Substitute House Bill No. 5363
Public Act No. 24-125
AN ACT CONCERNING THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR
HIGHER EDUCATION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 10a-11b of the 2024 supplement to the general
statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof
(Effective from passage):
(a) There is established a Planning Commission for Higher Education
to develop and ensure the implementation of a higher education
strategic master plan in Connecticut.
(1) The commission shall consist of the following voting members:
(A) The president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, the
president of The University of Connecticut, or their designees from the
Board of Regents for Higher Education and Board of Trustees; (B) the
provost of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities and the
provost of The University of Connecticut; (C) the [chair] chairperson of
the Board of Regents for [the Connecticut State Colleges and
Universities] Higher Education, and the Board of Trustees for The
University of Connecticut, or the chairs' designees; (D) the president,
provost or chair of the board of a large independent institution of higher
education in the state, to be selected by the president pro tempore of the Substitute House Bill No. 5363
Public Act No. 24-125 2 of 8
Senate; (E) the president, provost or chair of the board of a small
independent institution of higher education in the state, to be selected
by the speaker of the House of Representatives; (F) a representative from
a private career school, to be selected by the executive director of the
Office of Higher Education; (G) a teaching faculty representative from
the Connecticut State [Universities] University System, to be selected by
the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities; (H) a
teaching faculty representative from the regional community-technical
colleges, to be selected by the president of the Connecticut State Colleges
and Universities; (I) a teaching faculty representative from The
University of Connecticut, to be selected by the president of The
University of Connecticut; (J) a teaching faculty representative from a
private career school in the state, to be selected by the executive director
of the Office of Higher Education; (K) one member appointed by the
president pro tempore of the Senate, who shall be a representative of a
large manufacturing employer in the state; (L) one member appointed
by the speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be a
representative of a large financial or insurance services employer in the
state; (M) one member appointed by the majority leader of the Senate,
who shall be a representative of an information technology or digital
media employer in the state; (N) one member appointed by the minority
leader of the Senate, who shall be a representative of a small business
employer in the state; (O) one member appointed by the majority leader
of the House of Representatives, who shall be a representative of a
health care employer in the state; [and] (P) one member appointed by
the minority leader of the House of Representatives, who shall be a
representative of a small business employer in the state; and (Q) the
chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committee of
the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher
education and employment advancement . The commission
membership shall, where feasible, reflect the state's geographic, racial
and ethnic diversity. Substitute House Bill No. 5363
Public Act No. 24-125 3 of 8
(2) The following persons shall serve as ex-officio nonvoting
members on the commission: (A) The Commissioner of Education, the
Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and the
Labor Commissioner, or their designees; (B) a representative of an
association of the state's independent institutions of higher education,
appointed by the Governor; (C) a member of the State Board of
Education, as designated by the chairperson of the state board; (D) the
superintendent of the technical high school system, or the
superintendent's designee; (E) the chief executive officer of Connecticut
Innovations, Incorporated, or the chief executive officer's designee; (F)
the executive director of the Office of Higher Education; (G) the
[chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committee of
the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher
education and employment advancement;(H) the] Secretary of the
Office of Policy and Management, or the secretary's designee; and [(I)]
(H) the Chief Workforce Officer.
(3) All initial appointments to the commission shall be made not later
than June 1, 2024. The Governor, president pro tempore of the Senate
and speaker of the House of Representatives shall each appoint [the] a
chairperson from among the commission's voting members. [The
commission shall elect a vice-chairperson at its first meeting.] Such
chairpersons shall jointly schedule the first meeting of the commission,
which shall be held not later than July 1, 2024. Any vacancies shall be
filled by the appointing authority. The term of each appointed member
of the commission shall be three years from the date of appointment,
except a member shall continue to serve until such member's successor
is appointed. A majority of the commission shall constitute a quorum
for the transaction of business. The commission members shall serve
without compensation.
(4) The commission may (A) seek the advice and participation of any
person, organization or state or federal agency it deems necessary to Substitute House Bill No. 5363
Public Act No. 24-125 4 of 8
carry out the provisions of this section, [. The commission may,] (B)
within available appropriations, retain consultants to assist in carrying
out its duties, [. The commission may] and (C) receive funds from any
public or private sources to carry out its activities.
(5) The [commission shall be within the Office of Higher Education
and shall be responsible for implementing any policies developed by the
commission] administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher
education and employment advancement shall serve as the
administrative staff of the commission.
(b) The commission shall revise and update the higher education
strategic master plan adopted in 2015. Such revised strategic master
plan shall:
(1) Examine the impact of demographic, workforce and education
trends on higher education in the state;
(2) (A) Assess progress toward the numerical goals established for
the years 2020 and 2025 under the strategic master plan adopted in 2015
and revise or establish numerical goals for the years [2025] 2026 and
2030 to (i) increase the number of people earning a bachelor's degree,
associate degree or certificate, (ii) increase the number of people
successfully completing coursework at the community college level and
the number of people entering the state's workforce, and (iii) eliminate
the postsecondary achievement gap between minority students and the
general student population, and (B) include specific strategies for
meeting such goals, as well as strategies for meeting the goals pursuant
to subsection (b) of section 10a-6 and section 10a-11c;
(3) Examine and recommend changes to funding policies, practices
and accountability in order to (A) align policies and practices with the
goals set forth in subsection (b) of section 10a-6 and section 10a-11c; (B) Substitute House Bill No. 5363
Public Act No. 24-125 5 of 8
determine how the constituent units shall annually report to the General
Assembly and the public in a transparent and thorough manner
regarding each constituent unit's expenditures, staffing and state
support, including the state appropriation, personnel expenses,
personnel fringe benefits, capital improvement bonds and financial aid
to students; and (C) improve coordination of appropriation, tuition and
financial aid and seek ways to maximize funding through federal and
private grants to accomplish state goals; and
(4) Recommend ways in which each constituent unit of the state
system of higher education and independent institution of higher
education in the state can, in a manner consistent with such institution's
mission, expand such institution's role in advancing the state's economic
growth.
