Connecticut HB 7120: AN ACT CONCERNING THE CLOSING OF INSTITUTIONS OR CAMPUSES WITHIN THE CONNECTICUT STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

Bill Text

LCO No. 4025 1 of 8

General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7120
January Session, 2019 LCO No. 4025

Referred to Committee on HIGHER EDUCATION AND
EMPLOYMENT ADVANCEMENT

Introduced by:
(HED)

AN ACT CONCERNING THE CLOSING OF INSTITUTIONS OR
CAMPUSES WITHIN THE CONNECTICUT STATE COLLEGES AND
UNIVERSITIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 10a-6 of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 2
passage): 3
(a) The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall: (1) Establish 4
policies and guidelines for the Connecticut State University System, 5
the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak 6
State College; (2) develop a master plan for higher education and 7
postsecondary education at the Connecticut State University System, 8
the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak 9
State College consistent with the goals identified in section 10a-11c; (3) 10
establish tuition and student fee policies for the Connecticut State 11
University System, the regional community-technical college system 12
and Charter Oak State College; (4) monitor and evaluate the 13

Raised Bill No. 7120

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effectiveness and viability of the state universities, the regional 14
community-technical colleges and Charter Oak State College in 15
accordance with criteria established by the board; (5) merge or close 16
institutions or campuses within the Connecticut State University 17
System [,] and the regional community-technical college system and 18
Charter Oak State College in accordance with criteria established by 19
the board, provided (A) such recommended merger or closing of a 20
campus that is not a full-service campus, as defined in section 2 of this 21
act, shall require a two-thirds vote of the board [,] and [(B)] notice of 22
such recommended merger or closing shall be sent to the joint standing 23
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance [over] of 24
matters relating to higher education, [and to the General Assembly] 25
and (B) such recommended closing of an institution or a full-service 26
campus, as those terms are defined in section 2 of this act, is conducted 27
in accordance with the provisions of sections 3 and 4 of this act; (6) 28
review and approve mission statements for the Connecticut State 29
University System, the regional community-technical college system 30
and Charter Oak State College and role and scope statements for the 31
individual institutions and campuses of such constituent units; (7) 32
review and approve any recommendations for the establishment of 33
new academic programs submitted to the board by the state 34
universities within the Connecticut State University System, the 35
regional community-technical colleges and Charter Oak State College, 36
and, in consultation with the affected constituent units, provide for the 37
initiation, consolidation or termination of academic programs; (8) 38
develop criteria to ensure acceptable quality in (A) programs at the 39
Connecticut State University System, the regional community-40
technical college system and Charter Oak State College, and (B) 41
institutions within the Connecticut State University System and the 42
regional community-technical college system and enforce standards 43
through licensing and accreditation; (9) prepare and present to the 44
Governor and General Assembly, in accordance with section 10a-8, 45
consolidated operating and capital expenditure budgets for the 46
Connecticut State University System, the regional community-47
technical college system and Charter Oak State College developed in 48

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accordance with the provisions of said section 10a-8; (10) review and 49
make recommendations on plans received from the Connecticut State 50
University System, the regional community-technical college system 51
and Charter Oak State College to implement the goals identified in 52
section 10a-11c; (11) appoint advisory committees with representatives 53
from public and independent institutions of higher education to study 54
methods and proposals for coordinating efforts of the public 55
institutions of higher education under its jurisdiction with The 56
University of Connecticut and the independent institutions of higher 57
education to implement the goals identified in section 10a-11c; (12) 58
evaluate (A) means of implementing the goals identified in section 10a-59
11c, and (B) any recommendations made by the Planning Commission 60
for Higher Education in implementing the strategic master plan 61
pursuant to section 10a-11b through alternative and nontraditional 62
approaches such as external degrees and credit by examination; (13) 63
coordinate programs and services among the Connecticut State 64
University System, the regional community-technical college system 65
and Charter Oak State College; (14