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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 997
January Session, 2021
AN ACT CONCERNING ST UDENTS AND FACULTY M EMBERS OF
THE BOARD OF TRUSTEE S OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
AND THE BOARD OF REG ENTS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 10a-103 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 2
(a) There shall continue to be a Board of Trustees [for] of The 3
University of Connecticut to consist of [twenty-one] twenty-five 4
persons, twelve to be appointed by the Governor, who shall reflect the 5
state's geographic, racial and ethnic diversity; two to be elected by the 6
university alumni; [two] four to be elected by the students enrolled at 7
the institutions under the jurisdiction of said board; two to be elected by 8
the University Senate of said university; and five members ex officio. 9
(b) On or before July 1, 1983, the Governor shall appoint [members] 10
trustees to the board as follows: Four [members] trustees for a term of 11
two years from said date; four [members] trustees for a term of four 12
years from said date; and four [members] trustees for a term of six years 13
from said date. Thereafter, the Governor shall appoint trustees of said 14
university to succeed those appointees whose terms expire, and each 15
trustee so appointed shall hold office for a period of six years from the 16
first day of July in the year of his or her appointment, provided two of 17 Substitute Bill No. 997
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the trustees appointed for terms commencing July 1, 1995, and their 18
successors shall be alumni of the university, one of the trustees 19
appointed for a term commencing July 1, 1997, and his or her successors 20
shall be such alumni and one of the members appointed for a term 21
commencing July 1, 1999, and his or her successors shall be such alumni. 22
(c) The Commissioner of Agriculture, the Commissioner of 23
Education, the Commissioner of Economic and Community 24
Development and the chairperson of The University of Connecticut 25
Health Center Board of Directors shall be, ex officio, members of the 26
board of trustees. The Governor shall be, ex officio, president of said 27
board. 28
(d) The graduates of all of the schools and colleges of said university 29
shall, prior to September first in the odd-numbered years, elect one 30
trustee, who shall be a graduate of the institution and who shall hold 31
office for four years from the first day of September succeeding his or 32
her election. Not less than two or more than four nominations for each 33
such election shall be made by the alumni association of said university, 34
provided no person who has served as an alumni trustee for the two full 35
consecutive terms immediately prior to the term for which such election 36
is to be held shall be nominated for any such election. Such election shall 37
be conducted by mail prior to September first under the supervision of 38
a canvassing board consisting of three members, one appointed by the 39
board of trustees, one by the board of directors of the alumni association 40
of the university and one by the president of the university. No ballot in 41
such election shall be opened until the date by which ballots must be 42
returned to the canvassing board. In such election, all graduates shall be 43
entitled to vote by signed ballots which have been circulated to them by 44
mail and which shall be returned by mail. Vacancies occurring by death 45
or resignation of either of such alumni trustees shall be filled for the 46
unexpired portion of the term by special election, if such unexpired term 47
is for more than eighteen months. When the unexpired term is eighteen 48
months or less, such vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the board 49
of directors of said alumni association. 50 Substitute Bill No. 997
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(e) On or before November 1, 1975, the students of The University of 51
Connecticut shall, in such manner as the board of trustees of said 52
university shall determine, elect two trustees, each of whom shall be 53
enrolled as a full-time student of said university at the time of his or her 54
election. One such [member] trustee shall be elected for a term of one 55
year from November 1, 1975, and one for a term of two years from said 56
date. Prior to July first, annually, until and including the election held 57
on or before July 1, 2021 such students shall, in accordance with this 58
section and in such manner as the board shall determine, elect one 59
[member] trustee of [said] the board, who shall be so enrolled at said 60
university at the time of his or her election and who shall serve for a 61
term of two years from July first in the year of his or her election. On or 62
before July 1, 2022, such students shall, in accordance with this 63
subsection and in such manner as the board shall determine, elect three 64
trustees, each of whom shall be enrolled as a full-time student at said 65
university at the time of his or her election. One such trustee shall be 66
elected for a term of one year commencing July 1, 2022, and the other 67
two trustees shall be elected for a term of two years from said date. On 68
or before July 1, 2023, and annually thereafter, in accordance with this 69
subsection and in such manner as the board shall determine, such 70
students shall elect two trustees of the board who shall be enrolled as 71
full-time students at said university at the time of their election and who 72
shall serve for a term of two years from July first in the year of their 73
election. The student [member] trustee elected to fill the term expiring 74
on June 30, 2003, and the student trustee elected to fill the term expiring 75
on June 30, 2023, and such elected [member's] trustees' successors, shall 76
be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student at a school or college 77
of the university and shall be elected by the undergraduate students of 78
the schools and colleges of the university. The student [member] 79
trustees elected to fill the term expiring on June 30, [2004] 2024, and such 80
elected [member's] trustees' successors, shall be enrolled as a full-time 81
student in the School of Law, the School of Medicine, the School of 82
Dentistry, the School of Social Work, or as a graduate student of a school 83
or college of the university, and shall be elected by the students of the 84
