§18B-2B-6. — Powers and duties of the council.
Code Resources
West Virginia Resources
West Virginia Website
West Virginia Governor
West Virginia Legislature
West Virginia Courts
Search this Code
in Google Scholar
on the Web
Google Web Search
MSN Web Search
Yahoo! Web Search
in the News
Google News Search
Google News Archive Search
Yahoo! News Search
in the Blogs
BlawgSearch.com Search
Google Blog Search
Technorati Blog Search
in other Databases
Google Book Search
§18B-2B-6. Powers and duties of the council.
(a) The council is the sole agency responsible for administration of vocational-technical-occupational education and community and technical college education in the state. The council has jurisdiction and authority over the community and technical colleges and the system of community and technical college education as a whole, including community and technical college education programs as defined in section two, article one of this chapter.
(b) As relates to the authority established in subsection (a) of this section, the council has the following powers and duties:
(1) Develop, oversee and advance the public policy agenda as it relates to community and technical college education to address major challenges facing the state, including, but not limited to, the goals and objectives found in section one-a, article one of this chapter and including specifically those goals and objectives pertaining to the compacts created pursuant to section two, article one-a of this chapter and to develop and implement the master plan described in section nine of this article for the purpose of accomplishing the mandates of this section;
(2) Jointly with the commission, develop, oversee and advance the implementation of a financing policy for higher education in West Virginia. The policy shall meet the following criteria:
(A) Provide an adequate level of education and general funding for institutions pursuant to section five, article one-a of this chapter;
(B) Serve to maintain institutional assets, including, but not limited to, human and physical resources and deferred maintenance;
(C) Invest and provide incentives for achieving the priority goals in the public policy agenda, including, but not limited to, those found in section one-a, article one of this chapter; and
(D) Establish for incorporation into the financing policy for higher education in West Virginia a plan for strategic funding to strengthen capacity for support of community and technical college education;
(3) Create a policy leadership structure relating to community and technical college education capable of the following actions:
(A) Developing, building public consensus around and sustaining attention to a long-range public policy agenda. In developing the agenda, the council shall seek input from the Legislature and the governor and specifically from the state board of education and local school districts in order to create the necessary linkages to assure smooth, effective and seamless movement of students through the public education and post-secondary education systems and to ensure that the needs of public school courses and programs can be fulfilled by the graduates produced and the programs offered;
(B) Ensuring that the governing boards of the institutions under the council's jurisdiction carry out their duty effectively to govern the individual institutions of higher education; and
(C) Holding the community and technical college institutions and the community and technical college system as a whole accountable for accomplishing their missions and implementing the provisions of the compacts;
(4) To develop for inclusion in the statewide public agenda, a plan for raising education attainment, increasing adult literacy, promoting workforce and economic development and ensuring access to advanced education for the citizens of West Virginia;
(5) To provide statewide leadership, coordination, support, and technical assistance to the community and technical colleges and to provide a focal point for visible and effective advocacy for their work and for the public policy agenda approved by the commission and council. For the institutions under their jurisdiction, this responsibility includes, but is not limited to:
(A) Ensuring that the governing boards carry out their duty effectively to govern the individual institutions of higher education; and
(B) Holding the institutions and the system as a whole accountable for accomplishing their missions and implementing the provisions of the compacts;
(6) To review and adopt annually all institutional compacts for the community and technical colleges pursuant to the provisions of section two, article one-a of this chapter;
(7) Serve as the accountability point to:
(A) The governor for implementation by the community and technical colleges of their role in advancing the public policy agenda; and
(B) The Legislature by maintaining a close working relationship with the legislative leadership and the legislative oversight commission on education accountability;
(8) Jointly with the commission, promulgate a legislative rule pursuant to article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to fulfill the purposes of section five, article one-a of this chapter;
(9) Establish and implement the benchmarks and performance indicators necessary to measure institutional achievement towards state policy priorities and institutional missions;
(10) Review the progress of community and technical colleges in every region of West Virginia. The review includes, but is not limited to, evaluating and reporting annually to the legislative oversight commission on education accountability on the step-by-step implementation required in article three-c of this chapter;
(11) Annually report to the Legislature and to the legislative oversight commission on education accountability during the January interim meetings on a date and at a time and location to be determined by the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Delegates. The report shall address at least the following:
(A) The performance of the community and technical college system during the previous fiscal year, including, but not limited to, progress in meeting goals stated in the compacts and progress of the institutions and the system as a whole in meeting the goals and objectives set forth in section one-a, article one of this chapter;
(B) The priorities established for capital investment needs pursuant to subdivision (12) of this subsection and the justification for such priority;
(C) Recommendations of the council for statutory changes necessary to further the goals and objectives set forth in section one-a, article one of this chapter;
(12) Establish a formal process for identifying needs for capital investments and for determining priorities for these investments. When the needs have been determined, the council shall take the following steps:
(A) Develop a ranked list of the top ten projects for capital investment for the institutions under its jurisdiction;
(B) Convey the ranked list to the commission for its consideration pursuant to section four, article one-b of this chapter;
(13) Draw upon the expertise available within the governor's workforce investment office and the West Virginia development office as a resource in the area of workforce development and training;
(14) Acquire legal services as are considered necessary, including representation of the council, its institutions, employees and officers before any court or administrative body, notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary. The counsel may be employed either on a salaried basis or on a reasonable fee basis. In addition, the council may, but is not required to, call upon the attorney general for legal assistance and representation as provided by law;
