HB 780

Public institutions of higher education; governing boards; appointment and composition of members; powers and duties; legal counsel. Amends several provisions relating to the employment, oversight, and management of the legal counsel for each public institution of higher education. The bill also amends the requirements relating to the appointment of members to and the composition of the governing board of each public institution of higher education, including (i) changing the required number of members to 18; (ii) expanding the term of each member of a governing board from four years to six years; (iii) requiring each governing board to appoint one member of the faculty, one member of the staff, and one student to the respective board as voting members; (iv) modifying procedural requirements for gubernatorial appointments and the confirmation of gubernatorial requirements by the General Assembly; and (v) amending and clarifying several procedural requirements specific to the appointment of members of governing boards, including appointments to fill vacancies and nomination and confirmation procedures and timelines. The bill also changes the procedures and requirements for the appointment of members to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and amends the requirements relating to meetings of and exercise of authority by each governing board and any executive committee appointed by a governing board pursuant to applicable law. Finally, the bill clarifies and expands the duties of each governing board in its collective capacity, and of the members of each governing board in their individual capacities, regarding (a) the primary duties of governing boards to advance the interests of the institution and the people of the Commonwealth, (b) duties relating to ideological and partisan neutrality and the protection of academic freedom and freedom of speech, and (c) duties relating to the relationship of the governing board and the institution's administration, faculty, and students.