§ 16-59-1 - Board of governors for higher education established. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 16-59-1

   § 16-59-1  Board of governors for highereducation established. – (a) There is created a board of governors for higher education, sometimesreferred to as the "board" or the "board of governors", which shall be and isconstituted a public corporation, empowered to sue and be sued in its own name,to have a corporate seal, and to exercise all the powers, in addition to thosespecifically enumerated in this chapter, usually appertaining to publiccorporations entrusted with control of postsecondary educational institutionsand functions. The board shall be protected from sudden changes in membershipand reversal of policy by having staggered terms for its public members. Uponits organization the board of governors shall be invested with the legal title(in trust for the state) to all property, real and personal, now owned byand/or under the control or in custody of the board of regents for educationfor the use of the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College, CommunityCollege of Rhode Island and the system of community colleges of Rhode Islandincluding all departments, divisions, and branches of these.

   (b) The board of governors is empowered to hold and operatethe property in trust for the state; to acquire, hold, and dispose of theproperty and other like property as deemed necessary for the execution of itscorporate purposes. The board of governors is made successor to all powers,rights, duties, and privileges formerly belonging to the board of regents foreducation pertaining to postsecondary education.

   (c) The board of governors shall consist of thirteen (13)members as follows: twelve (12) public members, appointed pursuant to the termsof § 16-59-2, one of whom shall be a full time student in good standing atthe University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College or the Community Collegeof Rhode Island, and a member of the board of regents for elementary andsecondary education designated by the governor.

   (d) The public members of the board of governors shall not becompensated for their service in attending meetings or duly organizedsubcommittee meetings of the board.

   (e) The governor shall designate one of the public members aschairperson of the board of governors. The board may elect from among itsmembers such other officers as it deems necessary. Seven (7) voting members ofthe board shall constitute a quorum and a majority vote of those present andvoting shall be required for action.