BILL AS INTRODUCED H.316
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H.316 1
Introduced by Representative Casey of Montpelier 2
Referred to Committee on 3
Date: 4
Subject: Education; Vermont State Colleges Corporation; University of 5
Vermont; board of trustees; shared governance 6
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to (1) eliminate 7
two legislative trustees from the Board of Trustees of the Vermont State 8
Colleges Corporation and add one faculty trustee and one staff trustee, to serve 9
four-year terms; and (2) add one faculty and one staff trustee to the Board of 10
Trustees of the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, to serve 11
four-year terms. 12
An act relating to the governance of the Vermont State Colleges 13
Corporation and the University of Vermont 14
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 15
* * * Vermont State Colleges Corporation Governance * * * 16
Sec. 1. 16 V.S.A. § 2172 is amended to read: 17
§ 2172. TRUSTEES; APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES 18
(a) The Corporation shall be governed by a board of 15 17 trustees who 19
shall be appointed or elected as follows: 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.316
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(1) Biennially, the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, 1
shall appoint trustees to serve for four-year terms expiring March 1 of the year 2
of the biennial session. Five trustees may be in office at one time under this 3
subdivision. In the event of any vacancy occurring between biennial sessions 4
in an office under this subdivision, the Governor, pursuant to 3 V.S.A. § 257, 5
shall fill the vacancy, and the term of a person so appointed shall expire on 6
March 1 in the year of the next following biennial session. 7
(2)(A) One trustee shall be a student trustee: 8
(i) who is a matriculated student at an educational institution 9
operated by the Vermont State Colleges Corporation; 10
(ii) who is pursuing a degree program; and 11
(iii) who has reached the age of majority. 12
(B) The student trustee shall serve a one-year term expiring on June 13
1. The student trustee shall be appointed, and a vacancy may be filled, from 14
among those eligible students applying for the position by the decision of those 15
members of the steering committee of the Vermont State Colleges Student 16
Association who have been elected at large to that committee by the students at 17
their respective colleges. No student trustee may serve more than two 18
consecutive terms. 19
(3) Four trustees shall be legislative trustees who are members of the 20
General Assembly at the time of their election. Legislative trustees shall serve 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.316
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four-year terms expiring on March 1 of the second year of the biennial session, 1
and they shall be elected by joint assembly of the Legislature. Vacancies for 2
any cause shall be filled by the General Assembly at its earliest opportunity 3
and the term of a person so appointed shall expire on March 1 of the next even 4
numbered year. 5
(4) Four trustees shall be elected by the Board of Trustees to four-year 6
terms expiring on March 1. Vacancies for any cause shall be filled by the 7
remaining members of the Board of Trustees, and the term of the person so 8
appointed shall expire on the next following March 1. 9
(5) One trustee shall be a faculty member employed by the Vermont 10
State Colleges Corporation and appointed by the executive committee of the 11
union or unions representing faculty to a four-year term expiring on August 1. 12
Vacancies for any cause shall be filled through an appointment by the 13
executive committee of the union or unions representing faculty, and the term 14
of the person so appointed shall expire on the next following August 1. 15
(6) One trustee shall be a staff member employed by the Vermont State 16
Colleges Corporation. The staff trustee shall be appointed by the union or 17
unions representing staff. Vacancies for any cause shall be filled through an 18
appointment by the union or unions representing staff and the term of the 19
person so appointed shall expire on the next following August 1. 20
* * * 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.316
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(d)(1) The Board of Trustees, after notice and a hearing, may remove a 1
trustee for incompetency, failure to discharge duties, malfeasance, illegal acts, 2
or other cases inimical to the welfare of the Corporation. 3
* * * 4
(3) In the event of a vacancy occurring under this subsection, the 5
Governor or the Board appointing or electing authority of the removed trustee, 6
as applicable, shall fill the vacancy pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. 7
Sec. 2. VERMONT STATE COLLEGES CORPORATION; TRANSITION 8
On or before August 1, 2025, the one faculty trustee and one staff trustee 9
shall be appointed in accordance with Sec. 1 of this act. 10
* * * University of Vermont and State Agricultural College * * * 11
Sec. 3. 16 App. V.S.A. § 1-2 is amended to read: 12
§ 1-2. BOARD OF TRUSTEES; MEMBERSHIP, TERMS OF SERVICE; 13
PRESIDING CHAIR 14
The Board of Trustees of the University of Vermont and State Agricultural 15
College shall be composed of 25 27 members, whose term of office shall be six 16
years, except as to those who are members ex officio and to those who are 17
faculty, staff, and student members. Three members shall be appointed by the 18
Governor with the consent of the Senate. During the legislative session of 19
1955, the Governor shall appoint one member for a term of two years, one 20
