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SB444 SUB1 Senate Bill 444 History

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

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

FOR

Senate Bill No. 444

(By Senators Plymale, Jenkins and Beach)

____________

[Originating in the Committee on Education;

reported March 28, 2013.]

____________

 

A BILL to amend and reenact §12-1-12d of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to amend and reenact §18B-1B-4 of said code; to amend and reenact §18B-2A-1 and §18B-2A-3 of said code; to amend and reenact §18B-7-11 of said code; to amend and reenact §18B-19-10 of said code; and to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-19-19, all relating to higher education generally; increasing the amounts that Marshall University and West Virginia University may have invested with their respective foundations under certain conditions; authorizing certain actions by certain state institutions of higher education regarding capital projects and facilities and capital project financing; exempting compensation packages of certain institutional presidents from certain approval process; clarifying that certain members of institutional governing boards are eligible to succeed themselves under certain conditions; collecting, synthesizing and disseminating data from state institutions of higher education; directing institutional boards of governors to cooperate in certain data-related operations; providing certain privacy protections for data; exempting the West Virginia Policy Commission and West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education from meeting certain employee ratios; authorizing the use of proceeds from rentals and leases of real property at state institutions of higher education and providing for the transfer of real property to other public bodies; and exempting certain institutional boards of governors from certain approval process related to capital facilities and requiring certain reports.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That §12-1-12d of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted; that §18B-1B-4 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §18B-2A-1 and §18B-2A-3 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §18B-7-11 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §18B-19-10 of said code be amended and reenacted; and that said code be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-19-19, all to read as follows:

CHAPTER 12. PUBLIC MONEYS AND SECURITIES.

ARTICLE 1. STATE DEPOSITORIES.

§12-1-12d. Investments by Marshall University and West Virginia               University.

    (a) Notwithstanding any provision of this article to the contrary, the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University each may invest certain funds with its respective nonprofit foundation that has been established to receive contributions exclusively for that university and which exists on January 1, 2005. Any such The investment is subject to the limitations of this section.

    (b) A governing board, through its chief financial officer may enter into agreements, approved as to form by the State Treasurer, for the investment by its foundation of certain funds subject to their administration. Any interest or earnings on the moneys invested is retained by the investing university.

    (c) Moneys of a university that may be invested with its foundation pursuant to this section are those subject to the administrative control of the university that are collected under an act of the Legislature for specific purposes and do not include any funds made available to the university from the State General Revenue Fund or the funds established in sections eighteen or eighteen-a, article twenty-two, chapter twenty-nine of this code. Moneys permitted to be invested under this section may be aggregated in an investment fund for investment purposes.

    (d) Of the moneys authorized for investment by this section, Marshall University and West Virginia University each, respectively, may have invested with its foundation at any time not more than the greater of:

    (1) $18 million for Marshall University and $25 million for West Virginia University; or

    (2) Sixty-five percent of its unrestricted net assets as presented in the statement of net assets for the fiscal year end audited financial reports.

    (3) Notwithstanding subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection, with the approval of the Higher Education Policy Commission, Marshall University may increase the amount invested to $30 $60 million and West Virginia University may increase the amount invested to $40 $70 million.

    (e) Investments by foundations that are authorized under this section shall be made in accordance with and subject to the provisions of the Uniform Prudent Investor Act codified as article six-c, chapter forty-four of this code. As part of its fiduciary responsibilities, each governing board shall establish investment policies in accordance with the Uniform Prudent Investor Act for those moneys invested with its foundation. The governing board shall review, establish and modify, if necessary, the investment objectives as incorporated in its investment policies so as to provide for the financial security of the moneys invested with its foundation. The governing boards shall give consideration to the following:

    (1) Preservation of capital;

(2) Diversification;

(3) Risk tolerance;

(4) Rate of return;

(5) Stability;

(6) Turnover;

(7) Liquidity; and

(8) Reasonable cost of fees.

    (f) A governing board shall report annually by December 31 to the Governor and to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance on the performance of investments managed by its foundation pursuant to this section.

    (g) The amendments to this section in the second extraordinary session of the Legislature in 2010 shall apply retroactively so that the authority granted by this section shall be construed as if that authority did not expire on July 1, 2010.

CHAPTER 18B. HIGHER EDUCATION.

