1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to higher education; making changes to the 
  1.3             higher education services office; amending Minnesota 
  1.4             Statutes 2002, sections 136A.03; 136A.031, 
  1.5             subdivisions 2, 5; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2002, 
  1.6             sections 15A.081, subdivision 7b; 136A.011; 136A.031, 
  1.7             subdivisions 1, 3, 4; 136A.07. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 136A.03, is 
  1.10  amended to read: 
  1.11     136A.03 [EXECUTIVE OFFICERS; EMPLOYEES.] 
  1.12     The office of higher education shall be under the 
  1.13  administrative control of the director.  The director of the 
  1.14  higher education services office shall possess the powers and 
  1.15  perform the duties as prescribed by the higher education 
  1.16  services council and shall provided in this chapter.  The 
  1.17  director shall be appointed by the governor with the advice and 
  1.18  consent of the senate and serve in the unclassified service of 
  1.19  the state civil service.  The director, or the director's 
  1.20  designated representative, on behalf of the office is authorized 
  1.21  to sign contracts and execute all instruments necessary or 
  1.22  appropriate to carry out the purposes of sections 136A.01 to 
  1.23  136A.178 for the office.  The salary of the director shall be 
  1.24  established by the higher education services council according 
  1.25  to section 15A.0815.  The director shall be a person qualified 
  1.26  by training or experience in the field of higher education or in 
  2.1   financial aid administration.  The director may appoint other 
  2.2   professional employees who shall serve in the unclassified 
  2.3   service of the state civil service.  All other employees shall 
  2.4   be in the classified civil service.  
  2.5      An officer or professional employee in the unclassified 
  2.6   service as provided in this section is a person who has studied 
  2.7   higher education or a related field at the graduate level or has 
  2.8   similar experience and who is qualified for a career in 
  2.9   financial aid and other aspects of higher education and for 
  2.10  activities in keeping with the planning and administrative 
  2.11  responsibilities of the office and who is appointed to assume 
  2.12  responsibility for administration of educational programs or 
  2.13  research in matters of higher education. 
  2.14     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 136A.031, 
  2.15  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  2.16     Subd. 2.  [HIGHER EDUCATION ADVISORY COUNCIL.] A higher 
  2.17  education advisory council (HEAC) is established.  The HEAC is 
  2.18  composed of the director of the office of higher education, who 
  2.19  shall serve as chair; the president and the senior 
  2.20  vice-president for academic affairs of the University of 
  2.21  Minnesota; the chancellor of the Minnesota state colleges and 
  2.22  universities; the associate vice-chancellors of the state 
  2.23  universities, community colleges, and technical colleges; the 
  2.24  commissioner of children, families, and learning; the president 
  2.25  of the private college council; and a representative from the 
  2.26  Minnesota association of private post-secondary schools.  The 
  2.27  HEAC shall also be composed of the following members, who shall 
  2.28  be appointed by the governor:  five citizen members, 
  2.29  representing urban, rural, and regional areas of the state, who 
  2.30  are qualified by training or experience in the fields of higher 
  2.31  education, job skills training, and business; and five student 
  2.32  members, one representing the University of Minnesota, two 
  2.33  representing the Minnesota state colleges and universities, one 
  2.34  student representing four-year universities and one student 
  2.35  representing two-year colleges, one private college student, and 
  2.36  one private vocational school student.  The term of citizen 
  3.1   members is five years.  The term of student members is two 
  3.2   years.  The HEAC shall (1) bring to the attention of the higher 
  3.3   education services council governor any matters that the HEAC 
  3.4   deems necessary, and (2) review and comment upon matters before 
  3.5   the council as requested.  The council shall refer all proposals 
  3.6   to the HEAC before submitting recommendations to the governor 
  3.7   and the legislature.  The council shall provide time for a 
  3.8   report from the HEAC at each meeting of the council. 
  3.9      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 136A.031, 
  3.10  subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  3.11     Subd. 5.  [EXPIRATION.] Notwithstanding section 15.059, 
  3.12  subdivision 5a 5, the advisory groups group established in this 
  3.13  section expire expires on June 30, 2003 2005. 
  3.14     Sec. 4.  [REVISOR'S INSTRUCTION.] 
  3.15     The revisor of statutes shall substitute the term "office 
  3.16  of higher education" for "higher education services office" 
  3.17  wherever the term appears in Minnesota Statutes and Minnesota 
  3.18  Rules.  The revisor shall also make any grammatical changes 
  3.19  related to the changes in terms. 
  3.20     Sec. 5.  [REPEALER.] 
  3.21     Minnesota Statutes 2002, sections 15A.081, subdivision 7b; 
  3.22  136A.011; 136A.031, subdivisions 1, 3, and 4; and 136A.07, are 
  3.23  repealed.