SF 2359 (LSB 5233SV (1) 91)

SENATE FILE 2359

BY  COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

(SUCCESSOR TO SF 2143)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to selection committees for presidents of regents institutions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  SHORT TITLE.  This Act shall be known and may be cited as the “University President Selection Reform Act”.
    Sec. 2.  Section 262.9, subsection 2, paragraph b, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   b.  (1)  When electing a president of an institution of higher learning, the board may shall use a presidential selection committee. Only members of the board shall serve as voting members of a presidential selection committee.  The committee shall recommend the most well-qualified candidates considered by the committee to the board. The board shall only elect a president from the recommended candidates. The committee may do any of the following in carrying out its duties:
   (a)  Contract for and use the services of any person engaged in the business of placing highly qualified job candidates in leadership positions.
   (b)  Use moneys allocated to the committee by the board.
   (2)  The identity of a candidate being considered by the committee shall be confidential for purposes of chapter 22 and shall not be subject to public disclosure unless the identity of the candidate is made public by agreement of all voting members of the committee.
   (3)  (a)  A presidential selection committee shall consist of five voting members who shall be members of the board.
   (b)  A presidential selection committee shall also consist of the following nonvoting members selected by the board:
   (i)  A student enrolled at the institution.
   (ii)  A member of the faculty senate at the institution.
   (iii)  One other employee of the institution.
   (iv)  One member who is either a graduate of the institution, a member of a nonprofit foundation acting solely for the support of the institution, or a member of the public.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   Under current law, the state board of regents may use a presidential selection committee when electing a president of an institution of higher learning under the control of the board. Only board members can serve as voting members of the committee.
   This bill requires the board to use such a committee and specifies committee membership. The committee must recommend the most well-qualified candidates considered by the committee to the board, which shall only elect a president from the recommended candidates.
   The bill authorizes a committee to contract for and use the services of any person engaged in the business of placing highly qualified job candidates in leadership positions and to use moneys allocated to the committee by the board.
   The bill provides that the identity of a candidate being considered by the committee shall be confidential for purposes of Code chapter 22 (open records) and shall not be subject to public disclosure unless the identity of the candidate is made public by agreement of all voting members of the committee.