2021 -- H 6425

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LC002941

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021

____________

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE (SEE TITLE 16 CHAPTER 97 -

- THE RHODE ISLAND BOARD OF EDUCATION ACT)

     Introduced By: Representatives Serpa, Amore, O'Brien, Hull, Ranglin-Vassell, Donovan,
Bennett, Messier, J Lombardi, and Speakman

     Date Introduced: June 11, 2021

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Sections 16-33-1, 16-33-2, 16-33-2.1, 16-33-4, 16-33-6, 16-33-7, 16-33-8

and 16-33-9 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-33 entitled "Rhode Island College [See Title 16

Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" are hereby amended to read as follows:

     16-33-1. Management by board of governors for higher education Management by

board of trustees -- Board established.

     The Rhode Island College shall be under the management of the board of governors for

higher education as provided by chapter 59 of this title.

     (a) There is hereby created a board of trustees for Rhode Island college, sometimes referred

to as the "board" or "board of trustees," which shall be and is constituted a public corporation, and:

empowered to sue and be sued in its own name; to borrow money; to compromise and settle claims;

to have a seal; and to make and execute contracts and other instruments necessary or convenient to

the exercise of its powers; and to exercise all the powers, in addition to those specifically

enumerated in this chapter, usually appertaining to public corporations entrusted with control of

postsecondary educational institutions and functions. Upon its organization, the board shall be

vested with the legal title to all property, real and personal, now owned by and/or under the control

or in the custody of the council on postsecondary education for the use of Rhode Island college,

including all its departments, divisions, and branches, sometimes referred to as the "property".

     (b) The board is empowered to hold and operate the property in trust for the state; and to

acquire, hold, and dispose of the property and other like property as deemed necessary for the

execution of its corporate purposes. The board is made successor to all powers, rights, duties, and

privileges for Rhode Island college formerly belonging to the council on postsecondary education

pertaining to postsecondary education and the board of governors for higher education.

     (c) The board shall be the employer of record for the college. It shall retain all authority

formerly vested in the council on postsecondary education and the board of education regarding

the employment of faculty and staff at Rhode Island college. The board shall appoint the president

of the college and shall review his or her performance on an annual basis.

     (1) The board is empowered to enter into contracts and agreements with the council on

postsecondary education and/or the department of administration related to employee benefits,

including, but not limited to, retirement benefits, health, dental, vision and life insurance, disability

insurance, workers' compensation, and tuition waivers to maximize the state's and college's

purchasing and investment portfolio and educational opportunities for the benefit of its employees.

     (2) The board is empowered to enter into collective bargaining agreements as appropriate

with its employees, and all existing collective bargaining agreements in effect when the board is

established pursuant to § 16-33-2.2 shall be transferred from the council on postsecondary

education to the board.

     (d) The board shall make rules and regulations for the control and use of all public

properties and highways under its care, and for violations of those rules and regulations; penalties,

up to one hundred dollars ($100) and costs for any one offense, may be imposed by any district

court or police court in the city or town where the violation occurs; and, in general, the board shall

take all actions necessary for the proper execution of the powers and duties granted to, and imposed

upon, the board by the terms of this chapter.

     (e) The board shall make rules and regulations pursuant to chapter 2 of title 37 to implement

its responsibilities as a public agency for procurement purposes as defined in § 37-2-7.

     (f) The board shall evaluate data on which to base performance of the college as described

in subsection (g) of this section which shall be defined by the president of the college. These

measures may include and incorporate outcomes or goals from multiple, previous years. The lack

of information from previous years, however, will not affect the use of performance-based

measures.

     (g) Rhode Island college shall have unique measures consistent with its purpose, role,

scope, and mission. The board shall provide faculty and students an opportunity to provide input

on the development of performance measures.

     (1) The performance-based measures shall include, but not be limited to, the following

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metrics:

     (i) The number and percentage, including growth in relation to enrollment and prior years

of bachelor's degrees awarded to first-time, full-time students within four (4) years and six (6)

years, including summer graduates;

     (ii) The number of degrees awarded that are tied to Rhode Island's high demand, high-wage

employment opportunities consistent with the institution's mission;

     (iii) One metric that applies only to the college, in consultation with the president, which

shall consider faculty, staff, and student input; and

     (iv) Any other metrics that are deemed appropriate by the board.

