(a) The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall: (1) Establish policies and guidelines for the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College; (2) develop a master plan for higher education and postsecondary education at the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College consistent with the goals identified in section 10a-11c; (3) establish tuition and student fee policies for the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College; (4) monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and viability of the state universities, the regional community-technical colleges and Charter Oak State College in accordance with criteria established by the board; (5) merge or close institutions within the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College in accordance with criteria established by the board, provided (A) such recommended merger or closing shall require a two-thirds vote of the board, and (B) notice of such recommended merger or closing shall be sent to the committee having cognizance over matters relating to education and to the General Assembly; (6) review and approve mission statements for the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College and role and scope statements for the individual institutions and campuses of such constituent units; (7) review and approve any recommendations for the establishment of new academic programs submitted to the board by the state universities within the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical colleges and Charter Oak State College, and, in consultation with the affected constituent units, provide for the initiation, consolidation or termination of academic programs; (8) develop criteria to ensure acceptable quality in (A) programs at the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College, and (B) institutions within the Connecticut State University System and the regional community-technical college system and enforce standards through licensing and accreditation; (9) prepare and present to the Governor and General Assembly, in accordance with section 10a-8, consolidated operating and capital expenditure budgets for the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College developed in accordance with the provisions of said section 10a-8; (10) review and make recommendations on plans received from the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College to implement the goals identified in section 10a-11c; (11) appoint advisory committees with representatives from public and independent institutions of higher education to study methods and proposals for coordinating efforts of the public institutions of higher education under its jurisdiction with The University of Connecticut and the independent institutions of higher education to implement the goals identified in section 10a-11c; (12) evaluate (A) means of implementing the goals identified in section 10a-11c, and (B) any recommendations made by the Planning Commission for Higher Education in implementing the strategic master plan pursuant to section 10a-11b through alternative and nontraditional approaches such as external degrees and credit by examination; (13) coordinate programs and services among the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College; (14) assess opportunities for collaboration with The University of Connecticut and the independent institutions of higher education to implement the goals identified in section 10a-11c; (15) make or enter into contracts, leases or other agreements in connection with its responsibilities under this part, provided all acquisitions of real estate by lease or otherwise shall be subject to the provisions of section 4b-23; (16) be responsible for the care and maintenance of permanent records of institutions of higher education dissolved after September 1, 1969; (17) prepare and present to the Governor and General Assembly legislative proposals affecting the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College; (18) develop and maintain a central higher education information system and establish definitions and data requirements for the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College; (19) report all new programs and program changes at the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College to the Office of Higher Education; and (20) undertake such studies and other activities as will best serve the higher educational interests of the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College.

(b) Within the limits of authorized expenditures, the policies of the state system of higher education shall be consistent with (1) the following goals: (A) To ensure that no qualified person be denied the opportunity for higher education on the basis of age, sex, gender identity or expression, ethnic background or social, physical or economic condition, (B) to protect academic freedom, (C) to provide opportunities for education and training related to the economic, cultural and educational development of the state, (D) to assure the fullest possible use of available resources in public and private institutions of higher education, (E) to maintain standards of quality ensuring a position of national leadership for state institutions of higher education, (F) to apply the resources of higher education to the problems of society, and (G) to foster flexibility in the policies and institutions of higher education to enable the system to respond to changes in the economy, society, technology and student interests; and (2) the goals for higher education in the state identified in section 10a-11c. Said board shall review recent studies of the need for higher education services, with special attention to those completed pursuant to legislative action, and to meet such needs shall initiate additional programs or services through one or more of the constituent units.

(c) Repealed by P.A. 83-533, S. 53, 54.

(d) The board of regents shall request and receive, or be provided electronic access to, data, reports and other information from the public institutions of higher education under its jurisdiction that are necessary for the board to carry out its responsibilities pursuant to this section.

