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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 824
January Session, 2021
LCO No. 2617
Referred to Committee on HIGHER EDUCATION AND
EMPLOYMENT ADVANCEMENT
Introduced by:
(HED)
AN ACT REQUIRING TRA INING FOR THE MEMBER S OF THE
GOVERNING BOARDS OF THE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER
EDUCATION IN THE STATE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) Not later than January 1, 1
2022, each governing board of an independent institution of higher 2
education in the state shall establish a policy requiring that each 3
member of the governing board receive instruction and training at least 4
once every four years in financial management of institutions of higher 5
education, legal and fiduciary responsibilities of a member of such 6
governing board and applicable standards for accreditation of 7
institutions of higher education and programs of higher learning. 8
(b) Not later than January 1, 2022, each independent institution of 9
higher education shall post on its Internet web site the policy established 10
by its governing board pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. Not 11
later than January 1, 2022, and every four years thereafter, each such 12
institution shall post on its Internet web site a summary of the 13
instruction and training received by the members of its governing board 14 Raised Bill No. 824
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pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. 15
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) Not later than January 1, 2022, 16
the Board of Regents for Higher Education and the Board of Trustees of 17
The University of Connecticut shall each adopt a policy requiring that 18
each member of said boards receive instruction and training at least 19
once every four years in (1) a board member's duties to the state and the 20
public institution of higher education governed by the board, (2) each 21
committee of the board, including, but not limited to, the executive 22
committee, and its functions, (3) professional accounting and reporting 23
standards, (4) methods for meeting the statutory, regulatory and 24
fiduciary obligations of the board, (5) the provisions of the Freedom of 25
Information Act, as defined in section 1-200 of the general statutes, (6) a 26
board member's institutional and statutory ethical responsibilities, (7) 27
the development and implementation of institutional policies, (8) 28
business operations, administration, budgeting, financing, financial 29
reporting, financial reserves and endowment managing relevant to 30
institutions of higher education, (9) student tuition, mandatory fees and 31
student debt trends, (10) oversight of planning, construction, 32
maintenance, expansion and renovation projects that impact the 33
infrastructure, physical facilities and natural environment of the public 34
institution of higher education governed by the board, (11) workforce 35
planning, strategy and investment, (12) institutional advancement, 36
including, but not limited to, philanthropic giving, fundraising 37
initiatives, alumni programming, communications and media, 38
government and public relations and community affairs, (13) student 39
welfare issues, including, but not limited to, academic studies, 40
curriculum, residence life, student governance and activities and the 41
general physical and mental well-being of students, (14) current and 42
anticipated issues in higher education, and (15) any other topics each 43
governing board deems necessary. 44
(b) Not later than January 1, 2022, each public institution of higher 45
education shall post on its Internet web site the policy established by its 46
governing board pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. Not later than 47
January 1, 2022, and every four years thereafter, each such institution 48 Raised Bill No. 824
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shall post on its Internet web site a summary of the instruction and 49
training received by the members of its governing board pursuant to 50
subsection (a) of this section. 51
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2021 New section
Sec. 2 July 1, 2021 New section
Statement of Purpose:
To require training for board members responsible for governing any
institution of higher education in the state.
[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.]