     (2) Weight may be assigned to any of the aforementioned metrics to reinforce the mission

of the college, the economic needs of the state, and the socio-economic status of the students.

     (h) The board shall hold the college accountable for developing and implementing transfer

pathways for students from the community college of Rhode Island.

     (i) The board shall supervise, coordinate, and/or authorize audits, civil and administrative

investigations, and inspections or oversight reviews, when necessary, relating to expenditure of

state or federal funds, or to any and all college programs and operations, as well as the procurement

of any supplies, services, or construction, by the college. In the course of an audit or investigation,

the board authorized auditor(s) shall review statutes and regulations of the college and shall

determine if the college is in compliance and shall make recommendations concerning the

efficiency of operations, and the effect of such statutes or regulations on internal controls and the

prevention and detection of fraud, waste, and abuse. The board authorized auditor(s) may

recommend policies or procedures that may strengthen internal controls, or assist in the prevention

or detection of fraud, waste, and abuse or mismanagement. Any audits conducted shall be

transmitted to the office of internal audit established in chapter 7.1 of title 35.

     16-33-2. Powers over college -- Purposes of college.

     The board of governors for higher education trustees shall be responsible for the control,

management, and operation of Rhode Island College college in the same manner as prior to July 1,

1960, the board of trustees for state colleges had been responsible for the control, management, and

operation of the institution under the name of Rhode Island College of Education, and shall

continue to exercise the powers previously conferred upon the trustees of Rhode Island Normal

School, and any further powers, including the power to confer degrees, as shall be necessary for

the continuance and maintenance of the Rhode Island College college as a college the chief purpose

of which shall be the preparation of teachers, principals, supervisors, and superintendents for

service in the public schools of Rhode Island. The board of governors for higher education trustees

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is authorized to extend the scope of the educational interests of Rhode Island College college to

include, in addition to and without in any way limiting its educational programs related to the

educational preparation of teachers for the schools of the state, general education through degree

programs in the liberal arts and sciences.

     16-33-2.1. Additional powers of the President of the College Additional powers of the

president of the college.

     In addition to any powers granted to the president of Rhode Island College college by law

or regulation, and consistent with shared governance practices, in conformity with § 16-33-6, the

president shall have the following additional powers and duties:

     (a) To create and consolidate departments, divisions, programs, and courses of study within

the college with the assistance of the commissioner of postsecondary education within the approved

role and scope adopted by the council on postsecondary education pursuant to § 16-59-4 board of

trustees. Any new or proposed eliminations of departments, divisions, programs or courses of study

that are outside the role and scope approved by the council board shall require the review and

approval of the council on postsecondary education board of trustees.

     (b) To adopt a budget for the college and submit it to the council for postsecondary

education board of trustees for approval.

     (c) To be responsible for the general management of property of the college.

     (d) To recommend to the council on postsecondary education, after consultation with the

commissioner of postsecondary, education board of trustees tables of organization for the college.

     (e) To submit to the office of postsecondary commissioner board of trustees and to compile

and analyze the following information for presentation to the council for postsecondary education

and the board of education board annually by May 1 the following:

     (1) A detailed departmental breakdown of all faculty members employed at the college by

rank (including all professors, associate professors, assistant professors, lecturers, and instructors)

and tenure (tenured and non-tenured, and other) and by race (African American, Hispanic, Native

American, and Asian) and gender.

     (2) A detailed report on current student enrollments for each class at the college by race

and gender, by academic department, and by outreach program (e.g. talent development),

guaranteed admissions program, and the current levels of funding and staff support for each of

these programs.

     (3) A report on the current status of the African and Afro-American studies programs at

the college and a five (5) year budgetary history of the programs along with projections for

budgetary support for the next two (2) years.

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     (4) A plan for recruitment of African American and Hispanic faculty into tenure track

positions at the college with specific reference to and planned involvement with the New England

higher education's minority faculty recruitment and development plan.

     (5) Copies of the report shall be furnished to the council of postsecondary education and

the board of education board of trustees.

     (f) To assist the board of trustees in preparation and maintenance of a three (3) year

strategic funding plan for the college, and to assist the board in the preparation and presentation

annually to the state budget officer in accordance with § 35-3-4 of a total college budget.

