Connecticut General Statutes/Title 10a/Chapter 185/Section 10a-11b

CGS § 10a-11b. Higher education strategic master plan. Planning Commission for Higher Education established. Members. Duties. Goals and benchmarks. Reports. Standing subcommittees and advisory committees.

(a) There is established a Planning Commission for Higher Education to develop and ensure the implementation of a higher education strategic master plan in Connecticut.

(1) The commission shall consist of the following voting members: (A) The chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, the president of The University of Connecticut, or their designees from the Board of Regents for Higher Education and Board of Trustees; (B) the provost of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities and the provost of The University of Connecticut; (C) the chairperson of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, and the Board of Trustees of The University of Connecticut, or the chairs' designees; (D) the president, provost or chair of the board of a large independent institution of higher education in the state, to be selected by the president pro tempore of the Senate; (E) the president, provost or chair of the board of a small independent institution of higher education in the state, to be selected by the speaker of the House of Representatives; (F) a representative from a private career school, to be selected by the Commissioner of Higher Education; (G) a teaching faculty representative from the Connecticut State University System, to be selected by the chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities; (H) a teaching faculty representative from the regional community-technical colleges, to be selected by the chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities; (I) a teaching faculty representative from The University of Connecticut, to be selected by the president of The University of Connecticut; (J) a teaching faculty representative from a private career school in the state, to be selected by the Commissioner of Higher Education; (K) one member appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, who shall be a representative of a large manufacturing employer in the state; (L) one member appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be a representative of a large financial or insurance services employer in the state; (M) one member appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, who shall be a representative of an information technology or digital media employer in the state; (N) one member appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, who shall be a representative of a small business employer in the state; (O) one member appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, who shall be a representative of a health care employer in the state; (P) one member appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, who shall be a representative of a small business employer in the state; and (Q) the chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education and employment advancement. The commission membership shall, where feasible, reflect the state's geographic, racial and ethnic diversity.

(2) The following persons shall serve as ex-officio nonvoting members on the commission: (A) The Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and the Labor Commissioner, or their designees; (B) a representative of an association of the state's independent institutions of higher education, appointed by the Governor; (C) a member of the State Board of Education, as designated by the chairperson of the state board; (D) the superintendent of the technical high school system, or the superintendent's designee; (E) the chief executive officer of Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated, or the chief executive officer's designee; (F) the Commissioner of Higher Education; (G) the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, or the secretary's designee; and (H) the Chief Workforce Officer.

(3) All initial appointments to the commission shall be made not later than June 1, 2024. The Governor, president pro tempore of the Senate and speaker of the House of Representatives shall each appoint a chairperson from among the commission's voting members. Such chairpersons shall jointly schedule the first meeting of the commission, which shall be held not later than July 1, 2024. Any vacancies shall be filled by the appointing authority. The term of each appointed member of the commission shall be three years from the date of appointment, except a member shall continue to serve until such member's successor is appointed. A majority of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The commission members shall serve without compensation.

(4) The commission may (A) seek the advice and participation of any person, organization or state or federal agency it deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this section, (B) within available appropriations, retain consultants to assist in carrying out its duties, and (C) receive funds from any public or private sources to carry out its activities.

(5) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education and employment advancement shall serve as the administrative staff of the commission.

(b) The commission shall revise and update the higher education strategic master plan adopted in 2015. Such revised strategic master plan shall:

(1) Examine the impact of demographic, workforce and education trends on higher education in the state;

(2) (A) Assess progress toward the numerical goals established for the years 2020 and 2025 under the strategic master plan adopted in 2015 and revise or establish numerical goals for the years 2026 and 2030 to (i) increase the number of people earning a bachelor's degree, associate degree or certificate, (ii) increase the number of people successfully completing coursework at the community college level and the number of people entering the state's workforce, and (iii) eliminate the postsecondary achievement gap between minority students and the general student population, and (B) include specific strategies for meeting such goals, as well as strategies for meeting the goals pursuant to subsection (b) of section 10a-6 and section 10a-11c;

(3) Examine and recommend changes to funding policies, practices and accountability in order to (A) align policies and practices with the goals set forth in subsection (b) of section 10a-6 and section 10a-11c; (B) determine how the constituent units shall annually report to the General Assembly and the public in a transparent and thorough manner regarding each constituent unit's expenditures, staffing and state support, including the state appropriation, personnel expenses, personnel fringe benefits, capital improvement bonds and financial aid to students; and (C) improve coordination of appropriation, tuition and financial aid and seek ways to maximize funding through federal and private grants to accomplish state goals; and

(4) Recommend ways in which each constituent unit of the state system of higher education and independent institution of higher education in the state can, in a manner consistent with such institution's mission, expand such institution's role in advancing the state's economic growth.

