Session Laws

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to immediately provide that student government associations at state colleges and universities shall be official representatives of the student body, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 15A of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 2, as appearing in the 1984 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 2. The board of regents of higher education, hereinafter referred to as the board of regents, shall consist of sixteen members appointed by the governor, at least one of whom shall be a representative of organized labor, and one of whom shall be a member which the governor shall choose from among no more than three full-time undergraduate students who shall be nominated, and who are currently enrolled in a public institution set forth in section three. Nominated students shall have maintained a satisfactory academic progress as determined by the policy of the institution at which such student is enrolled. Nominations shall be submitted by student members of the board of trustees for each such institution who, for the purpose of this section, shall be referred to as the student advisory committee. Such nominations may include, but not be limited to, students elected as trustees in accordance with the provisions of section nine. There shall be an office of the board of regents, consisting of a chancellor and employees appointed by said board.

Members of the board of regents shall be appointed to serve five year terms, except that the undergraduate student members shall be appointed annually to serve a term of one year's duration commencing initially upon the appointment by the governor and expiring on April thirtieth and every year thereafter commencing on May first and expiring on April thirtieth, for as long as he remains a full-time undergraduate; provided, however, that within three consecutive years said student appointee shall in the first year be a student attending a community college, and in the second year be a student attending a state college, and in the third year be a student attending a state university. This cycle shall repeat. For the purpose of this section the Massachusetts College of Art and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy shall be deemed to be a state college. Each of the student government associations at each of said public institutions may submit to the student advisory committee an individual nominated to be the undergraduate student member of the board of regents. All guidelines for procedures and deadlines for the selection process of the undergraduate board members shall be established by the said student advisory committee, except as herein provided. No member shall be appointed for more than two consecutive terms, except that any student member may serve for one term only. Upon expiration of the term of office of a member, a successor shall be appointed in like manner. A vacancy shall be filled by the governor for the remainder of the term. The chairperson of the board of regents shall forthwith notify the governor of any such vacancy.

The board of regents shall, unless otherwise enumerated, be the successor of the secretary of the executive office of educational affairs, the board of higher education, the board of trustees of state colleges and the board of trustees of regional community colleges, the board of trustees of the University of Lowell, the board of trustees of the University of Massachusetts, the board of trustees of Southeastern Massachusetts University, and shall have all the duties and exercise the powers previously vested in said secretary and board, unless otherwise enumerated.

The members of the board of regents shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for all expenses reasonably incurred in the performance of their duties.

No member of said board of regents shall be principally employed by any public educational institution or by the commonwealth. A member of the board of regents shall cease to be a member if such member ceases to be qualified for appointment or if he is absent from five regularly scheduled meetings during any calendar year.

The board of regents shall meet each month except that the chairperson, with the board of regents approval, may omit meetings in the months of July and August, and the chairperson may call additional meetings at other times.

Eight members of the board of regents shall constitute a quorum, and the affirmative vote of eight members shall be necessary for any action to be taken by the board.

The chairperson shall be appointed by the governor from among the members.

SECTION 2. Section 5 of said chapter 15A of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 153, the second time it appears, the word "and",- and by inserting after the word "professor", in line 167, the following clause:- (aa) recognize the duly elected student government association at each public university, college or community college as the official representative of the student body.