(15) Employ a chancellor for community and technical college education pursuant to section three of this article;
(16) Employ other staff as necessary and appropriate to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the council consistent with the provisions of section two, article four of this chapter;
(17) Employ other staff as necessary and appropriate to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the council who are employed solely by the council;
(18) Provide suitable offices in Charleston for the chancellor and other staff;
(19) Approve the total compensation package from all sources for presidents of community and technical colleges, as proposed by the governing boards. The governing boards must obtain approval from the council of the total compensation package both when presidents are employed initially and subsequently when any change is made in the amount of the total compensation package;
(20) Establish and implement policies and procedures to ensure that students may transfer and apply toward the requirements for a degree the maximum number of credits earned at any regionally accredited in-state or out-of-state higher education institution with as few requirements to repeat courses or to incur additional costs as is consistent with sound academic policy;
(21) Establish and implement policies and programs, jointly with the community and technical colleges, through which students who have gained knowledge and skills through employment, participation in education and training at vocational schools or other education institutions, or internet-based education programs, may demonstrate by competency-based assessment that they have the necessary knowledge and skills to be granted academic credit or advanced placement standing toward the requirements of an associate degree or a bachelor's degree at a state institution of higher education;
(22) Seek out and attend regional and national meetings and forums on education and workforce development-related topics, as in the council's discretion is critical for the performance of their duties as members for the purpose of keeping abreast of community and technical college education trends and policies to aid it in developing the policies for this state to meet the established education goals and objectives pursuant to section one-a, article one of this chapter;
(23) Assess community and technical colleges for the payment of expenses of the council or for the funding of statewide services, obligations or initiatives related specifically to the provision of community and technical college education;
(24) Promulgate rules allocating reimbursement of appropriations, if made available by the Legislature, to community and technical colleges for qualifying noncapital expenditures incurred in the provision of services to students with physical, learning or severe sensory disabilities;
(25) Assume the prior authority of the commission in examining and approving tuition and fee increase proposals submitted by community and technical college governing boards as provided in section one, article ten of this chapter.
(26) Consider and submit to the commission, a single budget for community and technical college education that reflects recommended appropriations for community and technical colleges and that:
(A) Considers the progress of each institution toward meeting the essential conditions set forth in section three, article three-c of this chapter, including independent accreditation; and
(B) Considers the progress of each institution toward meeting the goals established in its institutional compact;
(27) Administer and distribute the independently accredited community and technical college development account;
(28) Establish a plan of strategic funding to strengthen capacity for support of community and technical college education in all areas of the state;
(29) Foster coordination among all state-level, regional and local entities providing post-secondary vocational education or workforce development and coordinate all public institutions and entities that have a community and technical college mission;
(30) Assume the principal responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the step-by-step process for achieving independent accreditation and for meeting the essential conditions pursuant to article three-c of this chapter;
(31) Advise and consent in the appointment of the presidents of the community and technical colleges pursuant to section six, article one-b of this chapter. The role of the council in approving a president is to assure through personal interview that the person selected understands and is committed to achieving the goals and objectives as set forth in the institutional compact and in section one-a, article one of this chapter;
(32) Provide a single, statewide link for current and prospective employers whose needs extend beyond one locality;
(33) Provide a mechanism that serves two or more institutions to facilitate joint problem-solving in areas including, but not limited to:
(A) Defining faculty roles and personnel policies;
(B) Delivering high-cost technical education programs across the state;
(C) Providing one-stop service for workforce training to be delivered by multiple institutions; and
(D) Providing opportunities for resource-sharing and collaborative ventures;
(34) Provide support and technical assistance to develop, coordinate, and deliver effective and efficient community and technical college education programs and services in the state;
(35) Assist the community and technical colleges in establishing and promoting links with business, industry and labor in the geographic areas for which each of the community and technical colleges is responsible;
(36) Develop alliances among the community and technical colleges for resource sharing, joint development of courses and courseware, and sharing of expertise and staff development;
(37) Serve aggressively as an advocate for development of a seamless curriculum;
(38) Cooperate with the governor's P-20 council of West Virginia to remove barriers relating to transfer and articulation between and among community and technical colleges, state colleges and universities and public education, preschool through grade twelve;
(39) Encourage the most efficient utilization of available resources;
(40) Coordinate with the commission in informing public school students, their parents and teachers of the academic preparation that students need in order to be prepared adequately to succeed in their selected fields of study and career plans, including presentation of academic career fairs;
(41) Jointly with the commission, approve and implement a uniform standard, as developed by the chancellors, to determine which students shall be placed in remedial or developmental courses. The standard shall be aligned with college admission tests and assessment tools used in West Virginia and shall be applied uniformly by the governing boards throughout the public higher education system. The chancellors shall develop a clear, concise explanation of the standard which the governing boards shall communicate to the state board of education and the state superintendent of schools;
(42) Develop and implement strategies and curriculum for providing developmental education which shall be applied by any state institution of higher education providing developmental education.
