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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5300
February Session, 2022
AN ACT REQUIRING LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL FOR THE MERGER
OR CLOSING OF INSTITUTIONS WITHIN THE CONNECTICUT STATE
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND PROHIBITING THE
CONSOLIDATION OF THE REGIONAL COMMUNITY -TECHNICAL
COLLEGES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 10a-6 of the 2022 supplement to 1
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 2
thereof (Effective from passage): 3
(a) The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall: (1) Establish 4
policies and guidelines for the Connecticut State University System, the 5
regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State 6
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 State 9
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
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 Substitute Bill No. 5300
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recommend a merger or closing of institutions within the Connecticut 17
State University System, the regional community-technical college 18
system and Charter Oak State College in accordance with criteria 19
established by the board, provided (A) such [recommended merger or 20
closing] recommendation shall require a two-thirds vote of the board, 21
[and] (B) the board shall send notice of such recommended merger or 22
closing, [shall be sent] in accordance with the provisions of section 11-23
4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having 24
cognizance [over] of matters relating to higher education, and [to the 25
General Assembly] (C) such recommended merger or closing shall be 26
approved by a majority vote of both houses of the General Assembly or 27
rejected by a majority vote of either house of the General Assembly not 28
later than one year after receiving notice by the board pursuant to 29
subparagraph (B) of this subdivision or the adjournment of the next 30
regular session of the General Assembly, whichever is later, provided, 31
if the General Assembly fails to act, such recommended merger or 32
closing shall be deemed approved; (6) review and approve mission 33
statements for the Connecticut State University System, the regional 34
community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College and 35
role and scope statements for the individual institutions and campuses 36
of such constituent units; (7) review and approve any recommendations 37
for the establishment of new academic programs submitted to the board 38
by the state universities within the Connecticut State University System, 39
the regional community-technical colleges and Charter Oak State 40
College, and, in consultation with the affected constituent units, provide 41
for the initiation, consolidation or termination of academic programs; 42
(8) develop criteria to ensure acceptable quality in (A) programs at the 43
Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical 44
college system and Charter Oak State College, and (B) institutions 45
within the Connecticut State University System and the regional 46
community-technical college system and enforce standards through 47
licensing and accreditation; (9) prepare and present to the Governor and 48
General Assembly, in accordance with section 10a-8, consolidated 49
operating and capital expenditure budgets for the Connecticut State 50
University System, the regional community-technical college system 51 Substitute Bill No. 5300
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and Charter Oak State College developed in accordance with the 52
provisions of said section 10a-8; (10) review and make 53
recommendations on plans received from the Connecticut State 54
University System, the regional community-technical college system 55
and Charter Oak State College to implement the goals identified in 56
section 10a-11c; (11) appoint advisory committees with representatives 57
from public and independent institutions of higher education to study 58
methods and proposals for coordinating efforts of the public institutions 59
of higher education under its jurisdiction with The University of 60
Connecticut and the independent institutions of higher education to 61
implement the goals identified in section 10a-11c; (12) evaluate (A) 62
means of implementing the goals identified in section 10a-11c, and (B) 63
any recommendations made by the Planning Commission for Higher 64
Education in implementing the strategic master plan pursuant to section 65
10a-11b through alternative and nontraditional approaches such as 66
external degrees and credit by examination; (13) coordinate programs 67
and services among the Connecticut State University System, the 68
regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State 69
College; (14) assess opportunities for collaboration with The University 70
of Connecticut and the independent institutions of higher education to 71
implement the goals identified in section 10a-11c; (15) make or enter into 72
contracts, leases or other agreements in connection with its 73
responsibilities under this part, provided all acquisitions of real estate 74
by lease or otherwise shall be subject to the provisions of section 4b-23; 75
(16) be responsible for the care and maintenance of permanent records 76
of institutions of higher education dissolved after September 1, 1969; 77
(17) prepare and present to the Governor and General Assembly 78
legislative proposals affecting the Connecticut State University System, 79
the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State 80
College; (18) develop and maintain a central higher education 81
information system and establish definitions and data requirements for 82
the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-83
technical college system and Charter Oak State College; (19) until June 84
30, 2024, report all new programs and program changes at the 85
Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical 86 Substitute Bill No. 5300
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college system and Charter Oak State College to the Office of Higher 87
Education; and (20) undertake such studies and other activities as will 88
best serve the higher educational interests of the Connecticut State 89
University System, the regional community-technical college system 90
and Charter Oak State College. 91
Sec. 2. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding subdivision (5) of 92
subsection (a) of section 10a-6 of the general statutes, as amended by this 93
act, the Board of Regents for Higher Education shall not pursue merger, 94
closure or consolidation of the regional community-technical colleges 95
into one community-technical college through any regional accrediting 96
association recognized by the Secretary of the United States Department 97
of Education. 98
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
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Section 1(a)(5)(B), "the board shall send" was added and "shall be
sent" was bracketed for clarity, and in Section 1(a)(5)(C), "subparagraph
(A)" was changed to "subparagraph (B)" for accuracy.
HED Joint Favorable Subst.