1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to higher education; creating a technical 
  1.3             college printing and publishing program; requiring a 
  1.4             report; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
  1.5             Statutes, chapter 136F.  
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [136F.371] [PRINTING AND PUBLISHING 
  1.8   PARTNERSHIPS IN EXCELLENCE PROGRAMS.] 
  1.9      The board shall create up to four partnerships in 
  1.10  excellence regional programs to upgrade technical training for 
  1.11  production tasks in printing and publishing.  These programs 
  1.12  shall offer degree programs, advanced continuing education 
  1.13  classes, and fast-track training programs.  Partners in 
  1.14  excellence programs shall also enter into articulation 
  1.15  agreements with four-year colleges and universities.  These 
  1.16  programs shall be structured to serve entire regions of the 
  1.17  state through distance-learning opportunities, faculty 
  1.18  exchanges, industry internships, and by hosting groups from 
  1.19  other schools in the state colleges and universities system for 
  1.20  short-term, intensive labs utilizing advanced technical 
  1.21  equipment. 
  1.22     Sec. 2.  [136F.372] [PARTNERS IN EXCELLENCE DESIGNATION.] 
  1.23     Subdivision 1.  [REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS.] The board shall 
  1.24  make partners in excellence designations through a competitive 
  1.25  process.  All schools in the state colleges and universities 
  2.1   system are eligible to apply for partners in excellence 
  2.2   designation.  Schools may respond to the request for proposals 
  2.3   as single organizations or as regional consortia.  Regional 
  2.4   responses must identify a lead school that will have ultimate 
  2.5   fiscal and program responsibility for the consortium.  
  2.6      Subd. 2.  [REVIEW.] Partners in excellence designation must 
  2.7   be reviewed every three years by the printing and education 
  2.8   partnership committee established by section 136F.373.  The 
  2.9   committee will conduct a formal review of partners in excellence 
  2.10  programs in their second year of operation.  If a program is 
  2.11  found to be performing in an unsatisfactory manner, it shall be 
  2.12  placed on a one-year probation.  If the identified deficiencies 
  2.13  are not corrected within that one-year period, then the 
  2.14  committee shall remove the partners in excellence designation 
  2.15  from the institution.  If an institution loses its designation, 
  2.16  a new designation process shall commence and another institution 
  2.17  shall be awarded the partners in excellence designation.  When a 
  2.18  new institution is awarded the designation, all of the equipment 
  2.19  and program material shall be transferred out of the program 
  2.20  losing the designation into the newly designated partners in 
  2.21  excellence program.  
  2.22     Sec. 3.  [136F.373] [PRINTING AND EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP 
  2.23  COMMITTEE.] 
  2.24     Subdivision 1.  [CREATION.] A printing and education 
  2.25  partnership committee is created consisting of 21 members as 
  2.26  follows: 
  2.27     (1) four members of the printing industry to be designated 
  2.28  by the Printing Industry of Minnesota, Inc.; 
  2.29     (2) four members of the printing industry to be designated 
  2.30  by the Minnesota Newspaper Foundation; 
  2.31     (3) four members of the printing industry to be designated 
  2.32  by the International Prepress Association; 
  2.33     (4) seven administrators holding the rank of dean, 
  2.34  vice-president, or president from the state colleges and 
  2.35  universities to be appointed by the chancellor; 
  2.36     (5) one state college and university printing instructor to 
  3.1   be appointed by the chancellor; and 
  3.2      (6) one representative from the state college university 
  3.3   system office to be appointed by the chancellor. 
  3.4      Subd. 2.  [TERMS.] All appointments to the printing and 
  3.5   education partnership committee must be ratified by the 
  3.6   chancellor.  Members of the committee shall serve a three-year 
  3.7   term with one-third of the committee selected each year.  Once 
  3.8   established, the original committee shall designate seven 
  3.9   positions to serve an original one-year term, to be followed by 
  3.10  regular three-year terms, and seven positions to serve an 
  3.11  original two-year term, followed by regular three-year terms.  
  3.12  If the committee is unable to make this designation, then the 
  3.13  chancellor shall designate terms.  Members will be reimbursed 
  3.14  for expenses related to their service on the partnership 
  3.15  committee but shall not receive salary or per diem.  The 
  3.16  partnership committee may hire one or more support staff, 
  3.17  including a coordinator.  The chair of the committee will be a 
  3.18  representative of the printing industry, and the vice chair will 
  3.19  be a representative from education. 