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, objectives and priorities found in section one-a, article one and article one-d 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. To that end, the commission has the following powers and duties relating to the governing boards under its jurisdiction:

    (1) Develop, oversee and advance the public policy agenda pursuant to article one-d of this chapter to address major challenges facing the state, including, but not limited to, the following:

    (A) The goals, objectives and priorities established in this chapter including specifically those goals, objectives and priorities pertaining to the compacts created pursuant to section seven, article one-d of this chapter; and

    (B) Development and implementation of the master plan described in section five, article one-d of this chapter for the purpose of accomplishing the mandates of this section;

    (2) Develop, oversee and advance the promulgation and implementation of a financing rule for state institutions of higher education under its jurisdiction. The rule shall meet the following criteria:

    (A) Provide for an adequate level of educational 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 eliminating 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 and article one-d 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 governing boards and the higher education systems as a whole accountable for accomplishing their missions and implementing their compacts;

    (4) Develop and adopt each compact for the governing boards under its jurisdiction;

    (5) Review and adopt the annual updates of the institutional compacts;

    (6) Serve as the accountability point to state policymakers:

    (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 progress in achieving state policy priorities and institutional missions pursuant to section seven, article one-d of this chapter;

    (10) Report to the Legislature and to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability annually during the January interim meeting period 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 the goals, objectives and priorities set forth in section one-a, article one and article one-d of this chapter and in the commission’s master plan and institutional compacts;

    (B) The commission’s priorities for new operating and capital investments and the justification for the priority;

    (C) Recommendations of the commission for statutory changes necessary or expedient to achieve state goals, objectives and priorities;

    (11) Establish a formal process for identifying capital investment needs and for determining priorities for these investments for consideration by the Governor and the Legislature as part of the appropriation request process pursuant to article nineteen of this chapter.

    (12) Develop standards and evaluate governing board requests for capital project financing in accordance with article nineteen of this chapter, except that Marshall University and West Virginia University are not subject to this subdivision.

    (13) Ensure that governing boards manage capital projects and facilities needs effectively, including review and approval or disapproval of capital projects, in accordance with article nineteen of this chapter, except that Marshall University and West Virginia University are not subject to this subdivision.

    (14) Acquire legal services as considered necessary, including representation of the commission, its governing boards, 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;

    (15) Employ a Chancellor for Higher Education pursuant to section five of this article;

    (16) Employ other staff as necessary and appropriate to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the commission and the council, in accordance with article four of this chapter;

    (17) Provide suitable offices in Kanawha County for the chancellor, vice chancellors and other staff;

    (18) 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, objectives and priorities set forth in the compact, in section one-a, article one and article one-d of this chapter;

    (19) Approve the total compensation package from all sources for presidents of institutions under its jurisdiction, as proposed by the governing boards, except that the compensation packages of the presidents of Marshall University and West Virginia University, respectively, are not subject to 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;

    (20) 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;

    (21) 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;

    (22) Jointly with the council, develop and implement an oversight plan to manage systemwide technology including, but not limited to, 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 governing boards are not subject to the jurisdiction of the Chief Technology Officer for any purpose;

    (23) Establish and implement policies and procedures to ensure that a student 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 are consistent with sound academic policy;

    (24) Establish and implement policies and procedures to ensure that a student 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 are consistent with sound academic policy;

    (25) Establish and implement policies and procedures to ensure that a student 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 are consistent with sound academic policy;

    (26) Establish and implement policies and programs, in cooperation with the council and the governing boards, through which a student who has 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 he or she has the necessary knowledge and skills to be granted academic credit or advanced placement standing toward the requirements of an associate’s 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, are 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, objectives and priorities pursuant to section one-a, article one and article one-d of this chapter;

    (28) Promulgate and implement a rule for higher education governing boards and institutions to follow when considering capital projects pursuant to article nineteen of this chapter;

    (29) Consider and submit to the appropriate agencies of the executive and legislative branches of state government an appropriation request that reflects recommended appropriations for the commission and the governing boards under its jurisdiction. The commission shall submit as part of its appropriation request the separate recommended appropriation request it received from the council, both for the council and for the governing boards under the council’s jurisdiction. The commission annually shall submit the proposed allocations based on each institution’s progress toward meeting the goals of its compact;

    (30) The commission may assess institutions under its jurisdiction, including 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 governing boards for qualifying noncapital expenditures incurred in providing 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 June 30, 2000, 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 article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code and section six, article one of this chapter, promulgate rules necessary or expedient to fulfill the purposes of this chapter. The commission and the council shall promulgate a uniform joint legislative rule for the purposes of standardizing, as much as possible, the administration of personnel matters among the state institutions of higher education and implementing the provisions of articles seven, eight, nine and nine-a of this chapter;

