§18B-3-4 Duty of governing boards to address state priorities.
§18B-3-4. Duty of governing boards to address state priorities.
(a) The expertise of faculty and graduate students at the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University is important to every citizen of this state. It is the responsibility of the governing boards to channel this expertise into research and analysis that will yield measurable benefits to the citizens of West Virginia. Therefore, in addition to the goals for post-secondary education established in section one-a, article one of this chapter, and goals established elsewhere in this code, it is the responsibility of the governing boards in collaboration to concentrate attention and resources on certain specific state priorities that have a direct, positive impact on the economic, social and cultural well-being of the people of West Virginia. These priorities include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) Developing Regional Brownfield Assistance Centers pursuant to section seven, article eleven of this chapter;
(2) Performing professional development-related research and coordinating the delivery of professional development to educators in the public schools of the state pursuant to the provisions of article two, chapter eighteen of this code;
(3) Building subject matter expertise in public school finance, including mastery of the theories and concepts used in developing formulas to provide state-level financial support to public education; and
(4) Researching and proposing cost-efficient methods to the Legislature for governing boards other than Marshall University and West Virginia University to dispose of obsolete computers and computer-related equipment.
(b) The Legislature may, but is not required to, make additional appropriations for the benefit of the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University to assist them in fulfilling the purposes set forth in subsection (a) of this section.
(c) In addition to the priorities established in subsection (a) of this section, each governing board separately shall focus resources and attention on improving their graduation rates for full-time undergraduate students as a specific institutional priority. The graduation rate is measured as a percentage of the undergraduate students who obtain a degree within six years of the date of enrollment as full-time freshmen. The governing boards shall develop and implement plans to reach the following goals:
(1) Marshall University shall attain a graduation rate for full-time undergraduate students of forty percent by the first day of July, two thousand eight, and shall attain a graduation rate for full-time undergraduate students of forty-five percent by the first day of July, two thousand ten.
(2) West Virginia University shall attain a graduation rate for full-time undergraduate students of sixty percent by the first day of July, two thousand eight, and shall attain a graduation rate for full-time undergraduate students of sixty-three percent by the first day of July, two thousand ten.
(3) The Commission shall monitor and report by the first day of December, two thousand five, and annually thereafter, to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability on the progress of the governing boards toward meeting the goals set forth in subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection.