chapter. The rules previously promulgated by the state college system board of directors pursuant to that section are hereby transferred to the commission and shall continue in effect until rescinded, revised, altered or amended by the commission;
(39)(37) Examine and determine the feasibility of recommendations contained in the Implementation Board Report presented to the commission in January, two thousand one, and, at the discretion of the commission, create the advantage valley community college network to enhance provision of community and technical college education in the responsibility areas of Marshall university, West Virginia state college and West Virginia university institute of technology;
(40)(38) 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 may promulgate a new uniform rule for the purpose of standardizing, as much as possible, the administration of personnel matters among the institutions of higher education;
(41)(39) Determine when a joint rule among the governing boards is necessary or required by law and, in those instances and in consultation with the governing boards, promulgate the joint rule;
(42)(40) Promulgate a joint rule establishing tuition and fee policy. 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 considers appropriate; and
(43)(41) Develop a method for the council, or members thereof, to participate in the selection of administrative heads of the community and technical colleges.
(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 money to influence institutional behavior in ways that are consistent with public priorities;
(4) Academic program review and approval, 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 capital budgets and distributing incentive and performance-based funding;
(6) Administration of state and federal student aid programs, including promulgation of any rules formerly vested in the previous governing boards in relation to those programs;
(7) Acting 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) 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;
(10) Development, implementation and oversight of statewide and regionwide projects and initiatives 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 planning, policy analysis, program review and approval, budgeting and information and accountability systems ; and
(12) Promulgation of a policy to coordinate and synchronize the curricula for undergraduate degree programs in nursing at state institutions of higher education to ensure that students may transfer between the institutions without the need to repeat courses, to suffer a loss of credits or to wait for a different sequence of subjects or courses and to invite and assist any private institutions which may wish to coordinate their undergraduate nursing programs with the state institutions, with this policy to be promulgated by the last day of December, two thousand three, and to be in full force and effect by the start of the academic year for two thousand six and two thousand seven.
(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 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.
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of section six, article one-a of this chapter, the commission shall undertake a study of the most effective and efficient strategies and policies to address the findings and intent of that section.
(1) The issues addressed by this study shall include, but not be limited to:
(A) Strategies to ensure access to graduate education;
(B) The development of state colleges as regional graduate centers with authority to broker access to graduate programs in their responsibility areas;
(C) The process by which state colleges obtain authorization to grant graduate degrees;
(D) The relationship of regional graduate centers at state colleges to graduate programs offered within those regions by state universities; and
(E) Other issues related to initiatives to meet each region's need and enhance the quality and competitiveness of graduate programs offered and/or brokered by West Virginia state colleges and universities.
(2) The commission shall report the findings of this study along with the recommendations for legislative actions, if any, to address these findings and the intent of this section, to the legislative oversight commission on education accountability by the first day of January, two thousand one.