House File 2245 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2245 BY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 538) A BILL FOR An Act relating to selection committees for presidents of 1 regents institutions. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5233HV (3) 91 je/ns
H.F. 2245 Section 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act shall be known and may be 1 cited as the “University President Selection Reform Act”. 2 Sec. 2. Section 262.9, subsection 2, paragraph b, Code 2026, 3 is amended to read as follows: 4 b. (1) When electing a president of an institution of 5 higher learning, the board may shall use a presidential 6 selection committee. Only members of the board shall serve 7 as voting members of a presidential selection committee. The 8 committee shall recommend the most well-qualified candidates 9 considered by the committee to the board. The board shall 10 only elect a president from the recommended candidates. The 11 committee may do any of the following in carrying out its 12 duties: 13 (a) Contract for and use the services of any person engaged 14 in the business of placing highly qualified job candidates in 15 leadership positions. 16 (b) Use moneys allocated to the committee by the board. 17 (2) The identity of a candidate being considered by the 18 committee shall be confidential for purposes of chapter 22 and 19 shall not be subject to public disclosure unless the identity 20 of the candidate is made public pursuant to the terms of a 21 written agreement entered into between all members of the 22 committee and the candidate. 23 (3) (a) A presidential selection committee shall consist of 24 five voting members who shall be members of the board. 25 (b) A presidential selection committee shall also consist 26 of the following nonvoting members selected by the board: 27 (i) A student enrolled at the institution. 28 (ii) A member of the faculty senate at the institution. 29 (iii) One other employee of the institution. 30 (iv) One member who is either a graduate of the institution, 31 a member of a nonprofit foundation acting solely for the 32 support of the institution, or a member of the public. 33 EXPLANATION 34 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 35 -1- LSB 5233HV (3) 91 je/ns 1/ 2
H.F. 2245 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 1 Under current law, the state board of regents may use a 2 presidential selection committee when electing a president of 3 an institution of higher learning under the control of the 4 board. Only board members can serve as voting members of the 5 committee. 6 This bill requires the board to use such a committee and 7 specifies committee membership. The committee must recommend 8 the most well-qualified candidates considered by the committee 9 to the board, which shall only elect a president from the 10 recommended candidates. 11 The bill authorizes a committee to contract for and use 12 the services of any person engaged in the business of placing 13 highly qualified job candidates in leadership positions and to 14 use moneys allocated to the committee by the board. 15 The bill provides that the identity of a candidate being 16 considered by the committee shall be confidential for purposes 17 of Code chapter 22 (open records) and shall not be subject to 18 public disclosure unless the identity of the candidate is made 19 public pursuant to the terms of a written agreement. 20 -2- LSB 5233HV (3) 91 je/ns 2/ 2