Sponsored by:
Senator THOMAS H. KEAN, JR.
District 21 (Morris, Somerset and Union)
Senator SANDRA B. CUNNINGHAM
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes New Jersey Higher Education Student Advisory Commission.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Higher Education Committee on June 25, 2020, with amendments.
An Act establishing the New Jersey Higher Education Student Advisory Commission and supplementing chapter 3B of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is established a New Jersey Higher Education Student Advisory Commission in, but not of, the Department of State. The commission shall consist of 1[13] 141 members appointed by the Secretary of Higher Education including: three student representatives from the State colleges and universities established pursuant to chapter 64 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, a student representative from each of the four public research universities, three student representatives from the county colleges, 1[and]1 three student representatives from the independent colleges and universities 1, and one student representative from a proprietary degree-granting institution1 .
b. A student enrolled in an institution of higher education 1or a proprietary degree-granting institution1 in the State may submit an application to serve on the commission to the Secretary of Higher Education. The application shall detail the student’s experience as a campus leader and shall include a letter of recommendation from the president of the institution of higher education 1or the proprietary institution1 at which the student is enrolled. The secretary in making the appointments shall attempt to provide a balanced representation of the geographic regions of the State.
c. Appointments to the commission shall be made for a term of one year, although the secretary may reappoint a student for additional terms. The secretary shall make every effort to ensure that at least one member is reappointed to the commission from the prior year’s membership.
d. Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments are made. Vacancies occurring other than by expiration of a term shall be filled for the unexpired term.
e. The members of the commission shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for reasonable expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the commission for its purposes.
2. The commission shall organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of its members, but no later than 60 days after the effective date of this act. The commission shall choose a chairperson from among its members and shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the commission. The commission shall meet a minimum of three times each year. The minutes of each meeting shall be posted on the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education’s website.
3. The Office of the Secretary of Higher Education shall provide such stenographic, clerical, and other administrative assistants, and such professional staff as the commission requires to carry out its work. The commission also shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available for its purposes.
4. It shall be the responsibility of the commission to advise the secretary on system-wide issues of concern to students. The commission shall annually report to the Assembly Higher Education Committee and the Senate Higher Education Committee, or their successor committees on the concerns, perspectives, and experiences of students attending institutions of higher education 1and proprietary degree-granting institutions1 in the State and may make recommendations on suggested legislative initiatives.
5. This act shall take effect immediately.