HF 2915

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/15/2023 09:09am

A bill for an act
relating to higher education; requiring a report; appropriating money for grants to
state colleges to increase the number of faculty counselors.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin STATE COLLEGE FACULTY COUNSELOR GRANTS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Program established; student-to-counselor ratio goal. new text end

new text begin (a) The Board
of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities shall establish a competitive
grant program to increase the number of full-time faculty counselors at two-year state
colleges.
new text end

new text begin (b) Each college must employ full-time faculty counselors whose primary assignment
is counselor duties. For a campus with fewer than 750 students enrolled at a campus site on
the 30th day of an academic year, the campus must have at least one unlimited full-time
faculty counselor. For a campus with more than 750 students enrolled at a campus site on
the 30th day of an academic year, the campus must employ the number of full-time counselors
necessary for the number of students per counselor to be the lesser of:
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new text begin (1) 750; or
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new text begin (2) the number of students per full-time counselor at the campus on February 1, 2023.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Eligible institutions; allowable use of grant funds. new text end

new text begin (a) Only a two-year state
college may receive a grant under this section.
new text end

new text begin (b) Grants awarded under this section must be used to increase the number of full-time
faculty counselors at the recipient college in order to meet the student-to-counselor ratio
goal established in subdivision 1. Grants may be used for recruitment of new faculty
counselors or retention of existing faculty counselors. Grant funds may be used for costs
associated with recruitment of new faculty counselors, faculty counselor salaries and benefits,
and delivery of counseling services to students.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Administration. new text end

new text begin (a) The board must establish an application process and other
guidelines for implementing this program. The board shall prioritize awards to state colleges
that do not meet the student-to-counselor ratio goal established in subdivision 1.
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new text begin (b) To the extent possible, grant awards should have broad geographic distribution across
the state and be made to as many state colleges as possible given funds available for the
program.
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new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Report required. new text end

new text begin By December 1, 2025, the board shall report to the legislative
committees with jurisdiction over higher education policy and finance about grants awarded
under this section. The report must include the following information:
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new text begin (1) the student-to-counselor ratio for each state college as of February 1, 2023;
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new text begin (2) the most current student-to-counselor ratio for each state college;
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new text begin (3) a list of all state colleges receiving a grant under this section and the grant award
amount;
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new text begin (4) for each grant recipient, an explanation of how the grant funds were utilized; and
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new text begin (5) an evaluation of the grant program, its successes and challenges, and recommendations
to the legislature regarding the program.
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new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Expiration. new text end

new text begin This section expires June 1, 2026.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION; FACULTY COUNSELOR GRANTS.
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new text begin (a) $....... in fiscal year 2024 and $....... in fiscal year 2025 are appropriated from the
general fund to the commissioner of the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges
and Universities for faculty counselor grants under section 1 of this act. This is a onetime
appropriation.
new text end

new text begin (b) A balance in fiscal year 2024 does not cancel, but is available for fiscal year 2025.
new text end