GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1993

S	1 

SENATE BILL 393

Short Title:  GPAC/UNC Bd. of Gov. Review/Plan.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Senator Martin of Guilford.
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Referred to:  Government Performance Audit.
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February 24, 1993

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO IMPLEMENT A RECOMMENDATION OF THE GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AUDIT COMMITTEE FOR A UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PROGRAMMATIC REVIEW AND A PLAN FOR THE CONTINUED AND EXPANDED AVAILABILITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR ALL CITIZENS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  The Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina shall review all academic programs, research activities, extension activities, public service activities, and administration and support functions to identify those programs and activities that are of low productivity or low priority, or are unnecessarily redundant.  The Board shall develop specific criteria for this one-time review of academic program productivity, and shall develop criteria to review other programs and activities.  The Board's review shall have as its top priority the potential elimination of nonproductive or redundant graduate, professional, or doctoral programs and the identification of resources and programs that will strengthen undergraduate education.
This review shall be completed by December 31, 1995.  The Board shall report to the General Assembly and to the Joint Education Oversight Committee by February 1, 1996, on its findings.  The report shall include a plan for program eliminations or reductions and for proposed reallocations of savings.
Sec. 2.  G.S. 116-11(3) reads as rewritten:
"(3)	The Board shall determine the functions, educational activities and academic programs of the constituent institutions. The Board shall also determine the types of degrees to be awarded. The powers herein given to the Board shall not be restricted by any provision of law assigning specific functions or responsibilities to designated institutions, the powers herein given superseding any such provisions of law. The Board, after adequate notice and after affording the institutional board of trustees an opportunity to be heard, shall have authority to withdraw approval of any existing program if it appears that the program is unproductive, excessively costly or unnecessarily duplicative.  The Board shall review the productivity of programs every two years, using criteria specifically developed to determine program productivity."
Sec. 3.  The Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina shall develop a plan for the continued and expanded availability of higher education for all citizens, focusing on the availability of opportunities in underserved areas by means other than the establishment of additional degree programs.  The expanded use of video and audio distance learning technology, the expanded use of graduate centers to avoid program duplication, the potential for expanded funding of extension instruction, and increased cooperative programs with the community college system should all be considered in developing the plan.  The plan shall include proposals for the allocation and funding of students taught by more than one institution of higher education. The plan shall be developed in conjunction with the Education Cabinet and shall be approved by the Cabinet.  The plan shall include projected costs, benefits, and a schedule for implementation.  The plan shall be provided to the General Assembly by May 1, 1994.
Sec. 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1993.