Provides relative to the governance, management, and supervision of public institutions of postsecondary education (OR SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)
Impact
The bill not only abolishes the outdated board structures that have been in place but also lays down a framework for the new Louisiana University System Board of Trustees. This board will manage the state’s public postsecondary institutions, effectively replacing all the previous boards with a single authoritative body. In addition, the establishment of the Postsecondary Management Coordination Committee aims to resolve any policy conflicts that may arise between the new board and the supervisors of community and technical colleges, thus fostering communication and collaboration within the education governance framework in Louisiana.
Summary
House Bill 1224 proposes a significant restructuring of the governance of postsecondary education in Louisiana by abolishing existing boards such as the Board of Regents and creating the Louisiana University System Board of Trustees. This new board is tasked with managing and supervising public postsecondary education institutions within its jurisdiction. The intention of this bill is to streamline the governance process, enhance the management of education resources, and create a more efficient system for handling student education and training services across Louisiana's public colleges and universities.
Sentiment
The sentiment surrounding HB 1224 appears to be cautiously optimistic, with supporters arguing that this restructuring will lead to a more effective and cohesive approach to higher education governance. However, there are also concerns among some constituents regarding the adequacy of this centralization, with apprehensions about potential drawbacks such as reduced input from diverse local educational perspectives that previous boards may have provided.
Contention
Notable points of contention related to this bill include debates over the potential loss of local representation and oversight in educational matters. Critics of the bill express that consolidating governance might diminish the ability of local communities to influence educational policies that directly affect them. The shift to a centralized governance model poses questions about how flexible and responsive the new system will be to the unique challenges faced by different educational institutions across the state.
(Constitutional Amendment) Relative to management of public postsecondary education, abolishes the Board of Regents and the management boards and transfers their powers, duties, and responsibilities to a newly created Louisiana Postsecondary Education Board of Trustees (OR SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)
Provides relative to the authority of public postsecondary education management boards to increase tuition and mandatory fee amounts (OR +$257,600,000 SG RV See Note)
Creates the La. Postsecondary Education Board of Trustees as the sole governing board for postsecondary education and provides relative to the powers, duties, and functions of the board.
Creates the La. Postsecondary Education Board of Trustees as the sole governing board for postsecondary education and provides relative to the powers, duties, and functions of the board.
(Constitutional Amendment) Abolishes the Board of Regents, LSU board, Southern University board, and UL board and creates the La. University System Board of Trustees (OR SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)
(Constitutional Amendment) Relative to management of postsecondary education, abolishes the Board of Regents and the management boards and transfers their powers, duties, and responsibilities to a newly created La. Postsecondary Education Board of Trustees (RE INCREASE GF EX See Note)
Provides for the "Lod Cook Act" which authorizes the governor to appoint persons who reside out-of-state at certain at-large members of the public postsecondary boards of supervisors. (See Act) (Item #42) (EN INCREASE SG EX See Note)