    (34) Determine when a joint rule among the governing boards under its jurisdiction is necessary or required by law and, in those instances, in consultation with the governing boards under its jurisdiction, promulgate the joint rule;

    (35) Promulgate and implement a rule 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;

    (36) By October 1, 2011, promulgate a rule pursuant to section one, article ten of this chapter, establishing tuition and fee policy for all governing boards under the jurisdiction of the commission, including Marshall University and West Virginia University. 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;

    (37) Implement general disease awareness initiatives to educate parents and students, particularly dormitory residents, about meningococcal meningitis; the potentially life-threatening dangers of contracting the infection; behaviors and activities that can increase risks; measures that can be taken to prevent contact or infection; and potential benefits of vaccination. The commission shall encourage governing boards that provide medical care to students to provide access to the vaccine for those who wish to receive it; and

    (38) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary sell, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or part of any real property that it owns, in accordance with article nineteen of this chapter.

    (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 governing boards under its jurisdiction. The review and approval includes use of institutional missions as a template to judge the appropriateness of both new and existing programs and the authority to implement needed changes.

    (A) The commission’s authority to review and approve academic programs for either Marshall University or West Virginia University is limited to programs that are proposed to be offered at a new location not presently served by that institution;

    (B) The commission shall approve or disapprove proposed academic degree programs in those instances where approval is required as soon as practicable, but in any case not later than six months from the date the governing board makes an official request. The commission may not withhold approval unreasonably.

    (5) Distribution of funds appropriated to the commission, including incentive and performance-based funds;

    (6) Administration of state and federal student aid programs under the supervision of the vice chancellor for administration, including promulgation of 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) Developing, establishing and implementing information, assessment, accountability and personnel systems, including maintaining statewide data systems that facilitate long-term planning and accurate measurement of strategic outcomes and performance indicators;

    (9) Jointly with the council, promulgating and implementing rules 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. The council has authority and responsibility for approval of all post-secondary courses or programs providing community and technical college education as defined in section two, article one of this chapter.

    (10) Developing, implementing and overseeing statewide and regional 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 funds from any source;

    (11) Quality assurance that intersects with all other duties of the commission particularly in the areas of research, data collection and analysis, personnel administration, planning, policy analysis, program review and approval, budgeting and information and accountability systems; and

    (12) Developing budgets and allocating resources for governing boards under its jurisdiction:

    (A) For all governing boards under its jurisdiction, except the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, the commission shall review institutional operating budgets, review and approve capital budgets and distribute incentive and performance-based funds;

    (B) For the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, the commission shall distribute incentive and performance-based funds and may review and comment upon the institutional operating budgets and capital budgets. The commission’s comments, if any, shall be made part of the governing board’s minute record.

    (c) In addition to the powers and duties provided in subsections (a) and (b) of this section and any other powers and duties assigned to it by law, the commission has other powers and duties necessary or expedient to accomplish the purposes of this article.

    (d) The commission may withdraw specific powers of a governing board under its jurisdiction for a period not to exceed two years, if the commission determines that any of the following conditions exist:

    (1) The governing board has failed for two consecutive years to develop or implement an institutional compact as required in article one-d 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 governing board according to state law; or

    (3) Other circumstances which, in the view of the commission, severely limit the capacity of the governing board to exercise its powers or carry out its duties and responsibilities.

    The commission may not withdraw specific powers for a period exceeding two years. During the withdrawal period, the commission shall take all steps necessary to reestablish sound, stable and responsible institutional governance.

ARTICLE 2A. INSTITUTIONAL BOARDS OF GOVERNORS.

§18B-2A-1. Findings; composition of boards; terms and qualifications of members; vacancies; eligibility for reappointment.

    (a) Findings. –

    The Legislature finds that the State of West Virginia is served best when the membership of each governing board includes the following:

    (1) The academic expertise and institutional experience of faculty members and a student of the institution governed by the board;

    (2) The technical or professional expertise and institutional experience of a classified employee of the institution governed by the board;

    (3) An awareness and understanding of the issues facing the institution governed by the board; and

    (4) The diverse perspectives that arise from a membership that is balanced in terms of gender and varied in terms of race and ethnic heritage.