     (g) To monitor, publish, and report to the board of trustees the level of performance on all

metrics of the college set forth in § 16-33-2.2 and in accordance with this chapter. The president

shall revise the metrics at a time when performance has reached a level pre-defined by the board.

Future metrics may further goals identified by the board, the board of education and the governor's

workforce board, and the purpose and mission of the college. The college shall publish its

performance on all of its associated metrics prescribed in this chapter on its website.

     16-33-4. Students paying tuition.

     The board of governors for higher education trustees may admit to the classes of the college

persons not intending to teach in the public schools of the state upon the payment by them of any

tuition fees as may be determined by the board. The board shall make, each term, a return to the

general treasurer of all money received by it in pursuance of this authority.

     16-33-6. Award of degrees -- Curriculum and government.

     The board of governors for higher education trustees, with the approval of the president

and a committee of the faculty of Rhode Island College college, shall award academic degrees and

diplomas and confer honors in the same manner as is customary in American colleges. It shall also

be the duty of the president and a committee of the faculty, with the approval of the board of

governors for higher education trustees, to arrange courses of study, prescribe any qualifications

for the admission of students and any rules of study, exercise, discipline, and government as the

president and committee may deem proper.

     16-33-7. Diploma on graduation.

     Persons who shall have passed the regular course of studies at Rhode Island College college

shall, on the written recommendation of the president, receive a diploma issued by the board of

governors for higher education trustees.

     16-33-8. Appropriations and disbursements.

     (a) The general assembly shall annually appropriate any sum as it may deem necessary for

the maintenance and support of the Rhode Island College college.

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     (b) The state controller is authorized and directed to draw his or her orders upon the general

treasurer for the payment of the sum upon receipt by the controller of vouchers approved by the

board of governors for higher education trustees.

     16-33-9. Assent to federal provisions for college housing.

     All proceeds of the loan or loans received by the board of governors for higher education

trustees for the construction of housing facilities for the Rhode Island College college shall be paid

to the general treasurer of the state and deposited by the treasurer in a separate fund to be known

as the "Rhode Island College college housing loan fund."

     SECTION 2. Chapter 16-33 of the General Laws entitled "Rhode Island College [See Title

16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended by adding thereto

the following sections:

     16-33-2.2. Appointment and removal of the board of trustees.

     (a) There is hereby established a board of trustees for Rhode Island college consisting of

thirteen (13) members. The chair of the board of education and the chair of the council on

postsecondary education shall serve in a non-voting, ex officio capacity on the board of trustees.

The president of Rhode Island college shall appoint one faculty member and one student member

who shall be a full-time student in good standing at the college and who shall each serve in a non-

voting, ex officio capacity for a single two (2) year term. The governor shall appoint nine (9) voting

members, with the advice and consent of the senate, to serve on the board of trustees, until the

expiration of their term and their successor is appointed. In making these appointments the governor

shall give due consideration to recommendations from the president of Rhode Island college and at

least three (3) of those members appointed by the governor shall be residents of the State of Rhode

Island, at least one of those members shall be selected from a list of names of at least three (3)

individuals submitted by the speaker of the house of representatives, and at least one of those

members shall be selected from a list of names of at least three (3) individuals submitted by the

president of the senate. Three (3) of the voting members initially appointed pursuant to this section

shall serve terms of three (3) years; three (3) voting members initially appointed pursuant to this

section shall serve terms of two (2) years; and Three (3) voting members initially appointed

pursuant to this section shall serve terms of one year. Seven (7) voting members of the board shall

constitute a quorum and the vote of a majority of those present and voting shall be required for

action.

     (b) After the initial terms of appointment have expired, the governor shall appoint members

to succeed those voting members whose terms have expired; the members shall be filled in the

same manner of the original appointment as set forth in subsection (a) of this section and shall each

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serve for a term of three (3) years, or until their successors are appointed and qualified.

     (c) A majority of the board shall elect the chair of the board from among the nine (9) voting

board members pursuant to rules and regulations adopted by the board establishing the procedure

for electing a chair.