(c) In updating the higher education strategic master plan, the commission shall review the plan developed pursuant to section 10a-6. In addition, the commission may consider the following: (1) Establishing incentives for institutional performance and productivity; (2) increasing financial aid, especially in workforce shortage areas and for minority and first-generation students; (3) expanding dual credit and career pathway opportunities in high schools and aligning such opportunities with institutions of higher education; (4) promoting partnerships with the business community and institutions of higher education to expand work-based learning opportunities for students and retraining and development opportunities for employees; (5) establishing collaborative partnerships between public high schools, community organizations and institutions of higher education to expand college access for underserved and first-generation students; (6) assessing and promoting programs in high school to assist high school students seeking a college track or alternative pathways for post-secondary education, such as vocational and technical opportunities; (7) developing policies to promote and measure retention and graduation rates of students, including graduation rates for students who have transferred among two or more constituent units or public institutions of higher education; (8) developing policies to promote transfer and articulation programs and the Connecticut Automatic Admissions Program state wide; (9) addressing the educational needs of minority, underserved and first-generation students and nontraditional students, including, but not limited to, part-time students, incumbent workers, adult learners, former inmates and immigrants, in order to increase enrollment and retention in institutions of higher education; (10) addressing the affordability of tuition at institutions of higher education and the issue of increased student indebtedness; and (11) developing policies to award credits for prior learning and experience.

(d) Not later than September 1, 2025, the commission shall submit a preliminary report on the development of the update of the higher education strategic master plan and, not later than December 1, 2025, the commission shall submit the higher education strategic master plan, including specific goals and benchmarks for the years ending 2026 and 2030, together with any recommendations for appropriate legislation and funding to the Governor and the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education and employment advancement, education, commerce, labor and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a.

(e) Not later than January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, the commission shall submit a report to the Governor and the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education and employment advancement, education, commerce, labor and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, in accordance with section 11-4a, on the implementation of the plan and progress made toward achieving the goals specified in the plan. The commission may periodically suggest changes to the goals as necessary.

(f) For purposes of implementing the higher education strategic master plan pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, the commission shall establish two standing subcommittees and may establish any working groups necessary to supplement the work of the subcommittees or work. The chairpersons of the commission shall jointly appoint the members of the standing subcommittees and working groups, and may appoint members to such standing subcommittees and working groups who are not members of the commission.

(1) One standing subcommittee shall focus on data, metrics and accountability, and build upon the work of the Preschool through 20 and Workforce Information Network in its measures and data. Such measures shall be used to assess the progress of each public institution of higher education toward meeting the commission's goals. The subcommittee shall collaborate with the Labor Department to (A) produce periodic reports, capable of being sorted by student age, on the employment status, job retention and earnings of students enrolled in academic and noncredit vocational courses and programs, both prior to enrollment and after completion of such courses and programs, who leave the constituent units upon graduation or otherwise, and (B) develop an annual affordability index for public higher education that is based on state-wide median family income. The subcommittee shall submit annual reports to the commission and the constituent units.

(2) One standing subcommittee shall focus on the higher education strategic master plan, analyzing the plans submitted since 2014 and making recommendations to the commission on key areas. The commission may recommend key areas of focus each year and require the standing subcommittee to report to the commission on such key areas.

(g) The commission may appoint advisory committees with representatives from public and independent institutions of higher education to study methods and proposals for coordinating efforts of the public institutions of higher education and the independent institutions of higher education to implement the goals identified in section 10a-11c.

(h) The commission may review its goals and plans and determine how best to align its work with the work of the Higher Education Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee, established pursuant to section 32-39t.

Short History

(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3, S. 41; P.A. 08-116, S. 2; P.A. 11-48, S. 90, 285; 11-70, S. 11; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2, S. 54; P.A. 13-240, S. 11; 13-261, S. 8; P.A. 14-65, S. 13; P.A. 15-75, S. 6; P.A. 16-15, S. 23; P.A. 17-229, S. 2; P.A. 18-103, S. 6; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 197; P.A. 22-123, S. 30; P.A. 23-204, S. 64, 86; P.A. 24-22, S. 23; 24-81, S. 135; 24-125, S. 1; 24-149, S. 19.)