(43) Develop a statewide system of community and technical college programs and services in every region of West Virginia for competency-based certification of knowledge and skills, including a statewide competency-based associate degree program;
(44) Review and approve all institutional master plans for the community and technical colleges;
(45) Establish policies or rules for promulgation that are necessary or expedient for the effective and efficient performance of community and technical colleges in the state;
(46) In its sole discretion, transfer any rule under its jurisdiction, other than a legislative rule, to the jurisdiction of the governing boards who may rescind, revise, alter or amend any rule so transferred pursuant to rules adopted by the council;
(47) Establish benchmarks and performance indicators for community and technical colleges to measure institutional progress toward meeting the goals as outlined in section one-a, article one of this chapter and in meeting the essential conditions established in article three-c of this chapter;
(48) Develop for inclusion in the higher education report card, as defined in section eight, article one-b of this chapter, a separate section on community and technical colleges. This section shall include, but is not limited to, evaluation of the institutions based upon the benchmarks and indicators developed in subdivision (47) of this subsection;
(49) Facilitate continuation of the advantage valley community college network under the leadership and direction of Marshall community and technical college;
(50) Initiate and facilitate creation of other regional networks of affiliated community and technical colleges that the council finds to be appropriate and in the best interests of the citizens to be served;
(51) Develop with the state board of education state plans for secondary and post-secondary vocational-technical-occupational and adult basic education, including, but not limited to:
(A) Policies to strengthen vocational-technical-occupational and adult basic education; and
(B) Programs and methods to assist in the improvement, modernization and expanded delivery of vocational-technical- occupational and adult basic education programs;
(52) Distribute federal vocational education funding provided under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998, PL 105-332, with an emphasis on distributing financial assistance among secondary and post-secondary vocational- technical-occupational and adult basic education programs to help meet the public policy agenda.
In distributing funds the council shall use the following guidelines:
(A) The board of education shall continue to be the fiscal agent for federal vocational education funding;
(B) The percentage split between the board of education and the council shall be determined by rule promulgated by the council under the provisions of article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code. The council shall first obtain the approval of the board of education before proposing a rule;
(53) Collaborate, cooperate and interact with all secondary and post-secondary vocational-technical-occupational and adult basic education programs in the state, including the programs assisted under the federal Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998, PL 105-332, and the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, to promote the development of seamless curriculum and the elimination of duplicative programs;
(54) Coordinate the delivery of vocational-technical- occupational and adult basic education in a manner designed to make the most effective use of available public funds to increase accessibility for students;
(55) Analyze and report to the West Virginia board of education on the distribution of spending for vocational-technical- occupational and adult basic education in the state and on the availability of vocational-technical-occupational and adult basic education activities and services within the state;
(56) Promote the delivery of vocational-technical-occupational education, adult basic education and community and technical college education programs in the state which emphasize the involvement of business, industry and labor organizations;
(57) Promote public participation in the provision of vocational-technical-occupational education, adult basic education and community and technical education at the local level, emphasizing programs which involve the participation of local employers and labor organizations;
(58) Promote equal access to quality vocational- technical-occupational education, adult basic education and community and technical college education programs to handicapped and disadvantaged individuals, adults in need of training and retraining, single parents, homemakers, participants in programs designed to eliminate sexual bias and stereotyping and criminal offenders serving in correctional institutions;
(59) Meet annually between the months of October and December with the advisory committee of community and technical college presidents created pursuant to section eight of this article to discuss those matters relating to community and technical college education in which advisory committee members or the council may have an interest;
(60) Accept and expend any gift, grant, contribution, bequest, endowment or other money for the purposes of this article;
(61) Assume the powers set out in section five, article three of this chapter. The rules previously promulgated by the state college system board of directors pursuant to that section and transferred to the commission are hereby transferred to the council and shall continue in effect until rescinded, revised, altered or amended by the council;