     (d) Public members of the board shall be removable by the appointing authority of the

member for cause only, and removal solely for partisan or personal reasons unrelated to capacity

or fitness for the office shall be unlawful. No removal shall be made for any cause except after ten

(10) days' notice in writing of specific charges, with opportunity for the member to be present in

person and with counsel at a public hearing before the appointing authority, to introduce witnesses

and documentary evidence in his or her own defense, and to confront and cross-examine adversary

witnesses; and appeal shall lie to the superior court from the governor's determination.

     16-33-11. Exemption from provisions of administrative procedures act.

     The provisions of chapter 35 of title 42, ("administrative procedures act"), shall not apply

to this chapter.

     16-33-12. Receipts from sources other than appropriations.

     (a) Notwithstanding any general laws to the contrary, all receipts from all sources other

than state appropriations shall not be deposited into the general fund of the state, but shall be

deposited by the general treasurer of the state into a restricted account for the benefit of the board

of trustees, and shall be paid out by the treasurer upon the order of the board, without the necessity

of appropriation or re-appropriation by the general assembly.

     (b) The board of trustees shall ensure that the college has a structure in place to prohibit

the college from accepting funds that would interfere with or restrict academic freedom at the

college. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed in a way as to prohibit a donor from

earmarking funds for a particular purpose or use, including, but not limited to, research,

scholarships, construction, or development.

     16-33-13. Fiscal accounts -- Receipts -- Petty cash funds.

     (a) The treasurer of Rhode Island college, as appointed by the board of trustees, shall:

     (1) Keep an accurate account of his or her receipts and expenditures, which shall be audited

by the state controller; and

     (2) Turn over to the general treasurer at monthly intervals all sums of money received by

him or her during the preceding month which shall be credited to the proper accounts and funds by

the general treasurer.

     (b) The state controller shall establish an imprest fund or petty cash fund for the use of the

treasurer of the college for expenditures of any nature as may be approved by the state controller.

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     16-33-14. Audit of expenditures.

     The pre-audit of all expenditures under authority of the board by the state controller

provided for in § 35-6-1 shall be purely ministerial, concerned only with the legality of the

expenditure and the availability of the funds, and in no event shall the state controller interpose his

or her judgment regarding the wisdom or expediency of any item or items of expenditure.

     16-33-15. Freedom from budget and lease control by other agencies.

     In order that the board of trustees may control the personnel and equipment of the college

in the interest of educational efficiency, the board and the college are exempt from the provisions

of § 35-3-1(a)(5) relating to the employment of personnel, and from any provision of § 42-20-8

that relates to the director of administration.

     16-33-16. Applicability of merit system -- Teacher certification -- List of positions

transferable to classified service.

     (a) The appointment, promotion, salaries, tenure, and dismissal of administrative,

instructional, and research employees, and secretarial employees not exceeding ten (10) in number,

and armed university police officers shall not be subject in any manner or degree to control by the

state personnel administrator or by any officer or board other than the board of trustees. The

certification of teachers at the Rhode Island college is abolished, except for teachers who elect to

come or remain under it.

     (b) All positions that are exempt from the merit system law, chapter 4 of title 36, that

become vacant or that are to be established, must be forwarded to the state personnel administrator,

who shall determine whether the position(s) in question shall remain in the board of trustees non-

classified service or be established in the classified service of the state.

     (c) No position presently in the classified service of the state subject to the merit system

law, chapter 4 of title 36, shall be changed or modified so as to establish the position in the board

of trustees non-classified service.

     (d) Faculty positions, presidents, vice presidents, deans, assistant deans, and student

employees of the college shall not be covered by the preceding provisions and shall remain in the

non-classified service of the board.

     16-33-17. Permanent status for non-classified employees.

     All non-classified employees of the board of trustees who shall have twenty (20) years, not

necessarily consecutive, of service credit, these credits having been earned in either the classified,

non-classified, or unclassified service or any combination of these, shall be deemed to have

acquired full status in their positions as the status is defined by § 36-4-59 with the base entry date

prior to August 8, 1996; provided that, this provision shall not apply to faculty employed by the

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board nor shall it apply to non-classified employees who have acquired tenure as faculty.

     16-33-18. Longevity payments -- Non-classified employees.

