(a) The Board of Regents for Higher Education, in concert with the state's institutions of higher education, shall study, develop and coordinate the implementation of new methods of awarding undergraduate degrees and college credits including but not limited to: (1) External degrees awarded on the basis of acceptable performance in an educational field whether or not the necessary education was obtained by the candidate at an institution of higher education, and (2) examinations and methods other than classroom instruction for determining qualifications. On or before July 1, 1993, each constituent unit of the state system of higher education shall establish procedures to award college credits pursuant to this subsection and subsection (e) of this section.

(b) The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall promulgate regulations to authorize accredited institutions of higher education to award degrees by such new procedures.

(c) Charter Oak State College shall be an independent constituent unit of the state system of higher education with authority to grant undergraduate and graduate credits and degrees on the basis of (1) examinations, (2) courses offered by Charter Oak State College, and (3) other forms of evaluation and validation of learning including transfer of credit. Said college is authorized to use the term “Charter Oak State College” on diplomas and other documents and utterances to affirm the status of the college as a degree-granting institution of higher education. It shall be the responsibility of the college to serve the interest of all Connecticut residents by providing open access to academic credentials which are based on a consensus of professional judgment. The purpose of such credentials shall be to identify and give recognition to higher learning acquired by individuals through independent study, work experience and programs of noncollegiate educational activity.

(d) (1) The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall develop and implement programs at Charter Oak State College to improve opportunities in higher education through alternative modes of service, including, but not limited to, guidance and information services, registration and validation services, examination and degree-granting services, technological delivery systems, and projects of research and development. The board may appoint a chief academic and administrative officer and a professional academic staff of Charter Oak State College. The board may appoint and remove executive staff responsible for the operation of Charter Oak State College. The board may determine the size of the academic staff and the duties, terms, and conditions of employment of said director and staff. The board shall establish through appointments on an adjunct basis a faculty of consulting examiners at Charter Oak State College to make recommendations as to requirements and standards of the college's programs and to make recommendations for the award of academic undergraduate and graduate credits and degrees. Persons serving as members of the faculty of consulting examiners shall have appropriate professional qualifications as determined by the board and may hold professional appointments in active status at accredited institutions of postsecondary or higher learning. Within the limit of appropriations, the board shall fix the compensation of persons serving with adjunct appointment as members of the faculty of consulting examiners. The board shall confer such undergraduate and graduate certificates and degrees as are appropriate to programs of postsecondary and higher learning at Charter Oak State College and in accordance with the recommendations of the board's faculty of consulting examiners on the basis of (A) examinations, (B) courses offered by Charter Oak State College, and (C) other forms of validation and evaluation of learning, including transfer of credit. The board shall assist public institutions of higher education in establishing and implementing procedures to award college credits pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

(2) The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall develop a mission statement for Charter Oak State College which shall include, but not be limited to, the following elements: (A) The educational needs of, and constituencies served by said college; (B) the degrees offered by said college; and (C) the role and scope of the programs offered by said college.

(e) The board shall fix fees for examinations and for such other purposes as the board deems necessary on behalf of Charter Oak State College and may make refunds and other disposition of same as provided by law or regulation. The board may make contracts, leases or other agreements in connection with its responsibilities.

(f) The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall establish and administer a fund to be known as the Board of Regents for Higher Education for Charter Oak State College Operating Fund, which shall be a separate account within the General Fund. The operating fund shall be used for the expenses of Charter Oak State College, including personnel expenses and equipment, and for the support of college activities pursuant to this section, including validation and evaluation of learning, guidance and public information services, projects of research and development for the improvement of learning materials and the technology of delivery systems, and for the purchase of such services, materials and equipment as are required for use in connection with said activities. Appropriations from general revenues of the state, all fees and proceeds of the board's activities on behalf of Charter Oak State College, including grants and donations, not required by statute or regulation to be deposited to the credit of the General Fund, shall be credited to and become a part of the resources of said operating fund. Any balance of receipts above expenditures shall remain in said operating fund. Not later than sixty days after the close of each quarter, the Board of Regents for Higher Education shall submit to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, the Office of Higher Education and the Office of Policy and Management a report on the actual expenditures of the Board of Regents for Higher Education for Charter Oak State College Operating Fund.

(g) The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall promote fund-raising to assist Charter Oak State College's programs pursuant to this section and shall report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education by January 1, 1994, and biennially thereafter, on such fund-raising.

(1971, P.A. 537, S. 1–3; P.A. 73-656, S. 1, 6; P.A. 75-442, S. 1, 2; P.A. 77-573, S. 24, 30; 77-581, S. 1, 2; P.A. 79-631, S. 8, 111; P.A. 80-8, S. 1, 2; P.A. 81-472, S. 102, 159; P.A. 82-218, S. 26, 46; P.A. 84-241, S. 2, 5; 84-256, S. 8, 17; P.A. 85-418, S. 1, 2; P.A. 86-312, S. 4, 21; P.A. 88-117, S. 1, 5; P.A. 89-380, S. 1, 7; P.A. 91-174, S. 14, 16; 91-230, S. 15, 17; 91-256, S. 34, 69; P.A. 92-154, S. 13, 14, 23; P.A. 93-201, S. 14, 24; P.A. 95-259, S. 24, 32; P.A. 96-244, S. 45, 63; P.A. 09-159, S. 1, 2; P.A. 11-48, S. 227; P.A. 13-137, S. 4; P.A. 14-117, S. 10.)

