2006 Minnesota Statutes

136F.31 CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE.
    Subdivision 1. Board designation. The board must designate at least three and up to
eight different program centers of excellence. The board must determine the form and required
information contained in applications from member institutions.
    Subd. 2. Center selection criteria. The board must select programs based on institutional
proposals demonstrating:
(1) the capacity to build multistate regional or national recognition of the program within
five years;
(2) a commitment to expanding the influence of the center to improve results in related
programs in participating institutions;
(3) the capacity to improve employment placement and income expectations of graduates
from the program;
(4) a strong partnership between a four-year and at least one two-year institution that
maximizes the leverage of academic and training capacities in each institution;
(5) a comprehensive academic plan that includes a seamless continuum of academic
offerings in the program area that supports career development at multiple levels in related
employment fields;
(6) a specific development plan that includes a description of how the institution will pursue
continuous improvement and accountability;
(7) identified commitments from employers that include measurable financial and
programmatic commitment to the center of excellence on the part of employers who will benefit
from the development of the center. A center for teacher education must demonstrate support
from local school districts;
(8) a commitment from the institution that the new designated funding will not supplant
current budgets from related programs;
(9) a strong existing program upon which the proposed center will build; and
(10) a separate fund for donations dedicated for the program within current institutional
foundations.
The board may adopt additional criteria that promote general goals of the centers. The
board shall give priority to programs that integrate the academic and training outcomes of the
center with business clusters that have a significant multiplier effect on the state's economy
based on projections of job, income, or general economic growth. The board shall consult with
the Department of Employment and Economic Development to identify these clusters and the
potential economic impact of developing a center for excellence.
    Subd. 3. Advisory committee and reports required. A center of excellence must create
an advisory committee representing local, statewide, and national leaders in the field. By
January 15 of each odd-numbered year, each designated center must provide a report to the
governor and the chairs of committees of the legislature with jurisdiction over higher education
finance, that includes annual and integrated data on program enrollment, student demographics,
student admission data, endowment growth, graduation rates, graduation outcomes, employer
involvement, indicators of student or graduate employment success, and other outcomes as
determined by the board. After a center has been in existence for three years, the report must
include measures of the program's impact on the local economy.
History: 2005 c 107 art 2 s 31