(1) Repealed.

(2) There is hereby established a central policy and coordinating board for higher education in the state of Colorado, to be known as the Colorado commission on higher education, referred to in this article as the "commission". The duties and powers delegated to the commission by this article apply to all state-supported institutions of higher education, including, but not limited to, all postsecondary institutions in the state supported in whole or part by state funds, and including community colleges, extension programs of the state-supported universities and colleges, local district colleges, area technical colleges, the Auraria higher education center established in article 70 of this title, and specifically the regents of the university of Colorado and the institutions it governs. The governing boards and institutions of the public system of higher education in Colorado, including the university of Colorado, are obligated to conform to the policies set by the commission within the authorities delegated to it in this article.

(3) (a) The commission shall consist of eleven members to be appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate. The members of the commission shall be selected on the basis of their knowledge of and interest in higher education and shall serve for four-year terms; except that, of the members first appointed to the commission, five members shall serve for terms of two years, and four members shall serve for terms of four years. No member of the commission may serve more than two consecutive full four-year terms.

(b) Repealed.

(4) At the time of appointment, no member of the commission shall have been an officer, employee, or member of a governing board or an officer or employee of any state-supported institution of higher education in the state for a period of one year prior to his or her appointment. During his or her term of office, no member of the commission shall be a member of the general assembly or an officer, employee, or member of a governing board or an officer or employee of a state-supported institution of higher education.

(5) The commission shall at no time have more than six members of any one major political party. Members of the commission shall receive seventy-five dollars per diem for attendance at official meetings plus actual and necessary expenses incurred in the conduct of official business. In appointing members of the commission, the governor shall consider geographic representation. Of the eleven members of the commission, at least one shall be from each congressional district, and at least one member of the commission shall reside west of the continental divide.

(6) The commission shall meet as often as necessary to carry out its duties as defined in this article.

(7) The term of any member of the commission who misses more than two consecutive regular commission meetings without good cause shall be terminated and his successor appointed in the manner provided for appointments under this section.

(8) (a) Notwithstanding other provisions of this section, on or after July 1, 1999, the governor, with the consent of the senate, shall appoint two additional members to the commission for terms ending on June 30, 2003. Thereafter, members appointed pursuant to this subsection (8) shall serve for terms of four years.

(b) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2000, p. 412, § 2, effective April 13, 2000.)