Alabama Administrative Code › Title 300 - ALABAMA COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION › Chapter 300-1-1 - ORGANIZATION › Section 300-1-1-.01 - Goals And Responsibilities

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 9, June 28, 2024
(1) The Alabama Commission on Higher
			 Education was created by Alabama law, Act No. 14, Special Session, 1969, and
			 reenacted by Act 461, Regular Session, 1979, to ensure that the state's system
			 of higher education would provide the citizens of Alabama with the highest
			 possible quality of collegiate and university education.
(2) As the statewide coordinating board for
			 postsecondary education, the Commission works with all public institutions. The
			 powers and duties of the Commission shall apply equally to all postsecondary
			 institutions regardless of any authority that may be, or has been, conferred
			 upon them by the Constitution or by statutes.
(3) The Commission is vested with the
			 authority to carry out and enforce the provisions of
Code of Ala
			 1975
, §§
								16-5-1 through
			 16-5-15 and to promulgate policies
			 and procedures consistent with carrying out the required statutory
			 functions.
(4) Major functions of
			 the Commission include:
(a) Planning. The
			 Commission shall be responsible for statewide long-range planning for
			 postsecondary education in Alabama. Such planning shall be the result of
			 continuous study, analysis and evaluation. Plans will include the establishment
			 of statewide objectives and priorities with methods and guidelines for
			 achieving them (Refer to Chapter 300-2-2).
(b) Establishing and Maintaining a State
			 University and College Information System. The Commission, after affording a
			 full opportunity to the public institutions of higher education to be heard,
			 shall design and establish a state university and college information system to
			 provide comprehensive, meaningful and timely information pertinent to the
			 formulation of decisions and recommendations by the Commission (Refer to
			 Chapter 300-2-3).
(c) Reviewing
			 Units or Programs of Instruction, Research or Public Service. The Commission on
			 Higher Education is authorized to review periodically all new and existing
			 programs and units of instruction, research and public service funded by state
			 appropriations at the state universities and colleges and to share with the
			 appropriate governing board, through the president of the institutions, and
			 state legislature, its recommendations (Refer to Chapter 300-2-1).
(d) The Commission shall have the authority
			 to authorize and regulate off-campus offerings, new or existing (Refer to Rule
			 300-2-1-.05).
(e) Reviewing Budget Proposals and Making
			 Recommendations. The governing boards of the public institutions of higher
			 education shall submit to the Commission through their appropriate
			 administrative officers, not later than ninety days prior to each legislative
			 session, its budget proposals for the operation and capital needs of the
			 institutions under its governance or supervision (Refer to Chapter 300-2-3
			).
(f) Coordinating and
			 Administering State and Federal Student Financial Aid Programs (Refer to
			 Chapter 300-4-1, et seq.).
(g)
			 Additional Powers and Duties of the Commission. The Commission shall also
			 exercise the following powers and duties:
1.
			 To cause to be made such surveys and evaluations of higher education as are
			 believed necessary for the purpose of providing appropriate information to
			 carry out its powers and duties.
2.
			 To recommend to the Legislature of Alabama the enactment of such legislation as
			 it deems necessary or desirable to ensure the highest quality of higher
			 education in this state taking into consideration the orderly development and
			 maintenance of the state system of public higher education to meet trends in
			 population and the change in social and technical requirements of the
			 economy.
3. To advise and counsel
			 the governor, at his or her request, regarding any area of, or matter
			 pertaining to, postsecondary education.
4. To establish definitions of a junior
			 college, a community college, a technical college or institute, a senior
			 college, a university and university system; provided that nothing herein shall
			 be construed as authorizing the Commission to establish or create any
			 university system, nor to alter any university system presently
			 existing.
5. To develop and publish
			 criteria which may be used by the legislature as a basis for:
(i) changing the classification of any public
			 institution of higher education.
(ii) determining the need for new public
			 junior colleges, public senior colleges, universities or university systems.
			 Any proposed statute which would establish an additional institution of higher
			 education may be submitted, either prior to introduction or by the standing
			 Committee considering same to the Commission for its opinion as to the need for
			 the state therefore, and the Commission shall report its findings to the
			 governor and the legislature.
6. To cause studies to be made for the
			 purpose of classifying and prescribing the role and scope for each public
			 institution of higher education in Alabama and to recommend such changes in
			 classification or role and scope for such institutions as it deems necessary
			 and which may be agreed to by the governing board of the said
			 institution.
7. To hear
			 applications from the institutions for changes in classification or role and
			 scope and to recommend to the legislature for clarification such
			 classifications in role or scope which may not be agreed to by the governing
			 board of any institution.
8. To
			 make continuing studies, on its own initiative or upon the request of the
			 governor or the legislature, of the financial needs of public higher education
			 and issue such reports to the governor and the legislature as may result from
			 its studies.
9. To submit to the
			 governor and the legislature on or before the first day in January of each year
			 a written report covering the activities of the Commission and the state of
			 higher education in Alabama. The report shall include:
10. To make rules and regulations for its
			 meetings, procedures, and execution of the powers and duties delegated to it by
			 this Act.
11. To encourage the
			 establishment and development of formal consortia for the advancement of higher
			 education comprised of institutions of higher education in this
			 state.
12. To conduct a program of
			 public information in order to inform citizens of the matters of importance to
			 higher education in Alabama.
13. To
			 serve as the state agency for the administration of those Titles of the Higher
			 Education Act of 1965 ( P.L. 89-329) as amended for those programs requiring a
			 single state agency for which the Commission qualifies unless otherwise
			 designated by executive order.
14.
			 To authorize and regulate instructional programs or units offered by
			 non-Alabama institutions of postsecondary education in the state of
			 Alabama.
15. To serve as the state
			 agency responsible for the administration of those functions under the Southern
			 Regional Compact for Education (Act 227, HJR 42, 1949; Act 40 HJR 21, 1955) and
			 those functions in Section
			 16-3-32 through
			 16-3-35,
Code of Ala.
			 1975
, heretofore, assigned to the State Board of Education with
			 funds that may be appropriated to it by the legislature for that purpose (Refer
			 to Chapter 300-2-4).
16. To
			 analyze and evaluate on a continuing basis the present and future needs for
			 instruction, research, and public service in postsecondary education in the
			 state, including facilities, and assess the present and future capabilities. In
			 order to facilitate such analysis and evaluation, the Commission will consult
			 with the agencies and institutions concerned with higher education in this
			 state and may use advisory groups and consultants, as deemed
			 desirable.