(c) In updating the higher education strategic master plan, the
commission shall review the plan developed pursuant to section 10a-6.
In addition, the commission may consider the following: (1)
Establishing incentives for institutional performance and productivity;
(2) increasing financial aid, especially in workforce shortage areas and
for minority and first-generation students; (3) expanding dual credit
and career pathway opportunities in high schools and aligning such
opportunities with institutions of higher education; (4) promoting
partnerships with the business community and institutions of higher
education to expand work-based learning opportunities for students
and retraining and development opportunities for employees; (5)
establishing collaborative partnerships between public high schools,
community organizations and institutions of higher education to
expand college access for underserved and first-generation students; (6)
assessing and promoting programs in high school to assist high school
students seeking a college track or alternative pathways for post-
secondary education, such as vocational and technical opportunities; (7)
developing policies to promote and measure retention and graduation Substitute House Bill No. 5363
Public Act No. 24-125 6 of 8
rates of students, including graduation rates for students who have
transferred among two or more constituent units or public institutions
of higher education; (8) developing policies to promote [Transfer]
transfer and [Articulation] articulation programs and the Connecticut
Automatic Admissions [program] Program state wide; (9) addressing
the educational needs of minority, underserved and first-generation
students and nontraditional students, including, but not limited to, part-
time students, incumbent workers, adult learners, former inmates and
immigrants, in order to increase enrollment and retention in institutions
of higher education; (10) addressing the affordability of tuition at
institutions of higher education and the issue of increased student
indebtedness; and (11) developing policies to award credits for prior
learning and experience.
(d) Not later than September 1, [2024] 2025, the commission shall
submit a preliminary report on the development of the update of the
higher education strategic master plan and, not later than December 1,
[2024] 2025, the commission shall submit the higher education strategic
master plan, including specific goals and benchmarks for the years
ending [2025] 2026 and 2030, together with any recommendations for
appropriate legislation and funding to the Governor and the joint
standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of
matters relating to higher education and employment advancement,
education, commerce, labor and appropriations and the budgets of state
agencies, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a.
(e) Not later than January 1, [2026] 2027, and annually thereafter, the
commission shall submit a report to the Governor and the joint standing
committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters
relating to higher education and employment advancement, education,
commerce, labor and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies,
in accordance with section 11-4a, on the implementation of the plan and
progress made toward achieving the goals specified in the plan. The Substitute House Bill No. 5363
Public Act No. 24-125 7 of 8
commission may periodically suggest changes to the goals as necessary.
(f) [Not later than January 1, 2018, for] For purposes of implementing
the higher education strategic master plan pursuant to subsection (b) of
this section, the commission [, in collaboration with the Office of Policy
and Management,] shall establish two standing subcommittees and may
establish any working groups necessary to supplement the work of the
subcommittees or work. The [chairperson and vice-chairperson]
chairpersons of the commission shall jointly appoint the members of the
standing subcommittees and working groups, and may appoint
members to such standing subcommittees and working groups who are
not members of the commission.
(1) One standing subcommittee shall focus on data, metrics and
accountability, and build upon the work of the Preschool through 20
and Workforce Information Network in its measures and data. Such
measures shall be used to assess the progress of each public institution
of higher education toward meeting the commission's goals. The
subcommittee shall collaborate with the Labor Department to (A)
produce periodic reports, capable of being sorted by student age, on the
employment status, job retention and earnings of students enrolled in
academic and noncredit vocational courses and programs, both prior to
enrollment and after completion of such courses and programs, who
leave the constituent units upon graduation or otherwise, and (B)
develop an annual affordability index for public higher education that
is based on state-wide median family income. The subcommittee shall
submit annual reports to the commission and the constituent units.
(2) One standing subcommittee shall focus on the higher education
strategic master plan, analyzing the plans submitted since 2014 and
making recommendations to the commission on key areas. The
commission may recommend key areas of focus each year and require
the standing subcommittee to report to the commission on such key
areas. Substitute House Bill No. 5363
Public Act No. 24-125 8 of 8
(g) The commission may appoint advisory committees with
representatives from public and independent institutions of higher
education to study methods and proposals for coordinating efforts of
the public institutions of higher education and the independent
institutions of higher education to implement the goals identified in
section 10a-11c.
(h) The commission may review its goals and plans and determine
how best to align its work with the work of the Higher Education
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Working Group and the Higher
Education Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee, established
pursuant to sections 32-39s and 32-39t.