     (a) The non-classified employees of the board of trustees, except for faculty employees and

except for non-classified employees already receiving longevity increases, shall be entitled to a

longevity payment in the amount of five percent (5%) of base salary after ten (10) years of service

and increasing to a total of ten percent (10%) of base salary after twenty (20) years of service. The

provisions of this section will apply only to employees with a pay grade under nineteen (19). The

longevity payments shall not be included in base salary.

     (b) The board of trustees is authorized to promulgate regulations implementing the

provisions of this section.

     (c) Beginning on July 1, 2011, notwithstanding any rule, regulation, or provision of the

public laws or general laws to the contrary, there shall be no further longevity increases for

employees of the board of trustees; provided, however, for employees with longevity provisions

pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement in effect on June 1, 2011, longevity increases shall

cease beginning on July 1, 2011, or beginning upon the expiration of the applicable collective

bargaining agreement, whichever occurs later. To the extent an employee has previously accrued

longevity payments, the amount of the longevity payment earned by the employee for the last pay

period in June, 2011, shall be added to the employee's base salary as of June 30, 2011, or in the

case of an employee with longevity provisions pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement in

effect on June 1, 2011, the amount of the longevity payment earned by the employee for the latter

of the last pay period in June or the last pay period prior to the expiration of the applicable collective

bargaining agreement shall be added to the employee's base salary as of June 30, 2011, or upon the

expiration of the applicable collective bargaining agreement, whichever occurs later.

     16-33-19. Appointment of campus police.

     (a) The board of trustees may appoint one or more persons who may act as police officers

upon the property and highways of the college subject to the control of the board and upon the

streets and highways immediately adjacent to those lands. The campus police officers shall protect

the property of the college; suppress nuisances and disturbances and breaches of the peace; and

enforce laws and regulations for the preservation of good order. They shall have the same powers

and authority as that conferred upon municipal police officers, including the power to arrest persons

for violations of state criminal statutes or for violations of city or town ordinances of the city or

town in which the institution is located. They shall be required to attend and successfully complete

the municipal police training academy before they shall be allowed to carry firearms. Additionally,

any campus police officer observing the violation of any rule or regulation of the board adopted

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pursuant to this chapter, including, but not limited to, parking and traffic regulations, may issue a

summons in the manner and form set forth in § 31-27-12 or § 31-41.1-1 returnable to the district

court, the police court of the city or town where the violation occurs, or the traffic tribunal as

provided by law.

     (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all fines and penalties recovered for

violation of rules and regulations made under authority of this section shall be accounted for by the

appropriate authority, which shall forward all fines or penalties for nonmoving traffic violations to

the general treasurer for use by the college on whose campus the citation or violation was issued.

     16-33-20. Conflicts of interest.

     No member of the board of trustees shall be employed in any position under the jurisdiction

of the board, nor contract in any manner for any purpose with the board; nor shall the board

purchase, sell, or lease any land, property, or supplies from or to any firm or business association

of which any member of the board is owner, part owner, or officer or director. No person related

by consanguinity or affinity in the first degree to any member of the board shall be employed in

any capacity under the board's jurisdiction.

     16-33-21. Existing bond debt.

     The board of trustees is authorized to take all actions, and execute and deliver all

agreements or instruments, necessary or convenient for the board to assume all of the obligations

on behalf of, and in replacement of, or jointly with the council on postsecondary education under

outstanding bonds issued by the Rhode Island health and educational building corporation or

outstanding lease certificates of participation, in either case, issued for the benefit of the university

of Rhode Island, the community college of Rhode Island, and/or Rhode Island college as may be

necessary to ensure, among other items, that the college continues to meet its obligations under

such bonds or certificates.

     SECTION 3. Sections 16-59-1, 16-59-2 and 16-59-13 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-

59 entitled "Council on Postsecondary Education [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island

Board of Education Act]" are hereby amended to read as follows:

     16-59-1. Council on Postsecondary Education established Council on postsecondary

education established.

     (a) There is created a council on postsecondary education, sometimes referred to as the

"council," which shall be and is constituted a public corporation, empowered to sue and be sued in

its own name, and to exercise all the powers, in addition to those specifically enumerated in this

chapter, usually appertaining to public corporations entrusted with control of postsecondary

educational institutions and functions. Upon its organization, the council shall be invested with the

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legal title (in trust for the state) to all property, real and personal, now owned by and/or under the

control or in custody of the board of regents for education for the use of Rhode Island college, the

community college of Rhode Island and the system of community colleges of Rhode Island,

including all departments, divisions, and branches of these.

