SB 214 — AN ACT CONCERNING COMMUNITY COLLEGE CONSOLIDATION.

General Assembly   RaisedSubstitute Bill No.

214 February Session, 2018   LCO*_____SB00214HED___030918____* No.AN ACT CONCERNING COMMUNITY COLLEGE CONSOLIDATION.

1361   *01361_______HED* Referred to Committee on HIGHER EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT ADVANCEMENT   Introduced by:

  (HED)   AN ACT CONCERNING COMMUNITY COLLEGE CONSOLIDATION.

(5) [mergemerge, consolidate or close any institutions within the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College in accordance with criteria established by the board, provided (A) such recommended mergermerger, consolidation or closing shall require a two-thirds vote of the board, and (B) the board provides notice of[of such recommended merger or closing shall be sentsent] to the committee having cognizance over matters relating to education and to the General Assembly] close, merge or consolidate any or all institutions within the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College in accordance with criteria established by the board, provided (A) in the case of a(i) such recommended closing, theor board(ii) approves such recommended closing by a two-thirds vote of the board, and (B) in the case of a recommended merger or consolidation,consolidation thein boardaccordance (i)with obtains accreditation for the institutionsprovisions toof besection merged2 or consolidated prior to the vote described in clause (iii) of this subparagraph,act, (ii)to notifies the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance [over] of matters relating to higher educationeducation; of such recommended merger or consolidation and the receipt of accreditation for such merged or consolidated institutions, and (iii) approves such recommended merger or consolidation by a two-thirds vote of the board;

[and to the General Assembly;] (6) review and approve mission statements for the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College and role and scope statements for the individual institutions and campuses of such constituent units;

Sec.

2.

(NEW) (Effective July 1, 2018) (a) If the Board of Regents for Higher Education approves a recommended merger or consolidation of any of the institutions within the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College pursuant to subdivision (5) of subsection (a) of section 10a-6 of the general statutes, as amended by this act, the board shall notify the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education and employment advancement as follows:

(1) The president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, the chairperson or vice-chairperson of the faculty advisory committee, established pursuant to sections 10a-3a of the general statutes, and the chairperson or vice-chairperson of the student advisory committee, established pursuant to section 10a-3 of the general statutes, shall appear before said joint standing committee in February and September of each year, until the February or September immediately following the receipt of accreditation for such merged or consolidated institutions, to update said joint standing committee on the merger or consolidation process.

(2) The Board of Regents for Higher Education and the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities shall disclose to the cochairpersons and ranking members of said joint standing committee any communication with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges relating to such recommended merger or consolidation.

(b) Not later than two years after the institutions to be merged or consolidated receive accreditation, the Board of Regents for Higher Education shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education.

Such report shall describe any efficiency of function and cost savings achieved by such merger or consolidation.

Section 1 July 1, 2018 10a-6(a) StatementSec. of Purpose:

To2 requireJuly the1, Board2018 ofNew Regentssection forHED HigherJoint EducationFavorable toSubst. obtain accreditation prior to consolidating any institution of higher education under its jurisdiction.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets.

Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]