(62) Pursuant to the provisions of article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code and section six, article one of this chapter, promulgate rules as necessary or expedient to fulfill the purposes of this chapter. The council and commission shall promulgate a uniform joint legislative rule for the purpose of standardizing, as much as possible, the administration of personnel matters among the institutions of higher education;
(63) Determine when a joint rule among the governing boards of the community and technical colleges is necessary or required by law and, in those instances and in consultation with the governing boards, promulgate the joint rule;
(64) Promulgate a joint rule with the commission establishing tuition and fee policy for all institutions of higher education. The rule shall include, but is not limited to, the following:
(A) Comparisons with peer institutions;
(B) Differences among institutional missions;
(C) Strategies for promoting student access;
(D) Consideration of charges to out-of-state students; and
(E) Such other policies as the commission and council consider appropriate;
(65) In cooperation with the West Virginia division of highways, study a method for increasing the signage signifying community and technical college locations along the state interstate highways, and report to the legislative oversight commission on education accountability regarding any recommendations and required costs; and
(66) Implement a policy jointly with the commission whereby any course credit earned at a community and technical college transfers for program credit at any other state institution of higher education and is not limited to fulfilling a general education requirement.
(c) In addition to the powers and duties listed in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the council has the following general powers and duties related to its role in developing, articulating and overseeing the implementation of the public policy agenda for community and technical colleges:
(1) Planning and policy leadership including a distinct and visible role in setting the state's policy agenda for the delivery of community and technical college education and in serving as an agent of change;
(2) Policy analysis and research focused on issues affecting the community and technical college system as a whole or a geographical region thereof;
(3) Development and implementation of each community and technical college mission definition including use of incentive funds to influence institutional behavior in ways that are consistent with public priorities;
(4) Academic program review and approval for the institutions under its jurisdiction, including the use of institutional missions as a template to judge the appropriateness of both new and existing programs and the authority to implement needed changes;
(5) Development of budget and allocation of resources for institutions delivering community and technical college education, including reviewing and approving institutional operating and capital budgets and distributing incentive and performance-based funding;
(6) Acting as the agent to receive and disburse public funds related to community and technical college education when a governmental entity requires designation of a statewide higher education agency for this purpose;
(7) Development, establishment and implementation of information, assessment and accountability systems, including maintenance of statewide data systems that facilitate long-term planning and accurate measurement of strategic outcomes and performance indicators for community and technical colleges;
(8) Jointly with the commission, development, establishment and implementation of policies for licensing and oversight of both public and private degree-granting and nondegree-granting institutions that provide post-secondary education courses or programs pursuant to the findings and policy recommendations to be determined as set forth in section eleven, article one-b of this chapter;
(9) Development, implementation and oversight of statewide and regionwide projects and initiatives related specifically to providing community and technical college education such as those using funds from federal categorical programs or those using incentive and performance-based funding from any source; and
(10) Quality assurance that intersects with all other duties of the council particularly in the areas of planning, policy analysis, program review and approval, budgeting and information and accountability systems.
(d) The council is authorized to withdraw specific powers of a governing board under its jurisdiction for a period not to exceed two years if the council makes a determination that:
(1) The governing board has failed for two consecutive years to develop an institutional compact as required in article one of this chapter;
(2) The council has received information, substantiated by independent audit, of significant mismanagement or failure to carry out the powers and duties of the board of governors according to state law; or
(3) Other circumstances which, in the view of the council, severely limit the capacity of the board of governors to carry out its duties and responsibilities.
The period of withdrawal of specific powers may not exceed two years during which time the council is authorized to take steps necessary to reestablish the conditions for restoration of sound, stable and responsible institutional governance.
(e) In addition to the powers and duties provided for in subsections (a) and (b), (c) and (d) of this section and any other powers and duties as may be assigned to it by law, the council has:
(1) Such other powers and duties as may be necessary or expedient to accomplish the purposes of this article; and
(2) All powers, duties and responsibilities directly related to community and technical colleges and community and technical college education that were vested in the commission prior to the effective date of this section.
