Bill Text: NJ S3331 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes certain requirements concerning search process for candidates for appointment to county college board of trustees and membership of trustee search committee.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-01-15 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Higher Education Committee [S3331 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-S3331-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator RONALD L. RICE
District 28 (Essex)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes certain requirements concerning search process for candidates for appointment to county college board of trustees and membership of trustee search committee.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning county college boards of trustees and amending N.J.S.18A:64A-8.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. N.J.S.18A:64A-8 is amended to read as follows:
18A:64A-8. a. For each county college there shall be a board of trustees, consisting of the county superintendent of schools and 10 persons, eight of whom shall be appointed by the appointing authority of the county with the advice and consent of the board of chosen freeholders, at least two of whom shall be women and two of whom shall be appointed by the Governor, according to criteria and for such initial terms as shall be established. However, no trustee shall be appointed after July 1, 1994 who is an employee of a constituent county. The president of the college shall serve as an ex officio member of the board of trustees without vote. In addition, the student body of each county college shall be entitled to elect from the graduating class one representative to serve as a member on the board of trustees for a term of one year commencing at the first meeting of the board in July following graduation of his class. The student representative may be granted voting rights by a majority vote of the members of the board of trustees. If the board of trustees grants the student representative voting rights and all members of the board are present at the board meeting and there is a tie vote, the chairman shall break the tie.
b. The appointing authority of the county shall establish a trustee search committee of not less than five members who shall be residents of the county and shall reflect the diversity of the county. The appointing authority of the county shall specify a term of appointment for members of the trustee search committee. The members of the trustee search committee shall not be elected public officials and shall not be eligible for appointment to the board of trustees for a period of six months after their service on the trustee search committee. Individuals with a potential conflict of interest shall be ineligible to serve on the trustee search committee including, but not limited to, trustees and employees of the county college; employees of the appointing county; and immediate family members or business associates of a county official, county employee, county college trustee, or county college employee.
The trustee search committee shall nominate individuals for consideration by the appointing authority of the county for appointment to the board of trustees , and the appointing authority of the county shall only appoint as trustees individuals who have been nominated by the trustee search committee. The trustee search committee shall conduct a search process for trustee nominees which complies with the following:
(1) The trustee search committee shall publish solicitations for applicants for trustee appointments.
(2) The number of candidates to be recommended per appointment shall be developed collaboratively with the appointing authority of the county.
(3) The trustee search committee shall adopt and transmit a resolution to the appointing authority of the county, nominating qualified individuals for consideration for appointment to the board of trustees. The nominating resolution shall be available to the public upon receipt by the appointing authority of the county.
(4) The trustee search committee shall transmit its recommendation in a time frame that permits the appointing authority of the county to fill the trustee position as soon as it becomes available.
(5) The trustee search committee shall initiate a new candidate solicitation and search process if one has not been conducted within the six month period preceding the need for a trustee appointment or reappointment.
(6) The trustee search committee shall adopt internal procedures to guide its deliberations addressing such matters as quorum requirements, voting, methods for soliciting potential candidates, and the interviewing process.
(7) The trustee search committee shall conduct its business in a manner that instills public confidence in the trustee nomination process.
c. When a county college is established by more than one county, the board of trustees shall be increased by two members for each additional participating county. The membership of the board of trustees shall be apportioned by the commission among the several counties as nearly as may be according to the number of inhabitants in each county as shown by the last federal census, officially promulgated in this State. Each apportionment shall continue in effect until a reapportionment shall become necessary by reason of the official promulgation of the next federal census or the enlargement of the board by the admission of one or more additional counties as provided for in section 18A:64A-24. Each county shall be entitled to have at least two members and the county superintendent of the schools of said county on the board of trustees.
(cf: P.L.2007, c.147, s.1)
2. This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
Under current law at N.J.S.18A:64A-8, the appointing authority of the county is charged with appointing eight members to the board of trustees of a county college. The appointing authority of the county is required to establish a trustee search committee whose responsibility is to nominate individuals for consideration by the appointing authority of the county for appointment to the board of trustees. Under this bill, the members of the trustee search committee must reflect the diversity of the county. The bill directs the appointing authority of the county to specify a term of appointment for the members of the trustee search committee. In addition, the bill prohibits individuals with a potential conflict of interest from serving on the trustee search committee including, but not limited to, trustees and employees of the county college; employees of the appointing county; and immediate family members or business associates of a county official, county employee, county college trustee, or county college employee. The bill also establishes the following requirements concerning the search process conducted by the trustee search committee:
· The trustee search committee must publish solicitations for applicants for trustee appointments.
· The number of candidates to be recommended per appointment must be developed collaboratively with the appointing authority of the county.
· The trustee search committee is required to adopt and transmit a resolution to the appointing authority of the county nominating qualified individuals for consideration for appointment to the board of trustees. The nominating resolution must be available to the public upon receipt by the appointing authority of the county.
· The trustee search committee is required to transmit its recommendation in a time frame that permits the appointing authority of the county to fill the trustee position as soon as it becomes available.
· The trustee search committee is required to initiate a new candidate solicitation and search process if one has not been conducted within the six month period preceding the need for a trustee appointment or reappointment.
· The trustee search committee is required to adopt internal procedures to guide its deliberations addressing such matters as quorum requirements, voting, methods for soliciting potential candidates, and the interviewing process.
· The trustee search committee must conduct its business in a manner that instills public confidence in the trustee nomination process.
Under the bill, the appointing authority of the county can only appoint as trustees individuals who have been nominated by the trustee search committee.
The bill codifies certain recommendations of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges regarding the trustee search process as set forth in the council's publication entitled "Community College Trustee Appointment Guidelines."
