Chapter 231
2015 -- H 5578 SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 07/10/2015

A N   A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION - DISTANCE LEARNING

Introduced By: Representatives McNamara, Solomon, Morin, Coughlin, and Ackerman
Date Introduced: February 25, 2015

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
     SECTION 1. Sections 16-40-1, 16-40-2 and 16-40-10 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-
40 entitled "Private Schools [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education
Act]" are hereby amended to read as follows:
     16-40-1. Approval of secondary and higher schools by board -- Certification to
secretary of state. -- (a) No academy, college, university, or other institution of secondary or
higher education shall be incorporated or established in this state or be permitted to transact
business, unless exempt pursuant to § 16-40-10, within this state unless and until: (1) suitable
Suitable provision, approved by the board of regents council on for elementary and secondary
education or the board of governors for higher council on postsecondary education, shall be made
that the academy, college, university, or institution is in compliance with the provisions of this
chapter and with the regulations and standards for approval adopted by the appropriate one of
those boards council or full board to implement this chapter; and (2) for For institutions offering
an associates degree or higher, the institution has initiated discussions, that are evidenced by a
writing, with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) regarding
potential accreditation.
      (b) The secretary of state, upon the receipt by him or her under the provisions of the
general laws of articles of association purporting to establish an educational institution, shall
transmit the articles of association to the appropriate board council and shall not issue the
certificate of incorporation provided by the general laws unless and until the commissioner of
elementary and secondary education or the commissioner of higher education the office of post-
secondary education shall file with the secretary of state a certificate over his or her signature that
the appropriate board council has approved the application for incorporation as complying with
the requirements of this section.
     16-40-2. Authority to grant degrees not presumed. -- Authority to grant academic,
collegiate, professional, or other degrees recognizing learning, scholarship, or achievement shall
not be included in in, or presumed to be part of of, the functions of a corporation or of an
institution of education, education unless its charter or the articles of association shall
specifically indicate that the institution is nonprofit and specifically indicate the power to grant
degrees and the nature of the degrees to be granted; and no corporation or association shall grant
academic, collegiate, professional, or similar degrees without specific authorization; and for
institutions offering an associates degree or higher, has received full New England Association of
Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accreditation within five (5) years of its incorporation or
establishment within this state or five (5) years of being permitted to transact business within this
state unless exempt pursuant to § 16-40-10.
     16-40-10. Schools exempt. – (a) Nothing contained in §§ 16-40-1 through 16-40-9 16-
40-18, except the provisions of § 16-40-3, shall apply to any school or schools conducted under
the public school system of this state state, nor to any academy, college, university, or institution
of education which shall have been established and conducted within this state for a period of ten
(10) years prior to April 13, 1932, nor to any academy, college, university, or institution of
education established by a special act of the general assembly of this state prior to January 1,
1987, nor to Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island.
     (b) Nothing contained in §§ 16-40-1 through 16-40-18 shall apply to any postsecondary
school or schools solely offering distance learning pursuant to an interstate reciprocity agreement
for distance learning if:
     (1) The institution is situated in a state that is also participating in such agreement;
     (2) The institution has been approved to participate in such agreement by its home state
and other entities with oversight of such agreement;
     (3) The institution has elected to participate in and operate in compliance with the terms
of said agreement; and
     (4) The institution is and remains a member in good standing under the reciprocity
agreement.
     SECTION 2. Sections 16-59-4, 16-59-6 and 16-59-11 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-
59 entitled "Board of Governors for Higher Education [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode
Island Board of Education Act]" are hereby amended to read as follows:
     16-59-4. Powers and duties of the council on postsecondary education. -- (a) The
council on postsecondary education shall have, in addition to those enumerated in § 16-59-1, the
following powers and duties:
      (1) To approve a systematic program of information gathering, processing, and analysis
addressed to every level, aspect, and form of higher education in this state especially as that
information relates to current and future educational needs so that current needs may be met with
reasonable promptness and plans formulated to meet future needs as they arise in the most
efficient and economical manner possible.
      (2) To develop and approve a strategic plan implementing broad goals and objectives for
higher education in the state as established by the board of education, including a comprehensive
capital development program.
      (3) To formulate broad policy to implement the goals and objectives established and
adopted by the board of education, education; to adopt standards and require enforcement
enforcement; and to exercise general supervision over all higher public education in the state and
over independent higher education in the state as provided in subdivision (8) and (9) of this
section. The board of education and the council shall not engage in the operation or
administration of any subordinate committee, university, junior college, or community college,
except its own office of postsecondary education and except as specifically authorized by an act
of the general assembly; provided, the presidents of each institution of higher learning shall be the
chief administrative and executive officers of that institution; and provided that nothing contained
in this section shall prohibit their direct access to or interfere with the relationship between the
presidents and the board of education and the council.
