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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 TH E CLOSING OF INSTITUTIONS OR
CAMPUSES WITHIN THE CONNECTICUT STATE CO LLEGES 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repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 2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 Raised Bill No. 7120
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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) assess opportunities for 66
collaboration with The University of Connecticut and the independent 67
institutions of higher education to implement the goals identified in 68
section 10a-11c; (15) make or enter into contracts, leases or other 69
agreements in connection with its responsibilities under this part, 70
provided all acquisitions of real estate by lease or otherwise shall be 71
subject to the provisions of section 4b-23; (16) be responsible for the 72
care and maintenance of permanent records of institutions of higher 73
education dissolved after September 1, 1969; (17) prepare and present 74
to the Governor and General Assembly legislative proposals affecting 75
the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-76
technical college system and Charter Oak State College; (18) develop 77
and maintain a central higher education information system and 78
establish definitions and data requirements for the Connecticut State 79
University System, the regional community-technical college system 80
and Charter Oak State College; (19) report all new programs and 81
program changes at the Connecticut State University System, the 82
regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State 83 Raised Bill No. 7120
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College to the Office of Higher Education; and (20) undertake such 84
studies and other activities as will best serve the higher educational 85
interests of the Connecticut State University System, the regional 86
community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College. 87
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) As used in this section and 88
sections 3 and 4 of this act: 89
(1) "Board" means the Board of Regents for Higher Education; 90
(2) "President" means the president of the Connecticut State 91
Colleges and Universities; 92
(3) "Institution" means any institution within the Connecticut State 93
University System and the regional community-technical college 94
system and Charter Oak State College; and 95
(4) "Full-service campus" means any facility where an institution 96
under the governance of the Board of Regents for Higher Education 97
offers programs leading to a degree or certificate and provides 98
students access to adequate equipment, library resources, academic 99
advising and other necessary instructional support services. 100
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) The board shall develop 101
criteria to be used in any decision to close an institution or a full-102
service campus within the Connecticut State University System and 103
the regional community-technical college system and to close Charter 104
Oak State College. Such criteria shall be consistent with the following 105
goals: (1) The policy goals of the state system of higher education listed 106
in subsection (b) of section 10a-6 and section 10a-11c of the general 107
statutes, (2) to ensure that the residents of the geographic areas in 108
which an institution or full-service campus may be closing have access 109
to a conveniently located institution or full-service campus, (3) to 110
minimize the negative effects of such closing on students enrolled at 111
the institution or full-service campus and the community surrounding 112
institution or full-service campus, and (4) to preserve those programs 113
and fields of study which (A) are unique to the institution or full-114 Raised Bill No. 7120
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service campus that may be closing, or (B) serve specific industries, 115
employment needs or community needs in the state. 116
(b) Prior to approving the criteria developed pursuant to subsection 117
(a) of this section, the board shall hold one or more public hearings to 118
receive public comment on the criteria. The president and a majority of 119
the members of the board shall attend each public hearing. Not later 120
than fifteen days before the first public hearing, the board shall post on 121
its Internet web site and send to the electronic mail address on record 122
of all enrolled students and employees of each institution (1) a notice 123
of the time and place of each public hearing, (2) the criteria developed 124
pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, and (3) a means for all 125
interested persons to submit written testimony or recommendations 126
regarding such criteria. 127
(c) Following the completion of all public hearings conducted 128
pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, the board may amend the 129
criteria based on the oral and written testimony and recommendations 130
received through the public hearings. The criteria for closing an 131
institution or full-service campus, as amended through the public 132
hearing process, shall be approved by a majority vote of the board. Not 133
later than fifteen days after such approval, the board shall submit the 134
criteria, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the 135
general statutes, to the joint standing committee of the General 136
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education 137
and shall post such criteria on its Internet web site. 138
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) If the board or the president 139
determines that it is necessary to close any institution or full-service 140
campus within the Connecticut State University System or the regional 141
community-technical college system or to close Charter Oak State 142
College, the board shall use the criteria approved pursuant to section 3 143
of this act to assess each institution, determine which institutions or 144
full-service campuses should be closed and develop a closure plan for 145
such institutions or full-service campuses. For each institution or full-146
service campus to be closed, the closure plan shall include, but not be 147 Raised Bill No. 7120
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limited to, (1) an explanation of the reasons for such closure, (2) the 148
annual net cost of keeping such institution or full-service campus 149
open, (3) the net savings of closing such institution or full-service 150
campus, (4) an explanation of how students currently enrolled at such 151
institution or attending such full-service campus may be able to 152
complete their degree or certificate with minimal impact, (5) an 153
explanation of how any program or field of study that (A) is unique to 154
such institution or full-service campus, or (B) serves specific industries, 155
employment needs or community needs in the state will be preserved, 156
and (6) recommendations for any alternatives to closing such 157
institution or full-service campus, including, but not limited to, tuition 158
increases or other cost savings. 159
(b) Prior to approving any closure plan developed pursuant to 160
subsection (a) of this section, the board shall hold one or more public 161
hearings at each institution or full-service campus for which a closing 162
is planned. The president and a majority of the members of the board 163
shall attend each public hearing. Not later than fifteen days before each 164
public hearing, the board shall post on its Internet web site and send to 165
the electronic mail address on record of all enrolled students and 166
employees of each institution or full-service campus for which a 167
closing is planned (1) a notice of the time and place of such public 168
hearing, (2) the closure plan developed pursuant to subsection (a) of 169
this section, and (3) a means for all interested persons to submit 170
written testimony or recommendations. 171
(c) Following the completion of all public hearings held pursuant to 172
subsection (b) of this section, the board may amend the closure plan 173
based on the oral or written testimony and recommendations received 174
through the public hearings. If the board amends such closure plan to 175
include another institution or full-service campus, the board shall hold 176
an additional public hearing at such institution or full-service campus 177
in accordance with subsection (b) of this section. The closure plan, as 178
amended through the public hearing process, shall be approved by a 179
two-thirds vote of the board. Not later than fifteen days after such 180
approval, the board shall file the closure plan, along with its 181 Raised Bill No. 7120
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assessment of all the institutions using the approved criteria, with the 182
clerks of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the General 183
Assembly and shall post the same on its Internet web site. The board 184
shall not close any institution or full-service campus until the closure 185
plan is accepted or deemed accepted by the General Assembly in 186
accordance with subsection (d) of this section. 187
(d) The General Assembly may reject the closure plan filed by the 188
board in accordance with the provisions of subsection (c) of this 189
section by a majority vote of each house not later than thirty days or 190
three session days from the receipt of the plan, whichever is later. The 191
thirty-day period shall not begin or expire unless the General 192
Assembly is in regular session. For the purposes of this subsection, any 193
closure plan filed with the clerks while the General Assembly is not in 194
session shall be deemed filed on the first day of the next regular 195
session. If the plan is rejected by the General Assembly, the board may 196
conduct a new analysis of the institutions under the approved criteria 197
and develop a new closure plan in accordance with the provisions of 198
this section. If the General Assembly takes no action on the closure 199
plan, the board may implement the closure plan when the time for 200
legislative action, pursuant to this subsection, has elapsed. 201
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage 10a-6(a)
Sec. 2 from passage New section
Sec. 3 from passage New section
Sec. 4 from passage New section
Statement of Purpose:
To require the Board of Regents for Higher Education to establish a
plan, receive public comment and seek the approval of the General
Assembly prior to closing any institutions or campuses within the
Connecticut State Colleges and Universities.
[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.] Raised Bill No. 7120
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