85-1412. Commission; additional powers and duties.

The commission shall have the following additional powers and duties:

(1) Conduct surveys and studies as may be necessary to undertake the coordination function of the commission pursuant to section 85-1403 and request information from governing boards and appropriate administrators of public institutions and other governmental agencies for research projects. All public institutions and governmental agencies receiving state funds shall comply with reasonable requests for information under this subdivision. Public institutions may comply with such requests pursuant to section 85-1417;

(2) Recommend to the Legislature and the Governor legislation it deems necessary or appropriate to improve postsecondary education in Nebraska and any other legislation it deems appropriate to change the role and mission provisions in sections 85-917 to 85-966.01. The recommendations submitted to the Legislature shall be submitted electronically;

(3) Establish any advisory committees as may be necessary to undertake the coordination function of the commission pursuant to section 85-1403 or to solicit input from affected parties such as students, faculty, governing boards, administrators of the public institutions, administrators of the private nonprofit institutions of postsecondary education and proprietary institutions in the state, and community and business leaders regarding the coordination function of the commission;

(4) Participate in or designate an employee or employees to participate in any committee which may be created to prepare a coordinated plan for the delivery of educational programs and services in Nebraska through the telecommunications system;

(5) Seek a close liaison with the State Board of Education and the State Department of Education in recognition of the need for close coordination of activities between elementary and secondary education and postsecondary education;

(6) Administer the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System or other information system or systems to provide the commission with timely, comprehensive, and meaningful information pertinent to the exercise of its duties. The information system shall be designed to provide comparable data on each public institution. The commission shall also administer the uniform information system prescribed in sections 85-1421 to 85-1427 known as the Nebraska Educational Data System. Public institutions shall supply the appropriate data for the information system or systems required by the commission;

(7) Administer (a) the Access College Early Scholarship Program Act, (b) the Community College Aid Act, (c) the Nebraska Community College Student Performance and Occupational Education Grant Fund under the direction of the Nebraska Community College Student Performance and Occupational Education Grant Committee, (d) the Nebraska Opportunity Grant Act, (e) the Postsecondary Institution Act, and (f) the community college gap assistance program and the Community College Gap Assistance Program Fund;

(8) Accept and administer loans, grants, and programs from the federal or state government and from other sources, public and private, for carrying out any of its functions, including the administration of privately endowed scholarship programs. Such loans and grants shall not be expended for any other purposes than those for which the loans and grants were provided. The commission shall determine eligibility for such loans, grants, and programs, and such loans and grants shall not be expended unless approved by the Governor;

(9) On or before December 1 of each even-numbered year, submit to the Legislature and the Governor a report of its objectives and activities and any new private colleges in Nebraska and the implementation of any recommendations of the commission for the preceding two calendar years. The report submitted to the Legislature shall be submitted electronically;

(10) Provide staff support for interstate compacts on postsecondary education; and

(11) Request inclusion of the commission in any existing grant review process and information system.

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