GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1993

S	3 

SENATE BILL 393
Government Performance Audit Select Committee Substitute Adopted 4/29/93
House Committee Substitute Favorable 7/14/93

Short Title:  GPAC/UNC Bd. of Gov. Review/Plan.	(Public)
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Sponsors:
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Referred to:  
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February 24, 1993

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS 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 degree programs and research and public service activities 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 these reviews, and shall develop a process to review academic degree program productivity biennially.  The Board's review shall emphasize identification of processes and resources to strengthen programs that are or can reasonably be made productive.  With regard to those programs that are not and cannot be made productive, if any, the Board shall consider eliminating those programs in a manner that does not negatively impact upon the availability of educational opportunities for North Carolina citizens.  In making its determination, the Board shall give consideration to the value of maintaining racial and geographic diversity and to assuring reasonable access for students who live off campus.
The review of academic degree programs shall be completed by December 31, 1995.  The Board shall report to the General Assembly and to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by February 1, 1996, on its findings.  The review of research and public service activities shall be completed by December 1, 1996.  The Board shall report the results of this review to the General Assembly and to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by February 1, 1997.  The reports shall include plans for program improvement, elimination, consolidation, or other modification, and for proposed reallocations of any 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 academic degree 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 North Carolina Community College System and the public school system should all be considered in developing the plan.  The Board shall present to the General Assembly by February 1994 a schedule for development and submission of this plan.
Sec. 4.  This act is effective upon ratification.