      (4) To communicate with and seek the advice of the commissioner of postsecondary
education, the presidents of the public higher education institutions and all those concerned
with and affected by institutions, and all those concerned with, and affected by, its
determinations as a regular procedure in arriving at its conclusions and in setting its policy.
      (5) To prepare and maintain a five (5) year five-year (5) funding plan for higher
education that implements the strategic financing recommendations of the board of education; to
prepare prepare, with the assistance of the commissioner of postsecondary education
education, and to present annually to the state budget officer officer, in accordance with § 35-3-
4 § 35-3-4, a state higher education budget, which shall include, but not be limited to, the budget
of the office of postsecondary education and the budget of the state colleges. In the preparation of
the budget, the council shall implement priorities established by the board of education of
expenditures for public higher education purposes of state revenues and other public resources
made available for the support of higher public education. Prior to submitting the budget to the
state budget officer as required by the budget office instructions and this subsection, the council
shall present the budget to the board of education for its review and approval. Nothing contained
in this subdivision shall authorize the council to alter the allocation of grants or aid otherwise
provided by law.
      (6) To maintain an office of postsecondary commissioner; to provide for its staffing and
organization; and to manage and oversee a commissioner of postsecondary education pursuant to
duties and responsibilities defined in §§ 16-59-6 and § 16-59-7. The commissioner of
postsecondary education and the office of postsecondary commissioner shall have the duties and
responsibilities as defined in §§ 16-59-6 and 16-59-7.
      (7) To appoint and dismiss presidents of the public institutions of higher learning with
the assistance of the commissioner of postsecondary education, and to establish procedures for
this, and with the assistance of the commissioner to approve or disapprove vice presidents of the
public institutions of higher learning appointed by the respective presidents of the public
institutions of higher learning.
      (8) To establish other educational agencies or subcommittees necessary or desirable for
the conduct of any or all aspects of higher education and to determine all powers, functions, and
composition of any agencies or subcommittees and to dissolve them when their purpose shall
have been fulfilled.
      (9) To exercise the authority vested in the board of regents for education with relation to
independent higher educational institutions within the state under the terms of chapter 40 of this
title, and other laws affecting independent higher education in the state.
      (10) To enforce the provisions of all laws relating to higher education, public and
independent.
      (11) To be responsible for all the functions, powers, and duties which that were vested
in the board of regents for education relating to higher education, including but not limited to
including, but not limited to, the following specific functions:
      (i) To approve the role and scope of programs at public institutions of higher learning
with the assistance of the commissioner of postsecondary education which shall include shall
include, but not be limited to to, populations to be served, the type and level of programs
programs, and academic fields offered.
      (ii) To adopt and require standard accounting procedures for the office of postsecondary
commissioner and all public colleges and universities.
      (iii) To approve a clear and definitive mission for each public institution of higher
learning with the assistance of the commissioner of postsecondary education that is consistent
with the role and scope of programs at the public institutions.
      (iv) To promote maximum efficiency, economy, and cooperation in the delivery of
public higher educational services in the state and cooperation with independent institutions of
higher education.
      (12) To incorporate into its own affirmative action reporting process periodic reports
monitoring specific faculty and staff searches by the chairperson of the search committee to
include the rationale for granting those interviews and the final hiring results. The institutions
must empower their affirmative action officer to monitor searches in this manner, to intervene
during the search, and, when necessary, manner; to intervene during the search; and, when
necessary; to cause a search to cease if affirmative action goals are not being adequately served.
      (13) To incorporate a specific category for accountability on affirmative action goals and
implementation as part of the board's annual evaluations and three (3) year three-year (3)
reviews for the presidents of each of the public institutions of higher education.
      (14) To make a formal request of the governor that that, whenever an opportunity arises
to make new appointments to the board, that the governor make every effort to increase the
number of African Americans, Native Americans, Asians, and Hispanics on the board.
      (15) To develop coherent plans for the elimination of unnecessary duplication in public
higher education and addressing the future needs of public education within the state in the most
efficient and economical manner possible.
      (16) To delegate to the presidents of each public higher education institution the
authority and responsibility for operational and management decisions related to their institutions,
consistent with the goals of the statewide strategic plan for postsecondary education provided
however education; provided, however, that the presidents may be required to provide
information or updates to the council regarding any delegated operational or management
decisions.
     (17) To approve application and renewal fees for all postsecondary institutions situated in
Rhode Island, public or private, that choose to participate in an interstate, postsecondary
distance-education reciprocity agreement.
