SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 36
(By Senators Plymale, Browning, Edgell, Foster, Laird,
Stollings, Unger, Wells, Boley, Guills)
(Originating in the Committee on Education;
reported March 20, 2009)
Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance create a
joint interim committee to study various higher education
personnel administration and flexibility issues.
Whereas, The Legislature directed the staff of the Higher
Education Policy Commission and the Council for Community and
Technical College Education in Enrolled Committee Substitute for
Senate Bill
No. 603, passed during the regular session of the West
Virginia Legislature,
2005, to conduct a three-year study of
various issues related to higher education personnel administration
and compensation and to make recommendations for changes in law,
rule and practice to the Legislative Oversight Commission on
Education Accountability; and
Whereas, The final report to the Legislative Oversight
Commission on Education Accountability contained numerous
recommendations including naming several topics that need to
receive further study; and
Whereas, The issues identified as needing further study,
including internal hiring practices, reductions in force and
outsourcing, are important issues affecting higher education
employees; and
Whereas, The Legislature gave Marshall University and West
Virginia University, but not other state institutions of higher
education, certain additional flexibility in Enrolled Committee
Substitute for Senate Bill No. 603; and
Whereas, The Legislature recognizes that because of the
importance of higher education to West Virginia's future, a
broad-based public policy discussion needs to occur before state
leaders make determinations regarding appropriate personnel
administration and compensation policies in order to achieve the
greatest good for state institutions of higher education, their
employees and the people of West Virginia; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby
requested to
create a joint interim committee to study various
higher education personnel administration and flexibility issues;
and, be it
Further Resolved, That the committee shall consist of
members
of the Senate and House of Delegates
for the purposes of
considering recommendations resulting from the study mandated by
Enrolled Committee Substitute for Senate Bill No. 603 and making a specific and detailed analysis of
certain other higher education
personnel and flexibility issues; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the
committee shall consist of the
following members:
(1)The President of the Senate or designee;
(2)The Speaker of the House of Delegates or designee;
(3)The chairs of the Senate and House of Delegates
Committees on Education, who shall cochair the committee;
(4)The chairs of the Senate and House of Delegates
Committees on Finance or their designees;
(5)The chairs of the Senate and House of Delegates
Committees on Government Organization or their designees;
(6)Two members each from the Senate Committees on Finance
and Education, appointed by the President of the Senate; and
(7)Two members each from the House of Delegates Committees
on Finance and Education, appointed by the Speaker of the House;
and, be it
Further Resolved, That the committee shall examine issues
related to employee compensation, classification and job evaluation
methodologies; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the committee shall examine internal
hiring practices, including statutory preference given to current
employees; a fair and rational policy for making reductions in
force when necessary; and the relative costs and benefits of outsourcing certain services to external contractors; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the committee shall examine whether the
additional flexibility provided to Marshall University and West
Virginia University in
Enrolled Committee Substitute for Senate
Bill No. 603
should be extended to other state institutions of
higher education; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the committee report to the Joint
Committee on Government and Finance and the Legislative Oversight
Commission on Education Accountability by the first day of January,
2010, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together
with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its
recommendations; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this
study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be
paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on
Government and Finance; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby
directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the chancellors of
the Higher Education Policy Commission and the Council for
Community and Technical College Education for distribution to each
member thereof.