    (b) Boards of governors established. –

    A board of governors is continued at each of the following institutions: Bluefield State College, Blue Ridge Community and Technical College, Bridgemont Community and Technical College, Concord University, Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College, Fairmont State University, Glenville State College, Kanawha Valley Community and Technical College, Mountwest Community and Technical College, Marshall University, New River Community and Technical College, Pierpont Community and Technical College, Shepherd University, Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, West Liberty University, West Virginia Northern Community and Technical College, the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, West Virginia State University, West Virginia University and West Virginia University at Parkersburg.

    (c) Board membership. –

    (1) An appointment to fill a vacancy on the board or reappointment of a member who is eligible to serve an additional term is made in accordance with the provisions of this section.

    (2) The Board of Governors for Marshall University consists of sixteen persons. The Board of Governors for West Virginia University consists of seventeen persons. The boards of governors of the other state institutions of higher education consist of twelve persons.

    (3) Each board of governors includes the following members:

    (A) A full-time member of the faculty with the rank of instructor or above duly elected by the faculty of the respective institution;

    (B) A member of the student body in good academic standing, enrolled for college credit work and duly elected by the student body of the respective institution; and

    (C) A member from the institutional classified employees duly elected by the classified employees of the respective institution;

    (4) For the Board of Governors at Marshall University, thirteen lay members appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, pursuant to this section;

    (5) For the Board of Governors at West Virginia University, twelve lay members appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, pursuant to this section, and additionally:

    (A) The Chairperson of the Board of Visitors of West Virginia University Institute of Technology;

    (B) A full-time faculty member representing the extension service at the institution or a full-time faculty member representing the health sciences, selected by the faculty senate.    (6) For each board of governors of the other state institutions of higher education, nine lay members appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, pursuant to this section.

    (A) Of the nine members appointed by the Governor, no more than five may be of the same political party. Of the thirteen members appointed by the Governor to the governing board of Marshall University, no more than eight may be of the same political party. Of the twelve members appointed by the Governor to the governing board of West Virginia University, no more than seven may be of the same political party.

    (B) Of the nine members appointed by the Governor, at least five shall be residents of the state. Of the thirteen members appointed by the Governor to the governing board of Marshall University, at least eight shall be residents of the state. Of the twelve members appointed by the Governor to the governing board of West Virginia University, at least seven shall be residents of the state.

    (7) In making lay appointments, the Governor shall consider the institutional mission and membership characteristics including the following:

    (A) The need for individual skills, knowledge and experience relevant to governing the institution;

    (B) The need for awareness and understanding of institutional problems and priorities, including those related to research, teaching and outreach;

    (C) The value of gender, racial and ethnic diversity; and

    (D) The value of achieving balance in gender and diversity in the racial and ethnic characteristics of the lay membership of each board.

    (d) Board member terms. –

    (1) The student member serves for a term of one year. Each term begins on July 1.

    (2) The faculty member serves for a term of two years. Each term begins on July 1. Faculty members are eligible to succeed themselves for three additional terms, not to exceed a total of eight consecutive years.

    (3) The member representing classified employees serves for a term of two years. Each term begins on July 1. Members representing classified employees are eligible to succeed themselves for three additional terms, not to exceed a total of eight consecutive years.

    (4) The appointed lay citizen members serve terms of up to four years each and are eligible to succeed themselves for no more than one additional term, except that citizen members who are appointed to fill unexpired terms are eligible to succeed themselves for two full terms after completing an unexpired term.

    (5) A vacancy in an unexpired term of a member shall be filled for the unexpired term within thirty days of the occurrence of the vacancy in the same manner as the original appointment or election. Except in the case of a vacancy, all elections are held and all appointments are made no later than June 30 preceding the commencement of the term. Each board of governors shall elect one of its appointed lay members to be chairperson in June of each year. A member may not serve as chairperson for more than four consecutive years.

    (6) The appointed members of the boards of governors serve staggered terms of up to four years except that four of the initial appointments to the governing boards of community and technical colleges that became independent July 1, 2008, are for terms of two years and five of the initial appointments are for terms of four years.

    (e) Board member eligibility, expenses. –

    (1) A person is ineligible for appointment to membership on a board of governors of a state institution of higher education under the following conditions:

    (A) For a baccalaureate institution or university, a person is ineligible for appointment who is an officer, employee or member of any other board of governors; an employee of any institution of higher education; an officer or member of any political party executive committee; the holder of any other public office or public employment under the government of this state or any of its political subdivisions; an employee of any affiliated research corporation created pursuant to article twelve of this chapter; an employee of any affiliated foundation organized and operated in support of one or more state institutions of higher education; or a member of the council or commission. This subsection does not prevent the representative from the faculty, classified employees, students or the superintendent of a county board of education from being members of the governing boards.

