Opinion ID: 1424133
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Higher Education Policy Commission

Text: The West Virginia Legislature created the Higher Education Policy Commission through West Virginia Code § 18B-1B-1 (2004), providing as follows: There is hereby created the higher education policy commission, hereinafter referred to as the commission. It is the intent of the Legislature that the commission be responsible to develop, gain consensus around and oversee the public policy agenda for higher education and other statewide issues pursuant to section one-a [§ 18B-1-1a], article one of this chapter under the following conditions: (a) It is the responsibility of the commission to work collaboratively with the council to develop and gain consensus around the public policy agenda for community and technical colleges; (b) It is the responsibility of the council to oversee the implementation of the public policy agenda for the institutions under its jurisdiction. (c) All matters of governance not specifically assigned to the commission or council by law are the duty and responsibility of the governing boards. West Virginia Code § 18B-1B-4 (2005) (Supp.2006) designates the powers and duties of the Commission, providing, in relevant part, as follows: (a) The primary responsibility of the Commission is to develop, establish and implement policy that will achieve the goals and objectives found in section one-a [§ 18B-1-1a], article one of this chapter. The Commission shall exercise its authority and carry out its responsibilities in a manner that is consistent and not in conflict with the powers and duties assigned by law to the West Virginia Council for community and technical college education and the powers and duties assigned to the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, respectively. To that end, the Commission has the following powers and duties relating to the institutions under its jurisdiction: (1) Develop, oversee and advance the public policy agenda pursuant to section one [§ 18B-1A-1], article one-a of this chapter to address major challenges facing the state, including, but not limited to, the goals and objectives found in section one-a [§ 18B-1-1a], article one of this chapter and including specifically those goals and objectives pertaining to the compacts created pursuant to section two [§ 18B-1A-2], article one-a of this chapter and to develop and implement the master plan described in section nine [§ 18B-1B-9] of this article for the purpose of accomplishing the mandates of this section; . . . (33) Pursuant to the provisions of article three-a [§§ 29A-3A-1 et seq.], chapter twenty-nine-a of this code and section six [§ 18B-1-6], article one of this chapter, promulgate rules as necessary or expedient to fulfill the purposes of this chapter. The Commission and the Council shall promulgate a uniform joint legislative rule for the purpose of standardizing, as much as possible, the administration of personnel matters among the institutions of higher education[.] The Legislature authorizes the Commission to establish a personnel classification system in West Virginia Code § 18B-9-1 (2004) and defines such system as follows in West Virginia Code § 18B-9-2(g) (2004): the process of job categorization adopted by the commission and council jointly by which job title, job description, pay grade and placement on the salary schedule are determined[.] West Virginia Code § 18B-9-4(a) (2001) (Repl.Vol.2004) imparts further guidance regarding an equitable system of job classification, providing that the Commission: shall implement an equitable system of job classifications, with the advice and assistance of staff councils and other groups representing classified employees, each classification to consist of related job titles and corresponding job descriptions for each position within a classification, together with the designation of an appropriate pay grade for each job title, which system shall be the same for corresponding positions of the commission and in institutions under all governing boards. The equitable system of job classification and the rules establishing it which were in effect immediately prior to the effective date of this section are hereby transferred to the jurisdiction and authority of the commission and shall remain in effect unless modified or rescinded by the commission. West Virginia Code § 18B-9-4(b) (2001) (Repl.Vol.2004) develops some of the parameters for salary schedules, providing as follows: (b) Any classified staff salary increases distributed within state institutions of higher education on the first day of July, two thousand one, shall be in accordance with the uniform employee classification system and a salary policy adopted by the interim governing board and approved by the commission. Any classified salary increases distributed within a state institution of higher education after the first day of July, two thousand one, shall be in accordance with the uniform classification system and a uniform and equitable salary policy adopted by each individual board of governors. Each salary policy shall detail the salary goals of the institution and the process whereby the institution will achieve or progress toward achievement of placing each classified employee at his or her minimum salary on the schedule established pursuant to section three [§ 18B-9-3] of this article. W.Va.Code, § 18B-9-4(b) (emphasis provided).