member for a term of four years, and one member for a term of six years and it 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.316
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shall be the duty of the Governor during the session of the Legislature prior to 1
expiration of the term of office of any of the members to appoint for the term 2
of six years a successor to the member whose term is expiring. The terms of 3
office of the Trustees shall expire on the last day of February in the respective 4
years of expiration, and the terms of office of their successors shall thereafter 5
begin on March 1 and expire on the last day of February. 6
Nine members shall be those who have been heretofore elected by the 7
Legislature as members of the Board of Trustees of the University of Vermont 8
and State Agricultural College, and whose terms have not expired, and their 9
successors, and it shall be the duty of the Legislature at its session during 10
which the terms of office of any class of the members expire to elect three 11
successor members for terms of six years. The terms shall commence on 12
March 1 in the year of election. The nine Trustees and their successors shall 13
also constitute the Board of Trustees of the Vermont Agricultural College. 14
Nine members shall be those who have been heretofore elected on behalf of 15
the University of Vermont as members of the Board of Trustees of the 16
University of Vermont and State Agricultural College and whose terms have 17
not expired, and their successors, and it shall be the duty of said nine Trustees 18
to elect successors to fill vacancies occurring among their number upon 19
expiration of the terms of office of any of them or otherwise. The nine 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.316
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Trustees and their successors shall also constitute the Board of Trustees of the 1
University of Vermont. 2
One member shall be faculty employed by the University of Vermont and 3
State Agricultural College and elected by the faculty to a four-year term 4
expiring on August 1. The Faculty Senate shall oversee all faculty trustee 5
elections, which shall be open to all faculty. Vacancies for any cause shall be 6
filled through an election, and the term of the person so elected shall expire on 7
the next following August 1. 8
One member shall be staff employed by the University of Vermont and 9
State Agricultural College and elected by the staff to a four-year term expiring 10
on August 1. The Faculty Senate shall oversee all staff trustee elections, which 11
shall be open to all staff. Vacancies for any cause shall be filled through an 12
election, and the term of the person so elected shall expire on the next 13
following August 1. 14
Two members shall be students enrolled at the University of Vermont and 15
State Agricultural College. Their terms of office shall be two years. Prior to 16
February 1, 1978, the Associated Directors for the Appointment of the 17
University of Vermont and State Agricultural College Student Trustees, 18
Incorporated shall select and appoint one student for a term of one year and 19
one student for a term of two years, both of whom shall be enrolled as full-time 20
undergraduate or full-time graduate students. Annually thereafter, the 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.316
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Directors shall meet to select and appoint one student trustee for a term of two 1
years in accordance with the provisions of this section. The Directors shall fill 2
any vacancy occurring among the student trustee members upon the expiration 3
of the term of office of any of them or otherwise. A student shall be eligible to 4
serve as a Trustee, provided the student is a full-time undergraduate or full-5
time graduate student matriculating in accordance with the degree 6
qualifications and requirements established by the University of Vermont and 7
State Agricultural College and if the student remains in that status throughout 8
the length of the term of office. The term of office of a Student Trustee shall 9
begin on March 1 following the date of appointment, and the term of office 10
shall end the last day of February in the year of expiration. Any student 11
elected hereunder shall have reached the age of 18. 12
All Trustees so appointed and elected as hereinbefore provided, shall, 13
together with his or her Excellency, the Governor of the State, and the 14
President, who shall be, ex officio, a member, constitute an entire Board of 15
Trustees of the corporation known as the University of Vermont and State 16
Agricultural College, who shall have the entire management and control of its 17
property and affairs, and in all things relating thereto, except in the elections to 18
fill vacancies, as aforesaid, shall act together jointly, as one entire Board of 19
Trustees; provided, that all future elections or appointments to the Board of 20
Trustees shall be made with special reference to preventing any religious 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.316
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denominational preponderance in the Board. The Board shall annually, at its 1
first regular meeting after the election of new trustees, elect one of its members 2
to serve as Chair. 3
Sec. 4. UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT AND STATE AGRICULTURAL 4
COLLEGE; TRANSITION 5
On or before August 1, 2025, new faculty members of the Board of Trustees 6
of the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College shall be elected 7
pursuant to Sec. 1 of this act. 8
* * * Effective Date * * * 9
Sec. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE 10
This act shall take effect on passage. 11