  3.20     Subd. 3.  [PURPOSE.] The partnership committee is 
  3.21  authorized to spend funds allocated to it by the chancellor on 
  3.22  designated projects and staff.  The partnership committee will 
  3.23  be responsible for allocation of money to be spent for equipment 
  3.24  purchases at partners in excellence programs, coordinating with 
  3.25  local colleges and local advisory committees and participating 
  3.26  in the selection or partners in excellence programs.  The 
  3.27  partnership committee shall also actively participate in the 
  3.28  creation, direction, and periodic certification of partners in 
  3.29  excellence programs, coordinate activities between the printing 
  3.30  industry and printing instructors in Minnesota state colleges 
  3.31  and universities and Minnesota K-12 programs, promote state 
  3.32  college and university training to Minnesota's printing 
  3.33  industry, enhance faculty recruitment and advancement, and 
  3.34  promote printing as a desirable occupation in Minnesota. 
  3.35     Subd. 4.  [FUNDING.] Funding for the partnership 
  3.36  committee's activities through June 30, 2001, will come from the 
  4.1   existing appropriation to the Minnesota printing and industry 
  4.2   partnership.  Funding for the continuing operation of the 
  4.3   partnership committee after June 30, 2001, will be allocated 
  4.4   within the Minnesota state college and university budget.  The 
  4.5   existing Minnesota printing and industry partnership is 
  4.6   dissolved on the date that the printing and education 
  4.7   partnership committee commences operation. 
  4.8      Sec. 4.  [136F.374] [DESIGNATION AND RECERTIFICATION.] 
  4.9      Subdivision 1.  [CRITERIA AND ACCOUNTABILITY 
  4.10  STANDARDS.] The criteria and accountability standards for 
  4.11  designation or recertification of partners in excellence 
  4.12  programs shall include a determination of whether or not: 
  4.13     (1) the resources and initiatives the institution is 
  4.14  devoting to the program are meeting industry needs; 
  4.15     (2) the program's core curriculum focuses on production 
  4.16  skills and is based on national skills standards and its 
  4.17  outcomes, maintains high industry standards including, at a 
  4.18  minimum, the areas of job engineering, image acquisition, 
  4.19  assembly, output, technical services, sheet paper transfer 
  4.20  systems, web paper transfer systems, basic press operations, ink 
  4.21  and inking, printing safety, preventive maintenance, quality 
  4.22  control, binding operations, specialty operations, and mailing 
  4.23  and distribution operation; 
  4.24     (3) equipment and facilities are the equivalent of 
  4.25  equipment and facilities currently existing in medium to large 
  4.26  printing facilities; 
  4.27     (4) instructional staff is current on industry practices 
  4.28  and properly trained on all technology and equipment; 
  4.29     (5) the institution has achieved and maintained PrintED 
  4.30  accreditation; 
  4.31     (6) regional programs serve needs of entire region, 
  4.32  including students, workers, and faculty at other institutions, 
  4.33  by providing distant learning opportunities; 
  4.34     (7) the president and the administration of the institution 
  4.35  are fully committed to continuation of the partners in 
  4.36  excellence in all phases of the printing program; 
  5.1      (8) student achievement is monitored through standardized 
  5.2   statewide testing; 
  5.3      (9) the institution has designed and offered high-quality 
  5.4   continuing education programs, a quick introductory course, 
  5.5   advanced technical courses, and customized training to the 
  5.6   industry; 
  5.7      (10) the institution has developed articulation agreements 
  5.8   with four-year colleges and universities that offer print 
  5.9   management degrees; 
  5.10     (11) the institution has implemented a systematic plan to 
  5.11  make facilities, faculty, and equipment accessible to students 
  5.12  from other colleges and employees from the industry; 
  5.13     (12) the institution has designed and implemented 
  5.14  collaborative and innovative marketing strategies that are well 
  5.15  designed, effective, and coordinated with statewide and national 
  5.16  efforts to market career opportunities in the printing industry; 
  5.17     (13) the institution has been successful in receiving 
  5.18  industry support from within the region; 
  5.19     (14) student enrollment is increasing; 
  5.20     (15) the institution has developed local advisory 
  5.21  committees representing a high level decision-making authority 
  5.22  that addresses: 
  5.23     (i) student recruitment; 
  5.24     (ii) core curriculum; 
  5.25     (iii) continuing education; 
  5.26     (iv) faculty development; 
  5.27     (v) equipment and new technology; 
  5.28     (vi) facility improvement; and 
  5.29     (vii) student placement; 
  5.30     (16) the institution has established a clearly defined 
  5.31  organizational structure to accomplish ongoing improvement of 
  5.32  the program; 
  5.33     (17) the institution has established appropriate benchmarks 
  5.34  and a system for a periodic review of progress; 
  5.35     (18) the institution has participated in development and 
  5.36  implementation of statewide curriculum; 
  6.1      (19) the institution has created a systematic plan to 
  6.2   assess industry needs in the region; 
  6.3      (20) the institution has demonstrated sustained and 
  6.4   increasing enrollment in continuing education; and 
  6.5      (21) the institution has created a standardized budget 
  6.6   format to report financial information about the program. 
