SENATE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3771

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  FEBRUARY 10, 2025

      The Senate Higher Education Committee favorably reports Senate Bill No. 3771 with committee amendments.

     This amended bill establishes the Task Force on Higher Education Governance and Funding, and makes an appropriation.  Under the amended bill, the purpose of the task force is to examine the State’s system of higher education, including its organization, governance, and funding mechanisms. 

     The task force is to consist of 13 members as follows:

     (1)   the Secretary of Higher Education, ex officio, or a designee;

     (2)   the Executive Director of the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, ex officio, or a designee;

     (3) two public members appointed by the President of the Senate, both of whom with substantive experience in higher education administration, public policy, or educational research relating to higher education governance and funding;

(4)   two public members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, both of whom shall have demonstrated expertise in institutional accountability, fiscal management of institutions of higher education,  student access and equity in higher education, or industry and workforce development in higher education; and

(5) seven members appointed by the Governor, including: the president of a public research university, or a designee; the president of a State college or university that is a member of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities, or a designee; the president of a county college, or a designee; the president of an independent institution of higher education, or a designee; the president of the American Federation of Teachers New Jersey, or a designee; and the president of the Council of New Jersey State College Locals, or a designee.

     The amended bill provides that the task force is to organize no later than  60 days following the bill’s effective date and is required to meet regardless of whether all members have been appointed as of that date.  The task force is to hold at least one public hearing no later than six months after the organization of the task force.

     The amended bill permits the task force to utilize the assistance of an external consultant to meet its research needs. In conducting its work, the task force is to assess the system’s ability to meet the current challenges facing institutions of higher education through:

· an in-depth examination of the organizational structure of each institution of higher education in the State, including an analysis of the role and impact of their governing boards;

· an analysis of the role and impact of State entities that provide oversight, guidance, and support  to the State’s institutions of higher education;

· the identification and evaluation of State statutory and regulatory requirements, including any required submissions of data and reports,  imposed upon institutions of higher education, degree-granting proprietary institutions, the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, and the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority;

· an analysis of the funding made available by the State to fulfill State statutory and regulatory requirements and the amount of funding which institutions of higher education and degree-granting proprietary institutions expend to fulfill those requirements;

· an analysis of the institutions’ funding mechanisms and the impact of funding mechanisms on tuition and student and institution outcomes;

· the development of a master calendar that identifies the dates or timelines of all major reporting requirements for institutions of higher education within State and federal regulations;

· an analysis of the mission statements of the State’s institutions of higher education;

· a review of the relationships between county colleges and other institutions of higher education;

· an assessment of the extent to which institutions of higher education are meeting the State’s workforce needs;

· an analysis of the effects of the change in higher education governance structure in the State since the abolishment of the Department of Higher Education in 1994; and

·  the identification and recommendation of best practices utilized in New Jersey and other states in the areas of higher education governance and funding.

      The amended bill includes an appropriation from the General Fund

to the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education in the sum of $200,000 for the needs of the task force.  The secretary may, upon the recommendation of the task force, use these funds to hire, contract, or partner with subject matter experts as may be necessary and appropriate.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to modify the membership of the task force to:

· remove certain members;

· add new members including the Executive Director of the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, the president of a State college or university that is a member of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities, the president of the American Federation of Teachers New Jersey, and the president of the Council of New Jersey State College Locals; and

· clarify the expertise requirements of public members to be appointed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly;

The committee further amended the bill to:

· require that appointments to the task force be made within 60 days of the bill’s effective date, rather than 30 days;

· require the task force to meet within 60 days of the bill’s effective date regardless of whether all members have been appointed;

· provide that the Secretary of Higher Education is to serve as interim chairperson of the task force until a chair is appointed; and

· require that the task force hold at least one public hearing. 

      The committee added numerous duties to the task force, including but not limited to:

· the identification and evaluation of State statutory and regulatory requirements;

· an analysis of State funding made available to fulfill State statutory and regulatory requirements;

· the development of a master calendar;

· an analysis of the mission statements of the State’s institutions of higher education;

· a review of the relationships between county colleges and other institutions of higher education;

· an assessment of the extent to which institutions of higher education are meeting the State’s workforce needs; and

· an analysis of the effects of the change in higher education governance structure since the 1994 restructuring.

      Finally, the committee amended the bill to include a $200,000 appropriation from the General Fund to the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, who may use these funds to hire third party experts as necessary and appropriate to meet the needs of the task force.