Education Universities And Colleges - Digest of Bills

Digest of Bills - 1997

EDUCATION UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES

S.B. 97-15 Governing boards - cash funds - state treasury management fees. Creates the board of trustees for the university of northern Colorado fund, the trustees of the state colleges in Colorado fund, and the state board for community colleges and occupational education fund. Exempts the funds from state treasury management fees.

APPROVED by Governor April 14, 1997
EFFECTIVE July 1, 1997

S.B. 97-28 Colorado commission on higher education - student fee policies. Requires the Colorado commission on higher education to establish separate fee policies for bond redemption fees, administrative fees unrelated to a specific academic course, and student purpose fees other than permanent student purpose fees.

For bond redemption fees, allows assessment of user fees and portions of general student fees for repayment of bonds issued for auxiliary facilities. Allows cross-pledging of the revenues from such fees, with specified limitations. Requires the fees assessed for repayment of bonds to be discontinued or reduced upon repayment of the bonds. Requires itemization of bond repayment fees, including itemization of the portions of general student fees used for repayment of bonds, on student billing statements. Provides that use of any surplus remaining in revenues collected through auxiliary facility fees shall be subject to review by representatives of student government.

Allows fees relating to administrative costs for specific academic courses to be imposed or increased without a vote of the student body. Requires student body approval of fees that cover administrative costs that are not related to specific academic courses. Requires itemization on student billing statements of all administrative cost fees.

Requires approval by the student body of fees related to student purposes other than permanent student purposes. Requires new student purpose fees to include an expiration date. Requires itemization on student billing statements of all student purpose fees.

Instructs institutions of higher education to refund upon request any fees imposed through a negative check-off. Prohibits further consideration of any fee that was defeated at a student election until the next regularly scheduled student body election. Includes the Auraria higher education center in the definition of "institution of higher education", and deletes separate references to the Auraria higher education center.

Specifies limitations on whether an auxiliary facility that is designated as an enterprise may pledge internal revenues. Deletes certain auxiliary facilities from and adds the Lowry enterprise to the list of auxiliary facilities that are designated as enterprises.

APPROVED by Governor June 3, 1997
EFFECTIVE July 1, 1997

H.B. 97-1028 Student admissions - percentage of resident students - Western state college. Continues the provision that allows western state college to maintain a 60% ratio of in-state to out-of-state students.

APPROVED by Governor March 20, 1997
EFFECTIVE March 20, 1997

H.B. 97-1218 Colorado water resources institute - extension - advisory committee - fund. Replaces the advisory council on water resources research policy with an advisory committee on water research policy of not less than 10 members appointed by the director of the Colorado water resources research institute. Specifies that members of the committee are appointed for terms of 4 years and do not receive compensation or reimbursement of expenses. Sets forth the duties of the advisory committee.

Establishes a water policy research fund which consists of donations accepted by the institute. Authorizes the institute to expend moneys from the fund to further the institute. Specifies that interest on the fund remains in the fund and that moneys in the fund do not revert to the general fund at the end of a fiscal year.

Extends the Colorado water resources research institute for another 10-year period.

APPROVED by Governor May 16, 1997
EFFECTIVE May 16, 1997

H.B. 97-1341 Tenure - post-tenure review policies. Requires each governing board to establish a post-tenure review policy under which each tenured faculty member receives a performance evaluation at least every 5 years. Specifies minimum considerations to be included in the evaluation. Requires each institution, in applying the considerations, to take into account the statutory role and mission of the institution.

Provides that any faculty member whose performance is found to be unsatisfactory shall complete a performance improvement plan designed by the institution and be reevaluated within 3 years. Specifies that any faculty member whose performance does not improve is subject to sanctions, including loss of tenure. Requires the institution to terminate the employment of any faculty member who loses tenure. Specifies that the post-tenure review policy shall provide due process to faculty members at each stage of review.

With regard to tenure eligibility requirements, directs each governing board to make exceptions under any requirement of continuous employment for faculty members who take extended maternity or parental leave or who take extended leave because of a disability or an emergency situation.

Allows a governing board, in delegating to the chief executive officer of an institution authority over personnel matters, to authorize the chief executive officer to further delegate such authority to other officers of the institution.

VETOED by Governor June 5, 1997

H.B. 97-1352 Funding - policy areas - repeal. Repeals the provisions instructing the general assembly to identify 5 policy areas in higher education for additional funding, and repeals provisions specifying those areas for the 1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97, and 1997-98 fiscal years.

APPROVED by Governor June 5, 1997
EFFECTIVE June 5, 1997