School of Law, the School of Medicine, the School of Dentistry, the 85 Substitute Bill No. 997
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School of Social Work and the graduate students of the schools and 86
colleges of the university. Any student [member] trustee elected after 87
July 1, 2013, shall be enrolled as a full-time student at the time of his or 88
her election and for the duration of his or her term of service. Any 89
vacancies in the elected membership of said board shall, except as 90
otherwise provided in this section, be filled by special election for the 91
balance of the unexpired term. 92
(f) On or before November 1, 2021, the members of the University 93
Senate of The University of Connecticut shall, in such manner as the 94
Board of Trustees of The University of Connecticut shall determine, elect 95
two trustees from among the elected and voting members of the 96
University Senate, one of whom shall be employed as a full-time faculty 97
member of said university for the duration of such trustee's term on the 98
board. One such member shall be elected for a term expiring on June 30, 99
2022, and one for a term expiring on June 30, 2023. On or before July 1, 100
2022, and annually thereafter, in accordance with this subsection and in 101
such manner as the board shall determine, the University Senate shall 102
elect, from among its elected and voting members, one trustee of the 103
board who is employed by said university for the duration of such 104
trustee's term on the board and who shall serve for a term of two years 105
from July first in the year of such trustee's election. The trustee elected 106
to fill the term expiring on June 30, 2022, and such elected trustee's 107
successors, shall be employed as a full-time faculty member of said 108
university for the duration of such trustee's term on the board. Any 109
vacancies in the trustee positions elected pursuant to this subsection, 110
shall be filled by a special election for the balance of the unexpired term. 111
No trustee elected to the board pursuant to this subsection may (1) 112
attend or participate in a meeting of the board held in executive session 113
concerning personnel matters, or (2) vote on matters relating to 114
collective bargaining negotiations or agreements. 115
Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 10a-1a of the general statutes is 116
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 117
2021): 118 Substitute Bill No. 997
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(a) There shall be a Board of Regents for Higher Education who shall 119
serve as the governing body for the regional community-technical 120
college system, the Connecticut State University System and Charter 121
Oak State College. The board shall consist of [twenty-one] twenty-three 122
members who shall be distinguished leaders of the community in 123
Connecticut. The board shall reflect the state's geographic, racial and 124
ethnic diversity. The voting members shall not be employed by or be a 125
member of a board of trustees for any independent institution of higher 126
education in this state or the Board of Trustees for The University of 127
Connecticut nor shall they be public officials or state employees, as such 128
terms are defined in section 1-79, during their term of membership on 129
the Board of Regents for Higher Education. The Governor shall appoint 130
nine members to the board as follows: Three members for a term of two 131
years; three members for a term of four years; and three members for a 132
term of six years. Thereafter, the Governor shall appoint members of the 133
board to succeed such appointees whose terms expire and each member 134
so appointed shall hold office for a period of six years from the first day 135
of July in the year of his or her appointment. Four members of the board 136
shall be appointed as follows: One appointment by the president pro 137
tempore of the Senate, who shall be an alumnus of the regional 138
community-technical college system, for a term of four years; one 139
appointment by the minority leader of the Senate, who shall be a 140
specialist in the education of children in grades kindergarten to twelve, 141
inclusive, for a term of three years; one appointment by the speaker of 142
the House of Representatives, who shall be an alumnus of the 143
Connecticut State University System, for a term of four years; and one 144
appointment by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, 145
who shall be an alumnus of Charter Oak State College, for a term of 146
three years. Thereafter, such members of the General Assembly shall 147
appoint members of the board to succeed such appointees whose terms 148
expire and each member so appointed shall hold office for a period of 149
four years from the first day of July in the year of his or her appointment. 150
The [chairperson and vice-chairperson] following members of the 151
student advisory committee created under section 10a-3 shall serve as 152
members of the board: (1) The chairperson, (2) the vice-chairperson, and 153 Substitute Bill No. 997
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(3) two members elected by a consensus vote of the members of the 154
student advisory committee, one of whom shall be a student of the 155
Connecticut State University System or Charter Oak State College and 156
the other of whom shall be a student of the regional community-157
technical colleges. The chairperson and vice-chairperson of the faculty 158
advisory committee created under section 10a-3a shall serve as ex-159
officio [, nonvoting] members of the board, [for a term of two years and, 160
in their respective roles as chairperson and vice-chairperson, may be 161
invited to any executive session, as defined in section 1-200, of the board 162
by the chairperson of the board] provided no such member of the board 163
may (1) attend or participate in a meeting of the board held in executive 164
session concerning personnel matters, or (2) vote on matters relating to 165
collective bargaining negotiations or agreements. The Commissioners of 166
Education, Economic and Community Development and Public Health 167
and the Labor Commissioner shall serve as ex-officio, nonvoting 168
members of the board. 169
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2021 10a-103
Sec. 2 July 1, 2021 10a-1a(a)
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Section 1(a), the opening and closing brackets and "four" were moved
to the next line for accuracy.
HED Joint Favorable Subst.