Sec. 10a-143. (Formerly Sec. 10-330a). New methods of awarding degrees and credits. Board for State Academic Awards. Operating fund. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 10a-143. (Formerly Sec. 10-330a). New methods of awarding degrees and credits. Board for State Academic Awards. Operating fund. (a) The Board of Governors of 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 Governors of Higher Education shall promulgate regulations to authorize accredited institutions of higher education to award degrees by such new procedures.

      (c) There shall continue to be a Board for State Academic Awards which shall be an independent constituent unit of the state system of higher education with authority to grant credits and degrees on the basis of examinations and other forms of evaluation and validation of learning including transfer of credit. Said board is authorized to use the term "Charter Oak State College" on diplomas and other documents and utterances to affirm the status of the board as a degree-granting institution of higher education. It shall be the responsibility of the board 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) The Board for State Academic Awards shall consist of nine persons, eight to be appointed by the Governor, who shall reflect the state's geographic, racial and ethnic diversity; one of whom shall be an alumnus of Charter Oak State College; and one to be elected by the students enrolled in Charter Oak State College. On or before July 1, 1983, the Governor shall appoint two members of the board for a term of two years from said date, two members for a term of four years from said date and one member for a term of six years from said date. On or before July 1, 1984, the Governor shall appoint one member for a term of three years from said date. On or before July 1, 1996, the Governor shall appoint two members, one for a term of five years from said date and one for a term of one year from said date. Thereafter the Governor shall appoint members of said board to succeed those appointees whose terms expire, such members to serve for terms of six years each from July first in the year of their appointment. On or before November 1, 1984, and biennially thereafter, the students enrolled with the board shall, in such manner as the board shall determine, elect one member of the board, who shall serve for a term of two years from November first in the year of his election. No member of said board, appointed by the Governor, shall be an employee of an institution of postsecondary or higher education. No member who has served consecutively for two full terms or portions thereof may again be appointed until two years have passed. The Governor shall, pursuant to section 4-9a, appoint the chairperson of the board. The board shall, annually, elect from its members such other officers as it deems necessary. The Governor shall fill any vacancies in the membership of said board by appointment for the balance of the unexpired term. The members of said board shall receive no compensation for their services as such but shall be reimbursed for their necessary expenses in the course of their duties. The board shall meet at least once during each calendar quarter and at such other times as the chairperson deems necessary or upon the request of a majority of members in office. Any member who fails to attend three consecutive meetings or who fails to attend fifty per cent of all meetings held during any calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned from office.

      (e) (1) The Board for State Academic Awards shall develop and implement programs 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. With respect to its own operation the board may appoint and remove an executive director, who shall be the chief academic and administrative officer, and a professional academic staff. The board may determine the size of the academic staff and the duties, terms, and conditions of employment of said director and staff subject to personnel guidelines established by the Board of Governors of Higher Education in consultation with the Board for State Academic Awards. The board shall establish through appointments on an adjunct basis a faculty of consulting examiners to make recommendations as to requirements and standards of the board's programs and to make recommendations for the award of academic 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 certificates and degrees as are appropriate to programs of postsecondary and higher learning and in accordance with the recommendations of the board's faculty of consulting examiners on the basis of examinations and 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 for State Academic Awards shall develop a mission statement which shall include, but not be limited to, the following elements: (A) The educational needs of, and constituencies served by the board; (B) the degrees offered by the board; and (C) the role and scope of the programs offered by the board. The board shall submit the mission statement to the Board of Governors of Higher Education for review and approval in accordance with the provisions of section 10a-6.

      (f) The Advisory Council for Higher Education established in accordance with subdivision (13) of subsection (a) of section 10a-6 shall be the advisory council for the board.

      (g) The board shall fix fees for examinations and for such other purposes as the board deems necessary 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.

      (h) The Board for State Academic Awards shall establish and administer a fund to be known as the Board for State Academic Awards Operating Fund, which shall be a separate account within the General Fund. The operating fund shall be used for the expenses of the board, including personnel expenses and equipment, and for the support of board 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, 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.

      (i) The Board for State Academic Awards shall promote fund-raising to assist its programs pursuant to this section and shall report to the Commissioner of Higher Education and the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to 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.)

      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.

      See title 2c re termination under "Sunset Law".