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OLR Bill Analysis
sSB 824
AN ACT REQUIRING TRAINING FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE
GOVERNING BOARDS OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER
EDUCATION AND CONCERNING THE CONNECTICUT STATE
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES' BUDGET AND AUTHORITY TO
MERGE OR CLOSE INSTITUTIONS.
SUMMARY
This bill requires public and private Connecticut higher education
institutions to train their new governing board members within the
first year they serve. The bill establishes the required instruction and
training topics, which include financial, legal and ethical, and
institutional operation training topics, among others. By January 1,
2022, each institution must post on its website the training policy and a
summary of the instruction and training board members received.
Additionally, the bill does the following:
1. requires the Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR) to
make the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU)
central office a separate line item in the consolidated operating
and capital expenditure budgets and
2. eliminates BOR’s authority to merge or close institutions within
the Connecticut State University and regional community-
technical college systems and Charter Oak State College,
replacing it with ways for the legislature to approve or reject
merger or closure recommendations.
Lastly, the bill makes several conforming and technical changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2021
§ 1 — PRIVATE INSTITUTION GOVERNING BOARD TRAI NING
The bill requires each private college and university governing 2021SB-00824-R000280-BA.DOCX
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board to establish a policy by January 1, 2022, that requires new, first-
time board members to receive instruction and training within the first
year of membership. The training topics must include (1) financial
management of higher education institutions, (2) board members’ legal
and fiduciary responsibilities, and (3) applicable accreditation
standards for higher education institutions and programs of higher
learning.
§ 2 — PUBLIC INSTITUTION GOVERNING BOARD TRAIN ING
The bill requires BOR and the UConn Board of Trustees (BOT) to
each adopt a policy by January 1, 2022, that requires new governing
board members to receive instruction and training within the first year
of appointment on the topics listed in Table 1.
Table 1: Training Topics for BOR and UConn BOT Members
Board Operations and Member Duties
A board member’s duties to the state and the institution
Each board committee and its functions, including the executive committee
Financial Matters
Professional accounting and reporting standards
Business operations, administration, budgeting, financing, financial reporting,
financial reserves, and endowment managing for higher education institutions
Institutional advancement, including philanthropic giving, and fundraising initiatives
Legal and Ethical Matters
Methods for meeting the board’s statutory, regulatory, and fiduciary obligations
State Freedom of Information Act provisions
A board member’s institutional and statutory ethical responsibilities
Institutional Operations
Development and implementation of institutional policies
Oversight of planning, construction, maintenance, expansion, and renovation
projects that impact the institution’s infrastructure, physical facilities, and natural
environment 2021SB-00824-R000280-BA.DOCX
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Workforce planning, strategy, and investment
Alumni programming, communications and media, government and public relations,
and community affairs
Student Issues
Tuition, mandatory fees, and student debt trends
Student welfare issues, including academic studies, curriculum, residence life,
student governance and activities, and general physical and mental well-being
General Higher Education Issues
Current and anticipated higher education issues
Other topics each governing board deems necessary
§§ 3-5 — BOR BUDGETING PROCES S
The bill requires BOR to make the CSCU central office a separate
line item in the consolidated operating and capital expenditure
budgets that it submits to the Office of Policy and Management (OPM)
(see BACKGROUND). Under current law, the budget is itemized by
each state university, regional community technical college, and
Charter Oak State College.
The bill also exempts central office appropriations from the same
statutory limits on allotment reductions (i.e., rescissions) that apply to
the public colleges and universities.
§ 6 — LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL TO MERGE OR CLOSE
INSTITUTIONS
The bill eliminates BOR’s authority to merge or close institutions
within the Connecticut State University and regional community-
technical college systems and Charter Oak State College, replacing it
with the authority to make merger or closing recommendations to the
legislature. The bill also (1) creates new legislative notice requirements
for BOR to follow when recommending an institutional merger or
closure and (2) establishes mechanisms for the legislature to approve
or reject the recommendations. 2021SB-00824-R000280-BA.DOCX
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Under current law, BOR may merge or close the above institutions
upon a two-thirds vote of its members and after notifying the General
Assembly and the Education Committee about the recommended
action. The bill instead requires (1) BOR to notify only the Higher
Education and Employment Advancement Committee and (2) a
majority vote of both the House and Senate to approve a BOR-
recommended merger or closure.
Under the bill, if the legislature fails to act within one year after
receiving notice or by adjournment of the next regular legislative
session, whichever is later, the merger or closure is deemed approved.
Conversely, the merger or closure may be rejected by a majority vote
of at least one chamber.
BACKGROUND
BOR Budget Preparation
By law, BOR must develop either a formula or a program-based
budgeting system for each institution to use when preparing their
requested operating budgets. Using the formula or system, BOR then
prepares a single budget request to submit to the OPM secretary,
itemized by university, regional community-technical college, and
Charter Oak State College. The request has a proposed expenditure
plan that includes the (1) total appropriation requested from the
legislature, (2) amount to be appropriated from the General Fund, and
(3) amount to be paid from tuition revenues (including any proposed
tuition increases) (CGS § 10a-8(a)).
Related Bills
HB 5545 (File 145), favorably reported by the Higher Education and
Employment Advancement Committee, contains the same provisions
on BOR budgeting as §§ 3-5 of the bill.
HB 6403 (File 155), favorably reported by the Higher Education and
Employment Advancement Committee, contains the same provisions
on legislative approval of merging or closing CSCU institutions as § 6
of the bill. 2021SB-00824-R000280-BA.DOCX
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COMMITTEE ACTION
Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 22 Nay 0 (03/18/2021)