  6.7      Subd. 2.  [LOCAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES.] (a) Local advisory 
  6.8   committees for partners in excellence programs shall consist of 
  6.9   at least 11 members appointed by the president of the local 
  6.10  institution, one of whom shall be a faculty member serving in an 
  6.11  ex officio role.  The committee shall meet at least four times 
  6.12  per year with members expected to attend at least three 
  6.13  meetings.  The chair and vice-chair shall be representatives of 
  6.14  the printing industry.  Members shall serve two-year terms 
  6.15  except for the faculty member who may be appointed annually.  At 
  6.16  least eight of the private industry representatives shall hold 
  6.17  titles equivalent to a chief executive officer, president, chief 
  6.18  financial officer, chief operating officer, vice-president, or 
  6.19  production supervisor.  Local advisory committees for partners 
  6.20  in excellence programs shall report directly to the president of 
  6.21  the institution. 
  6.22     (b) Individual state college and university programs will 
  6.23  continue to consult with local advisory committees.  The local 
  6.24  advisory committees shall have an advisory status.  The local 
  6.25  committees will also report to the state partnership committee.  
  6.26  At a minimum, local advisory committees will report the 
  6.27  following: 
  6.28     (1) membership of the committee; 
  6.29     (2) dates of any meetings; 
  6.30     (3) attendance at each meeting; 
  6.31     (4) short summary of major topics; 
  6.32     (5) summary of any recommendations or decisions; and 
  6.33     (6) equipment needs, financial needs, and the upgrading of 
  6.34  faculty technical skills. 
  6.35     Local committees shall report to the state partnership 
  6.36  committee any problems that they identify with existing programs 
  7.1   and suggestions for improving the programs. 
  7.2      Sec. 5.  [136F.375] [CURRICULUM.] 
  7.3      Curriculum for printing programs shall be based on the 
  7.4   printing industry's national skills standards and shall include: 
  7.5      (1) basic introductory courses to provide for quick 
  7.6   placement into entry-level positions; 
  7.7      (2) strong technical core curriculum to prepare workers to 
  7.8   be effective in entry-level jobs and to advance on the job as 
  7.9   they acquire additional experience; 
  7.10     (3) continuing education tailored to the needs of specific 
  7.11  incumbent workers at specific companies; and 
  7.12     (4) management training that includes, but goes beyond, 
  7.13  technical training. 
  7.14     Sec. 6.  [136F.376] [REVIEW AND ACCREDITATION.] 
  7.15     Partners in excellence programs shall seek review and 
  7.16  accreditation every two years from the PrintED accreditation 
  7.17  program administered through the graphics arts education and 
  7.18  research foundation (GAERF).  The review shall determine whether 
  7.19  or not the program: 
  7.20     (1) has clear goals related to the needs of the students 
  7.21  and employers served; 
  7.22     (2) offers instructional activities that adequately support 
  7.23  and promote the goals of the program; 
  7.24     (3) provides adequate textbooks and materials available to 
  7.25  staff and students; 
  7.26     (4) maintains funding adequate to meet goals and 
  7.27  performance objectives; 
  7.28     (5) offers students systematic interviews, counseling, and 
  7.29  placement follow-up procedures; 
  7.30     (6) has a strong, high-level curriculum based on skill 
  7.31  development; 
  7.32     (7) uses equipment of the type and quality found in the 
  7.33  industry; 
  7.34     (8) maintains adequate facilities to meet the program goals 
  7.35  and performance objectives; and 
  7.36     (9) employs instructors who meet state requirements and 
  8.1   possess technical competency. 
  8.2      Sec. 7.  [136F.377] [REPORT.] 
  8.3      Prior to January 15 of each year, the chancellor shall 
  8.4   report to the governor and the legislature on the current status 
  8.5   of partners in excellence programs, detailing progress that has 
  8.6   been made toward meeting legislative objectives and 
  8.7   accountability standards and identifying any problems that have 
  8.8   occurred.