GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1993

S	1 

SENATE BILL 271

Short Title:  GPAC/Comm. Coll. Program Review.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Senator Martin of Guilford.
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Referred to:  Government Performance Audit.
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February 19, 1993

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AUDIT COMMITTEE RELATING TO PROGRAM PLANNING IN AND ORGANIZATION AND RESTRUCTURING OF THE NORTH CAROLINA COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  (a)	The State Board of Community Colleges shall conduct a review of the structure of the community college system.  The State Board of Community Colleges shall redefine the structure of the community college system based upon a regional review of program needs in order to facilitate the most efficient use of system resources.  The program planning required by this act shall include the defining of enlarged service areas for community colleges based upon the needs of the respective service areas.  The planning process utilized by the State Board shall include review of the need to consolidate, eliminate, or modify the status of existing community colleges and satellites.  The State Board shall review the distribution of physical facilities, programs, and resources in regions for the purpose of eliminating competition among the community colleges for students in overlapping service areas.
(b)	In the defining of  new regions for the most efficient functioning of the community college system, the State Board of Community Colleges shall conduct a comprehensive program review designed to eliminate unproductive, low quality, unnecessary, or duplicative programs.
(c)	The State Board of Community Colleges shall implement a regional program structure to facilitate effective program planning, efficient use of resources, the implementation of statewide curriculum standards, and consolidated high quality programs.  The regional structure shall be the unit used for the purposes of comprehensive planning and budgeting in the community college system.  The criteria used by the State Board in determining the manner in which the community college system shall be restructured into newly defined regions may include, in addition to other appropriate criteria, the following:
(1)	Location of the nearest college or satellite campus;
(2)	New or anticipated population to be served;
(3)	Existing and proposed transportation corridors and facilities;
(4)	Programs proposed compared to the location of the nearest similar program;
(5)	Feasibility of delivering programs using technology;
(6)	Use and availability of facilities of local school systems;
(7)	Potential impact on enrollment of nearby institutions; and
(8)	Geographical redistribution of community colleges that offer college transfer programs.
Sec. 2.  The State Board of Community Colleges shall establish standards for the periodic review of community college programs including standards for the termination of programs.
Sec. 3.  The State Board of Community Colleges shall establish within the community college system Centers for Excellence that shall be responsible for the creation of world class model programs to be implemented throughout the community college system at each of the institutions authorized to offer the program.  The Centers for Excellence shall design model curricula, establish curriculum standards, and update curricula in response to changes in technologies and market conditions.  The Centers for Excellence for each curriculum program area shall be composed of community college faculty members from any community college who are chosen for their individual excellence and leadership.
Sec. 4.  This act is effective upon ratification.