    (B) For a community and technical college, a person is ineligible for appointment who is an officer, employee or member of any other board of governors; a member of a board of visitors of any public institution of higher education; an employee of any institution of higher education; an officer or member of any political party executive committee; the holder of any other public office, other than an elected county office, or public employment, other than employment by the county board of education, under the government of this state or any of its political subdivisions; an employee of any affiliated research corporation created pursuant to article twelve of this chapter; an employee of any affiliated foundation organized and operated in support of one or more state institutions of higher education; or a member of the council or commission. This subsection does not prevent the representative from the faculty, classified employees or students from being members of the governing boards.

    (2) Before exercising any authority or performing any duties as a member of a governing board, each member shall qualify as such by taking and subscribing to the oath of office prescribed by section five, article IV of the Constitution of West Virginia and the certificate thereof shall be filed with the Secretary of State.

    (3) A member of a governing board appointed by the Governor may not be removed from office by the Governor except for official misconduct, incompetence, neglect of duty or gross immorality and then only in the manner prescribed by law for the removal of the state elective officers by the Governor.

    (4) The members of the board of governors serve without compensation, but are reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses actually incurred in the performance of official duties under this article upon presentation of an itemized sworn statement of expenses.

    (5) The president of the institution shall make available resources of the institution for conducting the business of its board of governors. All expenses incurred by the board of governors and the institution under this section are paid from funds allocated to the institution for that purpose.

§18B-2A-3. Supervision of governing boards; promulgation of rules; data collection and dissemination.

    (a) The governing boards are subject to the supervision of the commission or the council, as appropriate, except in those instances where specific statutory exceptions are granted by law to the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University.

    (b) The governing boards of all state institutions of higher education are subject to the provisions of law that relate to the administration of personnel matters including, specifically, articles seven, eight, nine and nine-a of this chapter and to rules promulgated and adopted in accordance with these provisions.

    (c) The Chancellor for Higher Education and the Chancellor for Community and Technical College Education, under the supervision of their respective boards, are responsible for the coordination of policies, purposes and rules 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 in the compacts and in section one-a, article one and article one-d of this chapter.

    (d) The governing boards and the State Board of Education shall provide all information requested by the commission and the council, whether the request is made separately or jointly, in an appropriate format and in a timely manner.

    (1) Each governing board shall cooperate with the West Virginia Network for Educational Telecomputing (WVNET) in designing appropriate interfaces with the databases of institutions under its jurisdiction and shall grant WVNET direct access to these databases.

    (2) WVNET, on behalf of the commission or council or both, shall generate reports from the data accessed for the purposes set forth in section five, article one-a and sections eight and ten, article one-d of this chapter.

    (3) All data accessed or received from an institution shall be treated in a manner consistent with the privacy protections outlined in section ten, article one-d of this chapter.

ARTICLE 7. PERSONNEL GENERALLY.

§18B-7-11. Employees designated as nonclassified; limits; exceptions; reports required.

    (a) Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary, by July 1, 2015, the percentage of personnel placed in the category of nonclassified at a higher education organization may not exceed twenty percent of the total number of classified and nonclassified employees of that organization as those terms are defined in section two, article nine-a of this chapter and who are eligible for membership in a state retirement system of the State of West Virginia or other retirement plan authorized by the state.     A higher education organization which has more than twenty percent of its employees placed in the nonclassified category as defined by this subsection on July 1, 2011, shall reduce the number of nonclassified employees to no more than twenty-five percent by July 1, 2013, and to no more than twenty percent by July 1, 2015, except as set forth in subsections (b) and (c) of this section.

    (b) For the purpose of determining the ratio of nonclassified employees pursuant to this section, the following conditions apply:

    (1) Employees of the commission and the chancellor for higher education and employees of the council and the chancellor for community and technical college education are considered as one organization;

    (2) Organizations may count as faculty or classified employees, respectively, administrators who retain the right to return to faculty or classified employee positions; and

    (3) Athletic coaches are excluded from calculation of the ratio. The commission and the council shall include consideration of this employee category in each review required by section nine of this article and shall monitor organizations’ use of this category and include this information in the reports required by subsections (a) and (b), section eight of this article.