(f) When the council and commission, each, is required to consent, cooperate, collaborate or provide input into the actions of the other:
(1) The body acting first shall convey its decision in the matter to the other body with a request for concurrence in the action;
(2) The commission or the council, as the receiving body, shall place the proposal on its agenda and shall take final action within sixty days of the date when the request for concurrence is received; and
(3) If the receiving body fails to take final action within sixty days, the original proposal stands and is binding on both the commission and the council.
(a) The council is the sole agency responsible for administration of vocational-technical-occupational education and community and technical college education in the state. The council has jurisdiction and authority over the community and technical colleges and the system of community and technical college education as a whole, including community and technical college education programs as defined in section two, article one of this chapter.
(b) As relates to the authority established in subsection (a) of this section, the council has the following powers and duties:
(1) Develop, oversee and advance the public policy agenda as it relates to community and technical college education to address major challenges facing the state, including, but not limited to, the goals and objectives found in section one-a, article one of this chapter and including specifically those goals and objectives pertaining to the compacts created pursuant to section two, article one-a of this chapter and to develop and implement the master plan described in section nine of this article for the purpose of accomplishing the mandates of this section;
(2) Jointly with the commission, develop, oversee and advance the implementation of a financing policy for higher education in West Virginia. The policy shall meet the following criteria:
(A) Provide an adequate level of education and general funding for institutions pursuant to section five, article one-a of this chapter;
(B) Serve to maintain institutional assets, including, but not limited to, human and physical resources and deferred maintenance;
(C) Invest and provide incentives for achieving the priority goals in the public policy agenda, including, but not limited to, those found in section one-a, article one of this chapter; and
(D) Establish for incorporation into the financing policy for higher education in West Virginia a plan for strategic funding to strengthen capacity for support of community and technical college education;
(3) Create a policy leadership structure relating to community and technical college education capable of the following actions:
(A) Developing, building public consensus around and sustaining attention to a long-range public policy agenda. In developing the agenda, the council shall seek input from the Legislature and the governor and specifically from the state board of education and local school districts in order to create the necessary linkages to assure smooth, effective and seamless movement of students through the public education and post-secondary education systems and to ensure that the needs of public school courses and programs can be fulfilled by the graduates produced and the programs offered;
(B) Ensuring that the governing boards of the institutions under the council's jurisdiction carry out their duty effectively to govern the individual institutions of higher education; and
(C) Holding the community and technical college institutions and the community and technical college system as a whole accountable for accomplishing their missions and implementing the provisions of the compacts;
(4) To develop for inclusion in the statewide public agenda, a plan for raising education attainment, increasing adult literacy, promoting workforce and economic development and ensuring access to advanced education for the citizens of West Virginia;
(5) To provide statewide leadership, coordination, support, and technical assistance to the community and technical colleges and to provide a focal point for visible and effective advocacy for their work and for the public policy agenda approved by the commission and council. For the institutions under their jurisdiction, this responsibility includes, but is not limited to:
(A) Ensuring that the governing boards carry out their duty effectively to govern the individual institutions of higher education; and
(B) Holding the institutions and the system as a whole accountable for accomplishing their missions and implementing the provisions of the compacts;
(6) To review and adopt annually all institutional compacts for the community and technical colleges pursuant to the provisions of section two, article one-a of this chapter;
(7) Serve as the accountability point to:
(A) The governor for implementation by the community and technical colleges of their role in advancing the public policy agenda; and
(B) The Legislature by maintaining a close working relationship with the legislative leadership and the legislative oversight commission on education accountability;
(8) Jointly with the commission, promulgate a legislative rule pursuant to article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to fulfill the purposes of section five, article one-a of this chapter;
(9) Establish and implement the benchmarks and performance indicators necessary to measure institutional achievement towards state policy priorities and institutional missions;
(10) Review the progress of community and technical colleges in every region of West Virginia. The review includes, but is not limited to, evaluating and reporting annually to the legislative oversight commission on education accountability on the step-by-step implementation required in article three-c of this chapter;
(11) Annually report to the Legislature and to the legislative oversight commission on education accountability during the January interim meetings on a date and at a time and location to be determined by the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Delegates. The report shall address at least the following:
(A) The performance of the community and technical college system during the previous fiscal year, including, but not limited to, progress in meeting goals stated in the compacts and progress of the institutions and the system as a whole in meeting the goals and objectives set forth in section one-a, article one of this chapter;
(B) The priorities established for capital investment needs pursuant to subdivision (12) of this subsection and the justification for such priority;
(C) Recommendations of the council for statutory changes necessary to further the goals and objectives set forth in section one-a, article one of this chapter;
(12) Establish a formal process for identifying needs for capital investments and for determining priorities for these investments. When the needs have been determined, the council shall take the following steps:
(A) Develop a ranked list of the top ten projects for capital investment for the institutions under its jurisdiction;
(B) Convey the ranked list to the commission for its consideration pursuant to section four, article one-b of this chapter;
(13) Draw upon the expertise available within the governor's workforce investment office and the West Virginia development office as a resource in the area of workforce development and training;