Long History

History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3 effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 08-116 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a)(1)(C), (a)(2)(A) and (d)(6), effective May 27, 2008; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (a)(2) by deleting former Subpara. (D) re director of the Office of Workforce Competitiveness and redesignating existing Subparas. (E) and (F) as Subparas. (D) and (E), effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 11-48, “Commissioner of Higher Education” and “Department of Higher Education” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education” and “Board of Regents for Higher Education”, respectively, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-70 amended Subsec. (a) to replace “Blue Ribbon Commission” with “Planning Commission for Higher Education” and require commission to ensure implementation of strategic master plan, amended Subsec. (b) to add reference to Sec. 10a-6(a)(2), delete language re overall goals for higher education, incorporate existing Subsec. (c)(1), (4) and (5) as Subdivs. (1), (3) and (4) and add new Subdiv. (2) and provisions in Subdiv. (3) to require establishment of numerical goals for 2015 and 2020 and examination and recommendation of changes re funding policies, practices and accountability, deleted former Subsec. (c)(2), (3) and (6), redesignated existing Subsecs. (d) to (f) as Subsecs. (c) to (e), amended Subsec. (c) to remove reference to New England 2020 report and require commission to consider developing policies to promote and measure graduation rates for students who have transferred among two or more constituent units or public institutions of higher education, amended Subsec. (d) to require submission of preliminary report on development of strategic master plan not later than January 1, 2012, and submission of plan not later than October 1, 2012, and to make technical changes, amended Subsec. (e) to require annual submission of report to Governor beginning on October 1, 2014, and to joint standing committees beginning on January 1, 2014, and to permit commission to periodically suggest changes to goals as necessary, and deleted former Subsec. (g) re termination of commission, effective July 8, 2011; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2 made a technical change in Subsec. (b)(2)(A); P.A. 13-240 amended Subsec. (d) to change “January 1, 2012” to “June 1, 2014”, “October 1, 2012” to “September 1, 2014”, “2015” to “2020” and “2020” to “2025” and amended Subsec. (e) to change “2014” to “2016”, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 13-261 amended Subsec. (a)(1)(G) to change number of Governor's appointments from 4 to 5, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 14-65 amended Subsec. (e) by changing date for report to Governor and General Assembly from October 1 to January 1, deleting requirement that Board of Regents for Higher Education prepare the report and making a conforming change, effective July 1, 2014; P.A. 15-75 added Subsec. (f) re working groups, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 16-15 amended Subsec. (a)(2) by replacing “president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education” with “president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities”, effective July 1, 2016; P.A. 17-229 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by replacing provisions re commission membership with provisions re same, amended Subsec. (a)(2) by deleting reference to president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities in Subpara. (A), replacing provision re chairpersons of boards of trustees and chief executive officers of each constituent unit with provision re president of the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges in Subpara. (B), replacing provision re chairperson of board and president of Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges with provision re member of State Board of Education in Subpara. (C), redesignating existing Subparas. (D) and (E) as Subparas. (G) and (H), and adding new Subparas. (D) to (F) re superintendent of technical high school system, chief executive officer of Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated and director of Office of Higher Education, respectively, amended Subsec. (a)(3) by adding provision re Governor to appoint chairperson, replacing provision re commission to elect chairperson with provision re commissioner to elect vice-chairperson, deleting provision re necessary expenses incurred in performance of duties, and adding provision re commission to be within Office of Higher Education, amended Subsec. (b) by deleting reference to Sec. 10a-6(a)(2), adding “and 2025” in Subdiv. (2)(A), and replacing reference to Sec. 10a-6(a)(2) with Sec. 10a-6(b) and adding “and section 10a-11c” in Subdiv. (2)(B), and replacing provision re evaluation of use of strategic and performance-based incentive funding with reference to Sec. 10a-11c in Subdiv. (3), amended Subsec. (c) by adding new Subdiv. (8) re developing policies to promote Transfer and Articulation program and Guaranteed Admission program, and redesignating existing Subdivs. (8) and (9) as Subdivs. (9) and (10), amended Subsec. (f) by replacing “2016” with “2018” and replacing provision re establishing or consulting with working