Report Title:

UH BOR; Selection Process

Description:

Changes the appointment process for the University of Hawaii board of regents.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. The purposes of this Act are to:

SECTION 2. Chapter 304, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

§304- Advisory selection commission; board of regents nominees. (a) There is established in the University of Hawaii for administrative purposes an advisory selection commission, which shall provide the governor with nominees for membership on the board of regents. The commission shall consist of eleven commissioners who shall be appointed as follows:

(b) Whenever a vacancy occurs in the membership of the board of regents, the advisory selection commission shall convene to solicit and interview potential nominees, and to produce a list of five nominees for each opening on the board of regents. The advisory selection commission shall forward its list of nominees to the governor within thirty days of the opening of the position. The governor may consider the list of nominees submitted by the advisory selection commission in making the governor's nomination and appointment to the board of regents. The governor's power of appointment shall not be limited by the actions of the commission. All actions of the commission shall be deemed to be advisory.

(c) Proceedings of the advisory selection commission regarding the selection of nominees shall be confidential and shall not be subject to section 92-3 on open meetings. Persons not selected as nominees are not precluded from being solicited, interviewed, and selected as nominees for future openings on the board of regents.

(d) The commissioners shall serve without pay but shall be reimbursed for expenses, including traveling expenses, incurred in the performance of their duties."

SECTION 2. Section 26-11, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

"(a) The University of Hawaii shall be headed by an executive board to be known as the board of regents.

[The board shall consist of twelve members. No more than six of the members shall be members of the same political party and at least part of the membership of the board shall represent geographic subdivisions of the State.] At least one member shall be a University of Hawaii student at the time of the initial appointment. [This member may be reappointed for one additional term even though the member may no longer be a student at the time of reappointment.]

The board shall have power, in accordance with the Constitution of the State and with law, to formulate policy, and to exercise control over the university through its executive officer, the president of the university. The board shall have exclusive jurisdiction over the internal organization and management of the university."

SECTION 3. Section 304-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§304-3 Regents; appointment; tenure; qualifications; meetings. The affairs of the university shall be under the general management and control of the board of regents consisting of twelve members who shall be appointed [and may be removed] by the governor. The term of each member shall be for [four] six years; provided that the term of the student member shall be for two years. Members may be reappointed; provided that:

The superintendent of education shall serve as an ex officio voting member. Except as otherwise provided by statute, state officers shall be eligible to appointment and membership. Every member may serve beyond the expiration date of the member's term of appointment until the member's successor has been appointed and has qualified. The board [shall], at its first meeting after June 30, shall elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson, who shall serve until adjournment of its first meeting after June 30 of the next year or thereafter until their successors are appointed and have qualified and whose election shall be immediately certified by the board to the chief election officer. The board shall appoint a secretary, who shall not be a member of the board. The president of the university shall act as executive officer of the board. The board shall meet not less often than ten times annually, and may from time to time meet in each of the counties of Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai.

The members of the board shall serve without pay but shall be entitled to their traveling expenses within the State when attending meetings of the board or when actually engaged in business relating to the work of the board."

SECTION 4. This Act applies to any person who has served as a member of the board of regents whether before or after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 5. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.