Sec. 51.356. NONVOTING STUDENT REGENT; INSTITUTION BOARD OF REGENTS. (a) This section applies only to a general academic teaching institution that is not a part of a university system.

(b) In this section, "student government" means the representative student organization directly elected by the student body of a general academic teaching institution.

(c) The president of a general academic teaching institution shall develop a uniform application form to be used to solicit applicants for the position of student regent.

(d) Not later than November 1 of each year, the student government of the general academic teaching institution shall solicit applicants for appointment to the next regular term of the position of student regent. Not later than January 1, from among the applications received by the student government, the student government shall select five applicants as the student government's recommendations for the position of student regent and send the applications of those applicants to the president of the institution. From among those applicants, the president shall select two or more applicants as the institution's recommendations for the position of student regent and shall send the applications of those applicants to the governor not later than February 1. The governor may request to review all applications for the position of student regent received by the student government and may request an applicant to submit additional information to the governor. On June 1, or as soon thereafter as practicable, the governor shall appoint one of the applicants to serve as the student regent for the institution for a one-year term expiring on the next May 31. The governor is not required to appoint an applicant recommended by the president, but may not appoint a student regent who did not submit an application to the student government of the institution as described by this subsection.

(e) To be eligible for appointment as student regent, a person must be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student in the general academic teaching institution and be in good academic standing as determined by the institution at the time of appointment. The person must remain enrolled at the institution throughout the person's term as a student regent. For purposes of this subsection, a person is considered to be enrolled in an institution for a summer term if the person was enrolled in the institution for the preceding semester and:

(1) is registered or preregistered at the institution for the following fall semester;

(2) if the person has not completed the person's degree program, is eligible to continue the degree program at the institution in the following fall semester; or

(3) if the person completed a degree program in the preceding semester, is admitted to another degree program at the institution for the following fall semester.

(e-1) Throughout a student regent's term, the student regent must maintain a grade point average of at least 2.5 on a four-point scale. The president of the institution in which the student regent is enrolled shall notify the governor if the student regent fails to maintain the qualifications required by this section.

(f) A student regent is not a member of the board of regents of the institution for which the student regent is appointed. A student regent has the same powers and duties as the members of the board of regents of the institution, including the right to attend and participate in meetings of the board of regents, except that the student regent:

(1) may not vote on any matter before the board or make or second any motion before the board; and

(2) is not counted in determining whether a quorum exists for a meeting of the board or in determining the outcome of any vote of the board.

(g) A vacancy in the position of student regent for an institution shall be filled for the unexpired term by appointment by the governor in consultation with the president of the institution.

(h) On receiving notice under Subsection (e-1) from the president of the institution that the student regent has failed to maintain the qualifications required by this section, the governor shall declare the position of student regent vacant and as soon as practicable fill the vacancy in the manner prescribed by Subsection (g).

(i) A student regent serves without compensation but is entitled to be reimbursed for the actual expenses incurred by the student regent in attending the meetings of the board of regents, subject to the approval of the chairman of the board of regents.

Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 292 (S.B. 34), Sec. 2, eff. June 17, 2005.

Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1181 (S.B. 1227), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2005.

Amended by:

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 181 (S.B. 276), Sec. 2, eff. May 23, 2007.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 107 (S.B. 42), Sec. 2, eff. May 23, 2015.