(P.A. 77-573, S. 6, 30; P.A. 79-418; P.A. 82-218, S. 6, 46; P.A. 83-533, S. 53, 54; P.A. 84-241, S. 2, 5; P.A. 91-174, S. 1, 16; 91-230, S. 10, 17; 91-256, S. 10, 69; P.A. 92-126, S. 5, 48; 92-154, S. 9, 23; P.A. 99-285, S. 3, 12; P.A. 04-257, S. 13; P.A. 11-48, S. 285; 11-55, S. 10; 11-70, S. 4; P.A. 12-129, S. 7; P.A. 13-118, S. 4; 13-247, S. 184; P.A. 14-117, S. 3; P.A. 15-75, S. 3.)

History: P.A. 79-418 amended Subsec. (d) to make provisions applicable to eligible employees regardless of employment date, provisions previously applicable to eligible employees “employed on or after October 1, 1975”; P.A. 82-218 repealed authority of board of higher education in Subsec. (a) and delineated powers and duties of board of governors and repealed Subsec. (c) which contained elements of a master plan for higher education, reflecting reorganization of state system of higher education, effective March 1, 1983; Sec. 10-323e transferred to Sec. 10a-6 in 1983; P.A. 83-533 repealed former Subsec. (c) which had permitted board to authorize participation in an alternate retirement program by unclassified employees of state system of higher education and higher education department staff; P.A. 84-241 added “of higher education” to board of governors' title; P.A. 91-174 amended Subsec. (a) by adding the language in Subdivs. (15) and (18) pertaining to independent institutions; P.A. 91-230 deleted Subsec. (a)(11) re responsibility for reviewing and approving capital expenditure requests from the constituent units before submission to the state bond commission, renumbered remaining Subdivs. and in newly renumbered Subdiv. (11) changed “approve” to “make recommendations on”; P.A. 91-256 in Subsec. (a)(12) changed “approve” to “make recommendations on”; P.A. 92-126 and P.A. 92-154 both amended Subsec. (a)(6) to remove the authority of the general assembly to accept or reject a recommended merger or closing; P.A. 99-285 added Subsec. (d) re electronic access, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 04-257 made a technical change in Subsec. (d), effective June 14, 2004; pursuant to P.A. 11-48, “Board of Governors of Higher Education” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Board of Regents for Higher Education”, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-55 amended Subsec. (b)(1) to prohibit discrimination on basis of gender identity or expression; P.A. 11-70 replaced “branches” with “campuses” in Subsec. (a)(7) (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (a)(10), a reference to repealed Sec. 10a-9 was deleted editorially by the Revisors); P.A. 12-129 amended Subsec. (a) by limiting authority of Board of Regents for Higher Education to merge or close institutions in Subdiv. (6) and to review and approve mission statements in Subdiv. (7) to the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and the Board for State Academic Awards, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 13-118 amended Subsec. (a) to replace “constituent unit boards of trustees” with “state colleges within the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical colleges and the Board for State Academic Awards” in Subdiv. (8), add new Subdiv. (19) re reporting all new programs and program changes to the Office of Higher Education and redesignate existing Subdiv. (19) as Subdiv. (20), effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 13-247 amended Subsec. (a) to delete former Subdiv. (4) re establishing state-wide student financial aid policies and redesignate existing Subdivs. (5) to (19) as Subdivs. (4) to (18), effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 14-117 amended Subsec. (a) to change “the Board for State Academic Awards” to “Charter Oak State College”, effective July 1, 2014; P.A. 15-75 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting references to state-wide policies and public higher education, adding references to the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College, adding provisions re goals identified in Sec. 10a-11c and deleting provision in Subdiv. (7) re notification of proposed termination of academic program, amended Subsec. (b) by designating existing provisions re goals as new Subdiv. (1) and adding new Subdiv. (2) re goals identified in Sec. 10a-11c, amended Subsec. (d) by replacing “constituent units of the state system of higher education that is” with “public institutions of higher education under its jurisdiction that are”, and made conforming and technical changes, effective July 1, 2015.

Annotation to former section 10-323e:

Cited. 175 C. 586.