groups, commissions or task forces with provision re establishment of and appointments to two standing subcommittees and any working groups, adding Subdivs. (1) and (2) re focus of standing subcommittee, added Subsec. (g) re appointment of advisory committees, added Subsec. (h) re commission review of goals and plans, and made technical and conforming changes throughout, effective January 1, 2018; P.A. 18-103 replaced “director” with “executive director” in Subsec. (a)(2)(F), effective July 1, 2018; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (f)(1) by deleting reference to Higher Education Coordinating Council, effective June 23, 2021; P.A. 22-123 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by changing “private occupational school” to “private career school”, effective July 1, 2022; P.A. 23-204 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by replacing “vice president” with “provost”, changing appointing authority from president of the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges to president pro tempore of the Senate for large independent institutions of higher education in Subpara. (D) and to the speaker of the House of Representatives for small independent institutions of higher education in Subpara. (E) and changing appointing authority from Education Commissioner to executive director of the Office of Higher Education for private career school representatives in Subparas. (F) and (J), amended Subsec. (a)(2) by replacing the president of the Connecticut Conference of Independent Institutions of Higher Education with a representative from an association of independent colleges, appointed by the Governor, in Subpara. (B) and adding the Chief Workforce Officer in Subpara. (I), amended Subsec. (a)(3) by adding “voting” re appointment of a chairperson, amended Subsec. (b) by requiring revision and update of the 2015 plan, assessment of progress for goals established in 2015 and establishment of new goals for 2025 and 2030 and adding “to accomplish state goals” in Subdiv. (3)(C), amended Subsec. (c) by changing “developing” to “updating”, removing reference to plan developed pursuant to Sec. 10a-11, adding “first generation” to Subdiv. (2), changing “implementing mandatory college preparatory curricula” to “expanding dual credit and career pathway opportunities” in Subdiv. (3), replacing reference to workforce retraining through bridge programs with reference to expansion of work-based learning and retraining opportunities in Subdiv. (4), adding community organizations and expansion of college access for first-generation and underserved students in Subdiv. (5), changing “implementing” to “assessing and promoting” in Subdiv. (6), changing “Guaranteed Admission program” to “Connecticut Automatic Admissions program” in Subdiv. (8), adding underserved and first-generation students in Subdiv. (9) and adding Subdiv. (11) re development of policies to award credits for prior learning, amended Subsec. (d) by replacing “June 1, 2014” and “September 1, 2014” with “September 1, 2024” and “December 1, 2024”, respectively, and adding “2030” and amended Subsec. (e) by replacing “2016” with “2026”, effective July 1, 2023; P.A. 24-22 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by replacing “president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities” with “chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities” and by making a technical change, effective July 1, 2024; P.A. 24-81 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing executive director of the Office of Higher Education with Commissioner of Higher Education, effective May 30, 2024; P.A. 24-125 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by adding Subpara. (Q) re addition of chairpersons and ranking members of higher education committee as voting members, amended Subsec. (a)(2) by deleting former Subpara. (G) re chairpersons and ranking members of the higher education committee as ex-officio nonvoting members and redesignating existing Subparas. (H) and (I) as Subparas. (G) and (H), amended Subsec. (a)(3) by adding provisions re deadline of June 1, 2024, for appointments, appointees of president of the Senate and speaker of the House of Representatives as cochairpersons, continued service until successor appointed and majority constitutes a quorum, deleting provisions re election of vice-chairperson, designating existing provisions re seeking advice and participation of any person as Subdiv. (4) and re administrative staff of commission as Subdiv. (5) and moving commission from within Office of Higher Education to being staffed by administrative staff of the higher education committee, amended Subsec. (b)(2) by replacing “2025 and 2030” with “2026 and 2030”, amended Subsec. (d) by replacing September 1, 2024, with September 1, 2025, replacing December 1, 2024, with December 1, 2025, and replacing “2025 and 2030” with “2026 and 2030”, amended Subsec. (e) by replacing January 1, 2026, with January 1, 2027, amended Subsec. (f) by removing a reference to a vice-chairperson and made technical changes throughout, effective June 5, 2024; P.A. 24-149 amended Subsec. (h) by deleting “Higher Education Innovation and Entrepreneurship Working Group and the” and reference to Sec. 32-39s and making technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 2024.

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