     (18) To the extent necessary for participation, and to the extent required and stated in an
interstate distance learning reciprocity agreement, the council shall promulgate procedures to
address complaints received from out-of-state students in connection with, or related to, any
Rhode Island postsecondary institution, public or private, that has been approved to participate in
an interstate, distance-learning reciprocity agreement.
     16-59-6. Commissioner of postsecondary education. -- The council on postsecondary
education, with approval of the board, shall appoint a commissioner of postsecondary education,
who shall serve at the pleasure of the council, provided that his or her initial engagement by the
council shall be for a period of not more than three (3) years. For the purpose of appointing,
retaining, or dismissing a commissioner of postsecondary education, the governor shall serve as
an additional voting member of the council. The position of commissioner shall be in the
unclassified service of the state and he or she shall serve as the chief executive officer of the
council on postsecondary education and as the chief administrative officer of the office of
postsecondary commissioner. The commissioner of postsecondary education shall have any
duties that are defined in this section and in this title and other additional duties as may be
determined by the council, and shall perform any other duties as may be vested in him or her by
law. In addition to these duties and general supervision of the office of postsecondary
commissioner and the appointment of the several officers and employees of the office, it shall be
the duty of the commissioner of postsecondary education:
      (1) To develop and implement a systematic program of information gathering,
processing, and analysis addressed to every aspect of higher education in the state, especially as
that information relates to current and future educational needs.
      (2) To prepare a strategic plan for higher education in the state aligned with the goals of
the board of education's strategic plan; to coordinate the goals and objectives of the higher public
education sector with the goals of the council on elementary and secondary education, education
and activities of the independent higher education sector where feasible.
      (3) To communicate with with, and seek the advice of of those concerned with with,
and affected by by the board of education's and council's determinations.
      (4) To implement broad policy as it pertains to the goals and objectives established by
the board of education and council on postsecondary education; to promote better coordination
between higher public education in the state, independent higher education in the state as
provided in subdivision (10) of this section section, and pre k-12 education; to assist in the
preparation of the budget for public higher education education; and to be responsible
responsible, upon direction of the council council, for the allocation of appropriations, the
acquisition, holding, disposition of property.
      (5) To be responsible for the coordination of the various higher educational functions of
the state so that maximum efficiency and economy can be achieved.
      (6) To assist the board of education in preparation and maintenance of a five (5) year
five-year (5) strategic funding plan for higher education; to assist the council in the preparation
and presentation annually to the state budget officer in accordance with § 35-3-4 of a total total,
public higher educational budget.
      (7) To recommend to the council on postsecondary education education, after
consultation with the presidents, a clear and definitive mission for each public institution of
higher learning.
      (8) To annually recommend to the council on postsecondary education education, after
consultation with the presidents, the creation, abolition, retention, or consolidation of
departments, divisions, programs, and courses of study within the public colleges and universities
to eliminate unnecessary duplication in public higher education, to address the future needs of
public higher education in the state, and to advance proposals recommended by the presidents of
the public colleges and universities pursuant to §§ 16-32-2.1, 16-33-2.1 and 16-33.1-2.1. of the
general laws.
      (9) To supervise the operations of the office of postsecondary commissioner and any
other additional duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the council.
      (10) To perform the duties vested in the council with relation to independent higher
educational institutions within the state under the terms of chapter 40 of this title and any other
laws that affect independent higher education in the state.
      (11) To be responsible for the administration of policies, rules, and regulations of the
council on postsecondary education with relation to the entire field of higher education within the
state, not specifically granted to any other department, board, or agency and not incompatible
with law.
      (12) To prepare standard accounting procedures for public higher education and all
public colleges and universities.
      (13) To carry out the policies and directives of the board of education and the council on
postsecondary education through the office of postsecondary commissioner and through
utilization of the resources of the public institutions of higher learning.
     (14) To enter into interstate reciprocity agreements regarding the provision of
postsecondary distance education; to administer such agreements; to approve or disapprove
applications to voluntarily participate in such agreements from postsecondary institutions that
have their principal place of business in Rhode Island; and to establish annual fees, with the
approval of the council on postsecondary education, for aforesaid applications to participate in an
interstate postsecondary distance education reciprocity agreement.
     (15) To the extent necessary for participation, and to the extent required and stated in
any distance learning reciprocity agreement, to implement procedures to address complaints
received from out-of-state students in connection with, or related to, any Rhode Island
postsecondary institution, public or private, that has been approved to participate in said
reciprocity agreement.
     16-59-11. Investigative powers of board. -- The board of governors council on
postsecondary education shall have power to investigate all transactions and matters relating to
higher public education in the state, including those required pursuant to an interstate, distance-
learning reciprocity agreement, and to summon witnesses, administer oaths, and to require
testimony and the production of records in like manner and to the same extent as a court of law.
     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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