HF 665

as introduced - 79th Legislature (1995 - 1996) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to education; establishing a commission on 
  1.3             campus closure and reorganization; specifying 
  1.4             membership and duties; appropriating money. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [FINDINGS.] 
  1.7      The legislature finds:  (1) it is critical to provide 
  1.8   funding for post-secondary education that encourages the quality 
  1.9   of education necessary for Minnesota to be competitive in a 
  1.10  global economy; (2) demograhpics relating to Minnesota citizens 
  1.11  seeking post-secondary education are changing; (3) the 
  1.12  development of new technologies through which educational 
  1.13  services can be effectively and efficiently provided will alter 
  1.14  higher education service delivery systems; (4) Minnesota is well 
  1.15  above the national average in number of post-secondary 
  1.16  institutions per capita; and (5) resources available to fund 
  1.17  public post-secondary education in the future may be 
  1.18  insufficient to adequately support the number of public campuses 
  1.19  which presently exist while addressing the needs described in 
  1.20  clauses (1) to (4). 
  1.21     Therefore, the legislature finds that it is in the best 
  1.22  interest of the future of the state and its students to assess 
  1.23  the need to reduce the number of campuses in order to more 
  1.24  efficiently and effectively use the available resources, and to 
  1.25  take action to close campuses as appropriate. 
  2.1      Sec. 2.  [CAMPUS CLOSURE AND REORGANIZATION COMMISSION.] 
  2.2      Subdivision 1.  [CREATION.] The campus closure and 
  2.3   reorganization commission is created to provide a fair process 
  2.4   that may result in closure and reorganization of public college 
  2.5   campuses in Minnesota. 
  2.6      Subd. 2.  [MEMBERSHIP.] The commission shall be composed of 
  2.7   13 members to be appointed as follows:  three members by the 
  2.8   senate majority leader, three members by the speaker of the 
  2.9   house of representatives, and seven members by the governor, one 
  2.10  of whom shall be the chair of the commission.  No one shall be 
  2.11  appointed who has any current affiliation with any higher 
  2.12  education institution or system, or any related employee or 
  2.13  student organization in the state.  Status as an alumni of a 
  2.14  higher education institution or system shall not preclude 
  2.15  appointment to the commission.  No current legislator or 
  2.16  executive branch appointee shall be a member except members of 
  2.17  the Minnesota higher education coordinating board shall be 
  2.18  eligible for appointment to the commission.  The membership 
  2.19  terms and compensation of the commission members shall be as 
  2.20  provided in Minnesota Statutes, section 15.059. 
  2.21     Subd. 3.  [CHARGE.] The commission shall examine all public 
  2.22  colleges and centers in the state that are under the authority 
  2.23  of the higher education board as of July 1, 1995.  The board of 
  2.24  regents of the University of Minnesota is requested to 
  2.25  participate in the commission's work by allowing its campuses to 
  2.26  be included in the examination.  The commission shall determine 
  2.27  the need for each campus and shall recommend to the legislature 
  2.28  those campuses that the commission believes should be closed or 
  2.29  reorganized.  By July 1, 1995, the chair shall convene the first 
  2.30  meeting of the commission at which time a work plan will be 
  2.31  undertaken that allows for completion of the commission's work 
  2.32  and a report to the legislature by February 1, 1996.  The report 
  2.33  shall contain a list of specific campuses recommended for 
  2.34  closure, if any, and rationale for each based on the criteria in 
  2.35  subdivision 4.  If the report recommends that campuses be 
  2.36  closed, the report shall identify cost savings expected as a 
  3.1   result of such closures and possible alternative uses for 
  3.2   campuses recommended for closure. 
  3.3      Subd. 4.  [CRITERIA.] The commission shall examine the 
  3.4   following criteria in considering its campus closure 
  3.5   recommendations:  cost of operating the campus, instructional 
  3.6   costs per fiscal year enrollment, cost savings resulting from 
  3.7   potential closure, enrollment increases and decreases, 
  3.8   geographical access, demographic projections, changes in 
  3.9   technology and course delivery, duplication of courses and 
  3.10  administrative services, and economic and cultural impact on the 
  3.11  community.  The commission may consider additional criteria that 
  3.12  it believes are relevant. 
  3.13     Subd. 5.  [COOPERATION.] Each post-secondary system and 
  3.14  campus shall immediately prepare information and data for its 
  3.15  system or campus regarding the criteria listed above, and 
  3.16  provide that information to the higher education coordinating 
  3.17  board unless the board states, in writing, to the system or 
  3.18  campus that the data is already in the board's possession.  In 
  3.19  addition, each post-secondary system and campus shall provide 
  3.20  information requested by the commission in a timely fashion.  
  3.21  Other state agencies that are asked for assistance by the 
  3.22  commission shall also comply in a timely way.  The higher 
  3.23  education coordinating board shall provide staffing and other 
  3.24  necessary assistance to the commission. 
  3.25     Subd. 6.  [SUNSET.] The commission shall expire on May 15, 
  3.26  1996. 
  3.27     Sec. 3.  [PROCEDURES FOR CLOSURE.] 
  3.28     Subdivision 1.  [LEGISLATURE.] The commission shall submit 
  3.29  its report on campuses to be closed, if any, to the minority and 
  3.30  majority leadership of the senate and the house of 
  3.31  representatives and the governor by February 1, 1996.  The 
  3.32  recommendations for campus closure shall become effective and be 
  3.33  acted upon by the higher education board, as provided in 
  3.34  subdivision 2, unless a law is enacted prior to the time the 
  3.35  legislature adjourns sine die in 1996 affirmatively rejecting 
  3.36  all of the commission's recommendations for closure.  
  4.1      Subd. 2.  [HIGHER EDUCATION BOARD.] The commission shall 
  4.2   send its report on campuses to be closed by February 1, 1996, to 
  4.3   the higher education board for implementation.  The board shall 
  4.4   begin procedures to close the campuses designated by the 
  4.5   commission no later than the date the legislature adjourns sine 
  4.6   die in 1996, in order to accomplish the closures, if any, before 
  4.7   the end of the 1997 fiscal year.  The board of regents is 
  4.8   requested to take necessary actions if any campus of the 
  4.9   University of Minnesota is recommended by the commission for 
  4.10  closure. 
  4.11     Sec. 4.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  4.12     $200,000 is appropriated from the general fund in fiscal 
  4.13  year 1996 to the higher education coordinating board to provide 
  4.14  staffing and support services to the commission. 
  4.15     Sec. 5.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  4.16     Sections 1 to 3 are effective the day following final 
  4.17  enactment.