(14) Acquire legal services as are considered necessary, including representation of the council, its institutions, employees and officers before any court or administrative body, notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary. The counsel may be employed either on a salaried basis or on a reasonable fee basis. In addition, the council may, but is not required to, call upon the attorney general for legal assistance and representation as provided by law;
(15) Employ a chancellor for community and technical college education pursuant to section three of this article;
(16) Employ other staff as necessary and appropriate to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the council consistent with the provisions of section two, article four of this chapter;
(17) Employ other staff as necessary and appropriate to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the council who are employed solely by the council;
(18) Provide suitable offices in Charleston for the chancellor and other staff;
(19) Approve the total compensation package from all sources for presidents of community and technical colleges, as proposed by the governing boards. The governing boards must obtain approval from the council of the total compensation package both when presidents are employed initially and subsequently when any change is made in the amount of the total compensation package;
(20) Establish and implement policies and procedures to ensure that students may transfer and apply toward the requirements for a degree the maximum number of credits earned at any regionally accredited in-state or out-of-state higher education institution with as few requirements to repeat courses or to incur additional costs as is consistent with sound academic policy;
(21) Establish and implement policies and programs, jointly with the community and technical colleges, through which students who have gained knowledge and skills through employment, participation in education and training at vocational schools or other education institutions, or internet-based education programs, may demonstrate by competency-based assessment that they have the necessary knowledge and skills to be granted academic credit or advanced placement standing toward the requirements of an associate degree or a bachelor's degree at a state institution of higher education;
(22) Seek out and attend regional and national meetings and forums on education and workforce development-related topics, as in the council's discretion is critical for the performance of their duties as members for the purpose of keeping abreast of community and technical college education trends and policies to aid it in developing the policies for this state to meet the established education goals and objectives pursuant to section one-a, article one of this chapter;
(23) Assess community and technical colleges for the payment of expenses of the council or for the funding of statewide services, obligations or initiatives related specifically to the provision of community and technical college education;
(24) Promulgate rules allocating reimbursement of appropriations, if made available by the Legislature, to community and technical colleges for qualifying noncapital expenditures incurred in the provision of services to students with physical, learning or severe sensory disabilities;
(25) Assume the prior authority of the commission in examining and approving tuition and fee increase proposals submitted by community and technical college governing boards as provided in section one, article ten of this chapter.
(26) Consider and submit to the commission, a single budget for community and technical college education that reflects recommended appropriations for community and technical colleges and that:
(A) Considers the progress of each institution toward meeting the essential conditions set forth in section three, article three-c of this chapter, including independent accreditation; and
(B) Considers the progress of each institution toward meeting the goals established in its institutional compact;
(27) Administer and distribute the independently accredited community and technical college development account;
(28) Establish a plan of strategic funding to strengthen capacity for support of community and technical college education in all areas of the state;
(29) Foster coordination among all state-level, regional and local entities providing post-secondary vocational education or workforce development and coordinate all public institutions and entities that have a community and technical college mission;
(30) Assume the principal responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the step-by-step process for achieving independent accreditation and for meeting the essential conditions pursuant to article three-c of this chapter;
(31) Advise and consent in the appointment of the presidents of the community and technical colleges pursuant to section six, article one-b of this chapter. The role of the council in approving a president is to assure through personal interview that the person selected understands and is committed to achieving the goals and objectives as set forth in the institutional compact and in section one-a, article one of this chapter;
(32) Provide a single, statewide link for current and prospective employers whose needs extend beyond one locality;
(33) Provide a mechanism that serves two or more institutions to facilitate joint problem-solving in areas including, but not limited to:
(A) Defining faculty roles and personnel policies;
(B) Delivering high-cost technical education programs across the state;
(C) Providing one-stop service for workforce training to be delivered by multiple institutions; and
(D) Providing opportunities for resource-sharing and collaborative ventures;
(34) Provide support and technical assistance to develop, coordinate, and deliver effective and efficient community and technical college education programs and services in the state;
(35) Assist the community and technical colleges in establishing and promoting links with business, industry and labor in the geographic areas for which each of the community and technical colleges is responsible;
(36) Develop alliances among the community and technical colleges for resource sharing, joint development of courses and courseware, and sharing of expertise and staff development;
(37) Serve aggressively as an advocate for development of a seamless curriculum;
(38) Cooperate with the governor's P-20 council of West Virginia to remove barriers relating to transfer and articulation between and among community and technical colleges, state colleges and universities and public education, preschool through grade twelve;
(39) Encourage the most efficient utilization of available resources;
(40) Coordinate with the commission in informing public school students, their parents and teachers of the academic preparation that students need in order to be prepared adequately to succeed in their selected fields of study and career plans, including presentation of academic career fairs;
(41) Jointly with the commission, approve and implement a uniform standard, as developed by the chancellors, to determine which students shall be placed in remedial or developmental courses. The standard shall be aligned with college admission tests and assessment tools used in West Virginia and shall be applied uniformly by the governing boards throughout the public higher education system. The chancellors shall develop a clear, concise explanation of the standard which the governing boards shall communicate to the state board of education and the state superintendent of schools;
(42) Develop and implement strategies and curriculum for providing developmental education which shall be applied by any state institution of higher education providing developmental education.
