Bill Text: NJ A4901 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes Commission on Oversight of Public Institutions of Higher Education.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-10-17 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Higher Education Committee [A4901 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A4901-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman LINDA S. CARTER
District 22 (Somerset and Union)
Assemblywoman CARMEN THERESA MORALES
District 34 (Essex)
Assemblyman BENJIE E. WIMBERLY
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Atkins, Assemblywomen Sumter, Speight, Park and Haider
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Commission on Oversight of Public Institutions of Higher Education.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing a commission to examine the structure of public institutions of higher education in New Jersey.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is established the Commission on the Oversight of Public Institutions of Higher Education. The purpose of the commission shall be to examine the structure of public higher education and recommend ways to improve financial transparency, accountability, and oversight of the public institutions of higher education.
b. The commission shall consist of the following 12 members:
(1) the Secretary of Higher Education, or a designee, who shall serve ex officio;
(2) the Executive Director of the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, or a designee, who shall serve ex officio;
(3) two members appointed by the Governor, who shall include: the president of a State college or university established pursuant to chapter 64 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, or a designee and the president of a public research university, or a designee;
(4) four members appointed by legislative leadership as follows: the president of a county college, or a designee, appointed by the Senate President; the president of a county college, or a designee, appointed by the Senate Minority Leader; one member representing a public-sector higher education labor union, appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; and one full time faculty member employed by a public institution of higher education in New Jersey, appointed by the Assembly Minority Leader;
(5) one member with expertise, knowledge, or experience in the fiscal management of institutions of higher education, appointed by the Governor; and
(6) three student representatives appointed by the Governor, upon recommendation of the Secretary of Higher Education pursuant to subsection c. of this section as follows: one student representative from a public research university; one student representative from the State colleges and universities established pursuant to chapter 64 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes; and one student representative from the county colleges.
c. A student enrolled in a public institution of higher education in the State may submit an application to serve on the commission to the Secretary of Higher Education. The application shall detail the student's experience as a campus leader. In making the appointments, the secretary shall attempt to provide a balanced representation of the geographic regions of the State.
d. Appointments to the commission shall be made within 60 days following the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made. Members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenditures incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the commission within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the commission for its purposes.
2. The commission shall organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of its members, but no later than 90 days after the effective date of this act. The commission shall choose a chairperson from among its members and shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the commission. The commission shall meet a minimum of three times. The minutes of each meeting shall be posted on the website of the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.
3. The Office of the Secretary of Higher Education shall provide such stenographic, clerical, and other administrative assistants, and such professional staff as the commission requires to carry out its work. The commission also shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available for its purposes.
4. The commission shall study and evaluate:
a. the financial transparency of public institutions of higher education, including the transparency of information, data, and disclosures provided to students and their families about tuition and fees, total net price, and student loan debt;
b. accountability of public institutions of higher education, including but not limited to, the performance evaluation capabilities of the institutions, program quality and student outcomes, and any measures put in place to protect students and families from predatory lending; and
c. oversight of public institutions of higher education.
5. The commission shall issue a final report to the Governor, and the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), no later than 180 days after the commission organizes. The report shall contain the commission's findings and recommendations regarding the organization of public institutions of higher education in the State with regards to financial transparency, accountability, and oversight.
6. This act shall take
effect immediately and shall expire on the 30th day following submission of the
report required pursuant to section 5 of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the Commission on the Oversight of Public Institutions of Higher Education within the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.
Under the bill, the commission would examine and report on the structure of public higher education and recommend ways to improve financial transparency, accountability, and oversight of the public institutions of higher education in the State. The commission would consist of 12 members. The members would include: the Secretary of Higher Education, or a designee, serving ex officio; the Executive Director of the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, or a designee, serving ex officio; two members appointed by the Governor, including the president of a State college or university, or a designee, and the president of a public research university, or a designee; the following four members appointed by legislative leadership including: the president of a county college, or a designee, appointed by the Senate President; the president of a county college, or a designee, appointed by the Senate Minority Leader; a member representing a public-sector higher education labor union, appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; a full time faculty member employed by a public institution of higher education, appointed by the Assembly Minority Leader; one member with expertise, knowledge, or experience in the fiscal management of institutions of higher education, appointed by the Governor; one student representative from a public research university; one student representative from the State colleges or universities; and one student representative from the county colleges. The student representatives would be appointed by the Governor, upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Higher Education through an application process.
The purpose of this commission is to bring together management of public institutions of higher education, students, faculty, staff, and union leadership to make recommendations on higher education, with a special emphasis on financial transparency, accountability, and oversight. The commission is responsible for examining issues related to the financial transparency, accountability, and oversight of public institutions of higher education. The commission would meet a minimum of three times. This bill requires the commission to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature outlining the commission's recommendations to improve the structure of higher education in the State. The commission would issue the report to the Governor and the Legislature within 180 days after the commission organizes. The commission, and its enabling legislation, would expire 30 days after the issuance of its report to the Governor and the Legislature.