     (b) The council is empowered to hold and operate the property in trust for the state; to

acquire, hold, and dispose of the property and other like property as deemed necessary for the

execution of its corporate purposes. The council is made successor to all powers, rights, duties, and

privileges formerly belonging to the board of regents for education pertaining to postsecondary

education and the board of governors for higher education.

     (c) The council shall be the employer of record for Rhode Island college and the community

college of Rhode Island and the office of postsecondary education. It shall retain all authority

formerly vested in the board of education regarding the employment of faculty and staff at Rhode

Island college and the community college of Rhode Island.

     (d) The council shall be the governing body for the Rhode Island division of higher

education assistance and shall retain all authority formerly vested in the higher education assistance

authority board of directors pursuant to § 16-57-7; however, any debts, liabilities, or obligations of

the council that result from its status as such governing body shall be payable solely from the

revenues or assets of reserve funds set forth and established by the prior Rhode Island higher

education assistance authority and/or the Rhode Island division of higher education assistance

created pursuant to chapter 57 of this title, and not from any assets or property held by the council

on public higher education pursuant to this chapter.

     (e) The council on postsecondary education shall be the employer of record for the division

of higher education assistance.

     (f) The council on postsecondary education, simultaneous with the transfer of authority to

the university of Rhode Island board of trustees pursuant to § 16-32-2, shall enter into a sublease

with the university of Rhode Island board of trustees for the space the university currently occupies

at the Rhode Island nursing education center in Providence, Rhode Island, such sublease being

coterminous with the lease and incorporating the same terms, conditions and space allocations

currently in effect under the lease, and P.L. 2014, ch. 145, art. 4, § 8, and that certain memorandum

of understanding dated January 7, 2017, among the Rhode Island office of postsecondary

commissioner, the university of Rhode Island and Rhode Island college.

     (g) The council is empowered to enter into contracts and agreements with the board of

trustees for the university of Rhode Island and/or the department of administration related to public

higher education employee benefits, including, but not limited to, retirement benefits, health,

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dental, vision and life insurance, disability insurance, workers' compensation, and tuition waivers

to maximize the state's and council's purchasing and investment portfolio and educational

opportunities for the benefit of its employees.

     16-59-2. Appointment of members of the council on postsecondary education.

     The governor shall establish the council for postsecondary education by appointing eight

(8) members of the board of education established pursuant to chapter 97 of this title to serve as

members of the council, until the expiration of their term as a member of the board of education

and their successor is appointed. In addition the governor shall appoint one (1) student member

who shall be a full time student in good standing at the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island

College or the Community College community college of Rhode Island and who shall serve in a

non-voting, ex-officio capacity for a single two (2) year term and shall rotate among the three (3)

public institutions. The governor shall appoint the chair of the council on an annual basis from

among the eight (8) voting council members. The chair of the board of education shall serve on the

council in voting, ex-officio capacity. Five (5) voting members of the council shall constitute a

quorum and the vote of a majority of those present and voting shall be required for action.

     16-59-13. Definitions.

     Where in this chapter the phrase "public colleges" or "public institutions of higher learning"

or "public tax supported institutions of higher learning" or words of similar import are used they

shall be taken to mean Rhode Island college, and the community college of Rhode Island, or any

other of these public colleges, public institutions of higher learning, or public tax supported

institutions of higher learning other than the university of Rhode Island, and Rhode Island college,

which may be created, individually or collectively, as appropriate.

     SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE (SEE TITLE 16 CHAPTER 97 -

- THE RHODE ISLAND BOARD OF EDUCATION ACT)

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     This act would create a board of trustees to manage Rhode Island College, similar to that

which was created for the University of Rhode Island in 2019. The board of trustees would be a

public corporation and as such would have wide-sweeping authority such as appointment of the

president of the college and employment of faculty. It would be empowered to sue or be sued, to

borrow money, to enter into contracts, to hold legal title to property, to hold property in trust for

the state, to enter into contracts and settle claims, to name a few.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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