(43) Develop a statewide system of community and technical college programs and services in every region of West Virginia for competency-based certification of knowledge and skills, including a statewide competency-based associate degree program;
(44) Review and approve all institutional master plans for the community and technical colleges;
(45) Establish policies or rules for promulgation that are necessary or expedient for the effective and efficient performance of community and technical colleges in the state;
(46) In its sole discretion, transfer any rule under its jurisdiction, other than a legislative rule, to the jurisdiction of the governing boards who may rescind, revise, alter or amend any rule so transferred pursuant to rules adopted by the council;
(47) Establish benchmarks and performance indicators for community and technical colleges to measure institutional progress toward meeting the goals as outlined in section one-a, article one of this chapter and in meeting the essential conditions established in article three-c of this chapter;
(48) Develop for inclusion in the higher education report card, as defined in section eight, article one-b of this chapter, a separate section on community and technical colleges. This section shall include, but is not limited to, evaluation of the institutions based upon the benchmarks and indicators developed in subdivision (47) of this subsection;
(49) Facilitate continuation of the advantage valley community college network under the leadership and direction of Marshall community and technical college;
(50) Initiate and facilitate creation of other regional networks of affiliated community and technical colleges that the council finds to be appropriate and in the best interests of the citizens to be served;
(51) Develop with the state board of education state plans for secondary and post-secondary vocational-technical-occupational and adult basic education, including, but not limited to:
(A) Policies to strengthen vocational-technical-occupational and adult basic education; and
(B) Programs and methods to assist in the improvement, modernization and expanded delivery of vocational-technical- occupational and adult basic education programs;
(52) Distribute federal vocational education funding provided under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998, PL 105-332, with an emphasis on distributing financial assistance among secondary and post-secondary vocational- technical-occupational and adult basic education programs to help meet the public policy agenda.
In distributing funds the council shall use the following guidelines:
(A) The board of education shall continue to be the fiscal agent for federal vocational education funding;
(B) The percentage split between the board of education and the council shall be determined by rule promulgated by the council under the provisions of article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code. The council shall first obtain the approval of the board of education before proposing a rule;
(53) Collaborate, cooperate and interact with all secondary and post-secondary vocational-technical-occupational and adult basic education programs in the state, including the programs assisted under the federal Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998, PL 105-332, and the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, to promote the development of seamless curriculum and the elimination of duplicative programs;
(54) Coordinate the delivery of vocational-technical- occupational and adult basic education in a manner designed to make the most effective use of available public funds to increase accessibility for students;
(55) Analyze and report to the West Virginia board of education on the distribution of spending for vocational-technical- occupational and adult basic education in the state and on the availability of vocational-technical-occupational and adult basic education activities and services within the state;
(56) Promote the delivery of vocational-technical-occupational education, adult basic education and community and technical college education programs in the state which emphasize the involvement of business, industry and labor organizations;
(57) Promote public participation in the provision of vocational-technical-occupational education, adult basic education and community and technical education at the local level, emphasizing programs which involve the participation of local employers and labor organizations;
(58) Promote equal access to quality vocational- technical-occupational education, adult basic education and community and technical college education programs to handicapped and disadvantaged individuals, adults in need of training and retraining, single parents, homemakers, participants in programs designed to eliminate sexual bias and stereotyping and criminal offenders serving in correctional institutions;
(59) Meet annually between the months of October and December with the advisory committee of community and technical college presidents created pursuant to section eight of this article to discuss those matters relating to community and technical college education in which advisory committee members or the council may have an interest;
(60) Accept and expend any gift, grant, contribution, bequest, endowment or other money for the purposes of this article;
(61) Assume the powers set out in section five, article three of this chapter. The rules previously promulgated by the state college system board of directors pursuant to that section and transferred to the commission are hereby transferred to the council and shall continue in effect until rescinded, revised, altered or amended by the council;
(62) Pursuant to the provisions of article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code and section six, article one of this chapter, promulgate rules as necessary or expedient to fulfill the purposes of this chapter. The council and commission shall promulgate a uniform joint legislative rule for the purpose of standardizing, as much as possible, the administration of personnel matters among the institutions of higher education;
(63) Determine when a joint rule among the governing boards of the community and technical colleges is necessary or required by law and, in those instances and in consultation with the governing boards, promulgate the joint rule;
(64) Promulgate a joint rule with the commission establishing tuition and fee policy for all institutions of higher education. The rule shall include, but is not limited to, the following:
(A) Comparisons with peer institutions;
(B) Differences among institutional missions;
(C) Strategies for promoting student access;
(D) Consideration of charges to out-of-state students; and
(E) Such other policies as the commission and council consider appropriate;
(65) In cooperation with the West Virginia division of highways, study a method for increasing the signage signifying community and technical college locations along the state interstate highways, and report to the legislative oversight commission on education accountability regarding any recommendations and required costs; and
(66) Implement a policy jointly with the commission whereby any course credit earned at a community and technical college transfers for program credit at any other state institution of higher education and is not limited to fulfilling a general education requirement.