History: P.A. 73-656 deleted Subsec. (a)(3) re relative cost of new program compared with traditional program, replaced former Subsec. (c) re constituent units' provision of assistance to commission with new Subsec. (c) re administrative and clerical services provided by commission, replaced former Subsec. (d) re report to governor and general assembly with new Subsec. (d) re board for state academic awards and added Subsecs. (e) to (g) re duties of academic awards board and advisory council; P.A. 75-442 amended Subsec. (c) to make clear that administrative and clerical staff to be provided specifically for academic awards board rather than for “state-wide and regional programs ...” and amended Subsec. (d) to clarify that academic awards board is within commission for higher education; P.A. 77-573 replaced commission for higher education with board of higher education; P.A. 77-581 replaced former Subsec. (c) with new Subsec. (c) generally stating awards board's powers, removed from Subsec. (d) statement that board continued and placed within commission, i.e. board of higher education, amended Subsec. (d) to remove provisions requiring commission's (board of higher education’s) approval for actions of academic awards board, to replace executive secretary and executive staff with executive director and professional academic staff and to specify that examiners be “consulting” examiners and added Subsec. (h) re educational services fund; P.A. 79-631 replaced reference to repealed Sec. 10-324 with reference to Sec. 10-323e(a)(10); P.A. 80-8 amended Subsec. (c) to allow board to use term “college” to affirm its degree-granting authority; P.A. 81-472 made technical changes; P.A. 82-218 reorganized higher education system, replacing board of higher education with board of governors, revising appointment provisions of Subsec. (b), adding provisions re development of mission statement in Subsec. (e), requiring that contracts exceeding $1,000 be approved by board of governors in Subsec. (g) and specifying that authority to continue educational services fund is subject to board of governors' guidelines in Subsec. (h), effective March 1, 1983; Sec. 10-330a transferred to Sec. 10a-143 in 1983; P.A. 84-241 added “of higher education” to board of governors' title; P.A. 84-256 increased board membership from five to seven, adding one member elected by students and an alumnus of Charter Oak College and established meeting and attendance requirements; P.A. 85-418 amended Subsec. (h) by adding provision requiring that enrollment fee revenues be deposited in the general fund; P.A. 86-312 amended Subsec. (h) to change educational services “fund” to a separate “account” within the general fund; P.A. 88-117 deleted the provision in Subsec. (g) that agreements in excess of $1,000 be subject to the approval of the board of governors; P.A. 89-380 amended Subsec. (h) to provide that the revenue from enrollment fees be credited to the educational services account rather than deposited to the credit of the general fund; P.A. 91-174 in Subsec. (a) added requirement for procedures to be developed by July 1, 1993, in Subsec. (e)(1) added provision requiring board to assist institutions in establishing and implementing procedures, in Subsec. (g) deleted provision requiring board of governors approval of fees and added Subsec. (i) re fund-raising; P.A. 91-230 made a technical change in Subsec. (f); P.A. 91-256 reiterated change to Subsec. (g) made by P.A. 91-174; P.A. 92-154 amended Subsecs. (c) and (d) to add “state” to the name of Charter Oak College and amended Subsec. (h) to eliminate the educational services account and to establish the operating fund; P.A. 93-201 amended Subsec. (i) to require report, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-259 amended Subsec. (d) to reduce the number of the Governor's appointments from seven to six and to add a member elected by the students enrolled in Charter Oak State College, effective July 6, 1995; P.A. 96-244 amended Subsec. (d) to increase the membership from seven to nine by requiring the Governor to appoint two additional members, on or before July 1, 1996, effective June 6, 1996; P.A. 09-159 amended Subsec. (c) by allowing Board for State Academic Awards to grant graduate degrees and to grant credits and degrees on basis of courses offered by Charter Oak State College and amended Subsec. (e)(1) by adding provisions re faculty of consulting examiners to make recommendations for award of academic undergraduate and graduate credits and degrees and re board to confer undergraduate and graduate certificates and degrees on basis of courses offered by Charter Oak State College, effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to replace “Board of Governors of Higher Education” with “Board of Regents for Higher Education”, amended Subsec. (d) to replace Board for State Academic Awards with Board of Regents for Higher Education serving as Board for State Academic Awards beginning on January 1, 2012, and create a transition period through December 31, 2011, during which the Board for State Academic Awards shall remain in office, amended Subsec. (e) to permit board to appoint and remove executive staff, remove provisions re Board of Governors of Higher Education and make conforming changes, deleted former Subsec. (f) re advisory council, redesignated existing Subsecs. (g) to (i) as Subsecs. (f) to (h) and amended Subsec. (h) to delete “Commissioner of Higher Education” and make a technical change, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-137 amended Subsec. (g) to add provision requiring Board of Regents for Higher Education to submit a report on actual expenditures, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 14-117 deleted former Subsec. (d) re the Board for State Academic Awards, redesignated existing Subsecs. (e) to (h) as Subsecs. (d) to (g) and replaced references to the Board for State Academic Awards with references to Charter Oak State College and the Board of Regents for Higher Education in Subsec. (c) and redesignated Subsecs. (d) to (g), effective July 1, 2014.