Bill Text: WV HB4425 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Authorize a law school program at Marshall University
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 8-2)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-31 - To House Education [HB4425 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2022-HB4425-Introduced.html
WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2022 REGULAR SESSION
Introduced
House Bill 4425
By Delegates Rohrbach, Steele, Linville, Fast, Worrell, Lovejoy, Mandt and Hornbuckle
[Introduced on January 31,
2022;
Referred to the Committee on Education then Finance]
A BILL to amend and reenact §18B-1-8b of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to establishing a college of law at Marshall University Graduate College; and requiring a revised strategic plan.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
article 2B. Governance.
§18B-1-8b. Marshall University Graduate College.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this code to the contrary, the West Virginia graduate college shall cease to be an individual higher education institution, as defined by subsection (h), section two, article one of this chapter and shall be merged and consolidated with Marshall university, effective July 1, 1994.
(b) The graduate programs of Marshall university shall be operated under the same procedures, policies, rules and practices utilized by Marshall university and the board of trustees in operating Marshall university: Provided, That the board of trustees shall assure that the president of Marshall university adopts policies, procedures and standards for its graduate programs that facilitate the multiple missions of the graduate college in serving traditional and nontraditional students and providing graduate instruction throughout the state. Nothing herein shall be interpreted to abrogate the power or responsibility of the board of trustees to approve and review graduate programs offered within the university system, nor to limit the statewide mission of West Virginia University or any other institution.
(c) The president of Marshall university shall appoint the head of the graduate college, who shall report directly to the president of Marshall university.
(d) Nothing contained herein shall be interpreted to authorize the provision or expansion of any four-year programs offered by Marshall university to any sites formerly offering graduate school courses by the West Virginia graduate college.
(e) It is the intent of the Legislature that the program review and approval process for campus offerings for graduate education by the graduate college of Marshall university be separate and distinct from the process for the approval of undergraduate education program offerings.
(f) It is the intent of the Legislature that the integrity and quality of legal education in West Virginia requires that an additional three-year college of law be established and that it shall be established at Marshall University Graduate College. The Marshall University college of law shall become a fully integrated division of Marshall University.
(f) (g) It is the Legislature’s intent that,
through the fiscal year 2000-2001, the proportionate share of the funds which
would have been generated by the board of trustees resource allocation policy
for the West Virginia graduate college shall be allocated to the Marshall
university graduate college. It is further the intent of the Legislature that
the merger and consolidation of West Virginia graduate college and Marshall
university shall not result in any financial gain or loss to the board of
trustees or any institution within the university system in the appropriation
decisions by the Legislature.
(g) (h) It is the intent of the Legislature that
Marshall university and the Marshall university graduate college each
receive any increase in state appropriated funds for the fiscal year beginning
July 1, 1997, set out in section one-c, article one of this chapter, and
further, that they shall not be denied any increases because of the need for
changes in their strategic plans necessitated by the merger and consolidation
of the two institutions: Provided, That Marshall university shall prepare a
revised strategic plan and submit it to the board of trustees for approval by November
1, 1997 November 1, 2022.
(h) (i) Each valid agreement, obligation or claim
entered into or incurred by the board of trustees on behalf of the West
Virginia graduate college is hereby undertaken by the board of trustees on
behalf of Marshall university.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to establish a college of law at Marshall University Graduate College; requiring a revised strategic plan.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.