(c) In addition to the powers and duties listed in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the council has the following general powers and duties related to its role in developing, articulating and overseeing the implementation of the public policy agenda for community and technical colleges:
(1) Planning and policy leadership including a distinct and visible role in setting the state's policy agenda for the delivery of community and technical college education and in serving as an agent of change;
(2) Policy analysis and research focused on issues affecting the community and technical college system as a whole or a geographical region thereof;
(3) Development and implementation of each community and technical college mission definition including use of incentive funds to influence institutional behavior in ways that are consistent with public priorities;
(4) Academic program review and approval for the institutions under its jurisdiction, including the use of institutional missions as a template to judge the appropriateness of both new and existing programs and the authority to implement needed changes;
(5) Development of budget and allocation of resources for institutions delivering community and technical college education, including reviewing and approving institutional operating and capital budgets and distributing incentive and performance-based funding;
(6) Acting as the agent to receive and disburse public funds related to community and technical college education when a governmental entity requires designation of a statewide higher education agency for this purpose;
(7) Development, establishment and implementation of information, assessment and accountability systems, including maintenance of statewide data systems that facilitate long-term planning and accurate measurement of strategic outcomes and performance indicators for community and technical colleges;
(8) Jointly with the commission, development, establishment and implementation of policies for licensing and oversight of both public and private degree-granting and nondegree-granting institutions that provide post-secondary education courses or programs pursuant to the findings and policy recommendations to be determined as set forth in section eleven, article one-b of this chapter;
(9) Development, implementation and oversight of statewide and regionwide projects and initiatives related specifically to providing community and technical college education such as those using funds from federal categorical programs or those using incentive and performance-based funding from any source; and
(10) Quality assurance that intersects with all other duties of the council particularly in the areas of planning, policy analysis, program review and approval, budgeting and information and accountability systems.
(d) The council is authorized to withdraw specific powers of a governing board under its jurisdiction for a period not to exceed two years if the council makes a determination that:
(1) The governing board has failed for two consecutive years to develop an institutional compact as required in article one of this chapter;
(2) The council has received information, substantiated by independent audit, of significant mismanagement or failure to carry out the powers and duties of the board of governors according to state law; or
(3) Other circumstances which, in the view of the council, severely limit the capacity of the board of governors to carry out its duties and responsibilities.
The period of withdrawal of specific powers may not exceed two years during which time the council is authorized to take steps necessary to reestablish the conditions for restoration of sound, stable and responsible institutional governance.
(e) In addition to the powers and duties provided for in subsections (a) and (b), (c) and (d) of this section and any other powers and duties as may be assigned to it by law, the council has:
(1) Such other powers and duties as may be necessary or expedient to accomplish the purposes of this article; and
(2) All powers, duties and responsibilities directly related to community and technical colleges and community and technical college education that were vested in the commission prior to the effective date of this section.
(f) When the council and commission, each, is required to consent, cooperate, collaborate or provide input into the actions of the other:
(1) The body acting first shall convey its decision in the matter to the other body with a request for concurrence in the action;
(2) The commission or the council, as the receiving body, shall place the proposal on its agenda and shall take final action within sixty days of the date when the request for concurrence is received; and
(3) If the receiving body fails to take final action within sixty days, the original proposal stands and is binding on both the commission and the council.