Researcher: MGS Page 1 4/20/22
OLR Bill Analysis
sSB 18 (File 9, as amended by Senate “A”)*
AN ACT CONCERNING VARIOUS REVISIONS TO THE HIGHER
EDUCATION STATUTES.
SUMMARY
This bill requires public Connecticut higher education institutions to
adopt a policy requiring new appointed governing board members to
complete specified training within a year after their appointment or
election to the board. 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, 2023,
each institution must post on its website the training policy and a
summary of the instruction and training board members received.
Additionally, the bill 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 its consolidated
operating budget. It also makes several conforming and technical
changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2022
*Senate Amendment “A” specifies that governing board training
policies apply to appointed new members (§ 1) and makes a conforming
change in the law governing BOR’s budget preparation duties (§ 501).
§ 1 — GOVERNING BOARD TRAINING
The bill requires BOR and the UConn Board of Trustees (BOT) to each
adopt a policy by January 1, 2023, that requires new appointed
governing board members to receive instruction and training on the
topics listed in Table 1 within the first year of their appointment or
election.
2022SB-00018-R01-BA.DOCX
Researcher: MGS Page 2 4/20/22
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 management 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
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
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
§§ 2-4 & 501 — BOR BUDGETING PROCESS
The bill requires BOR to make the CSCU central office a separate line
item in the consolidated operating budget that it submits to the Office 2022SB-00018-R01-BA.DOCX
Researcher: MGS Page 3 4/20/22
of Policy and Management (OPM) (see BACKGROUND). Under current
law, the budget is itemized by the Connecticut State University System,
regional community-technical college system, and Charter Oak State
College. Additionally, the bill conforms law to practice by requiring any
tuition increase proposed by Charter Oak State College for the fiscal
year covered by the budget to be included in the single higher education
budget that BOR submits.
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 under existing law.
BACKGROUND
BOR Budget Preparation
By law, BOR must develop either a formula or program-based
budgeting system for each institution to use when preparing its
requested operating budgets. After reviewing and commenting on their
budget requests, BOR incorporates them into a single budget request to
submit to the OPM secretary that is itemized by the state university
system, regional community-technical college system, 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)).
COMMITTEE ACTION
Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 20 Nay 3 (03/03/2022)