    (c) An organization may place up to twenty-five percent of the total number of classified and nonclassified employees of that organization as defined by this section in the nonclassified category under the following conditions:

    (1) The governing board of an institution votes to approve any percentage or fraction of a percentage number above twenty percent and seeks and receives the approval of the commission or council, as appropriate, before increasing the total above twenty percent.

    (2) In the case of personnel employed by the commission and the council, the chancellors jointly shall agree to increase the percentage number or fraction of a number of nonclassified employees beyond twenty percent and shall recommend this action to their respective boards for approval.

    (A) The commission and council each shall approve or disapprove the increase and shall include the vote, as well as details of the position and justification for placing the position in the nonclassified category, in its minute record.

    (B) The number of nonclassified personnel may not be increased above twenty percent unless the increase is approved by both the commission and the council.

    (3) (2) Powers and duties of commission and council regarding nonclassified staff ratios. –

    (A) It is the duty of the commission and council jointly to establish criteria for the purpose of making decisions on approving or disapproving requests by organizations to exceed the twenty percent limit for personnel placed in the nonclassified category;

    (B) The commission and council shall provide technical assistance to organizations under their respective jurisdictions in collecting and interpreting data to ensure that they fulfill the requirements established by this section. Consideration of these issues shall be made part of each review required by section nine of this article and information from the review included in the reports required by subsections (a) and (b), section eight of this article;

    (C) The chancellors shall monitor the progress of the organizations in meeting the deadlines established in this section and shall report periodically to the council and commission. The commission and council shall make a preliminary compliance report to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability by September 1, 2013, and a final report on organization compliance to that body by September 1, 2015.

    (D) Subject to a joint recommendation by the commission and the council and subsequent affirmative action by the Legislature to extend the authority beyond the specified date of termination, the authority of an organization to place more than twenty percent of its personnel in the nonclassified category pursuant to this section expires on July 1, 2016.

    (d) The current annual salary of a nonclassified employee may not be reduced if his or her position is redefined as a classified position solely to meet the requirements of this section. If such a nonclassified employee is reclassified, his or her salary does not constitute evidence of inequitable compensation in comparison to other employees in the same paygrade.

    (e) For the purposes of this section only the commission and council are not considered a higher education organization.

ARTICLE 19. CAPITAL PROJECTS AND FACILITIES NEEDS.

§18B-19-10. Authorization to sell property; use of proceeds.

    (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or this code to the contrary, the commission, council and governing boards each may sell lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or part of any real property that it owns, either by contract or at public auction, and retain the proceeds of the transaction.

    The commission, council and governing boards may not sell lease, convey or otherwise dispose of any real property without first performing the following steps:

    (1) Providing for property appraisal by two independent licensed appraisers. The property may not be sold for less than the average of the two appraisals;

    (2) Providing notice to the public in the county in which the real property is located by a Class II legal advertisement pursuant to section two, article three, chapter fifty-nine of this code;

    (3) Holding a public hearing on the issue in the county in which the real property is located; and

    (4) In the case of the commission, notifying the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.

    (b) (5) The commission, council or a governing board shall deposit the net proceeds from the sale lease, conveyance or other disposal of real property into a special revenue account in the State Treasury to be appropriated by the Legislature in the annual budget bill for the purchase of additional real property, equipment or technology, or for capital improvements or maintenance at the institution that sold the surplus real property.

    (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or this code to the contrary, the commission, council and governing boards each may lease, as lessor, for purposes that further the state goals, objectives and priorities for higher education set out in this code, particularly section one-a, article one and article one-d of this chapter, any real property that it owns, either by contract or at public auction, and retain the proceeds of the lease.

    (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or this code to the contrary, the commission, council and governing boards may convey, transfer or exchange any real property it owns to any other public body.

§18B-19-19. Exemptions from approval process; reports required.

    Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University each may take any action described or set forth in this article that requires the approval of the commission without seeking commission approval subject to the following conditions:

    (a) Each governing board shall provide notice of any proposed action to the commission at least thirty days prior to taking the action;

    (b) Each governing board shall provide any additional information related to the proposed action requested by the commission within thirty days of receiving the commission’s request; and

    (c) Each governing board shall comply with all the mandates in this article, other than commission approval, including the mandates and requirements of section eight, article ten of this chapter regarding the issuance of revenue bonds.

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