State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > Connecticut > Title10a > Chap185 > Sec10a-6bSec. 10a-6b. Accountability measures. Reports. (a) The accountability measures developed by the Higher Education Coordinating Council pursuant to subsection (b) of section 10a-6a shall be used by the Department of Higher Education and each constituent unit of the state system of higher education in assessing the constituent unit's progress toward meeting the following goals to: (1) Enhance student learning and promote academic excellence; (2) join with elementary and secondary schools to improve teaching and learning at all levels; (3) ensure access to and affordability of higher education; (4) promote the economic development of the state to help business and industry sustain strong economic growth; (5) respond to the needs and problems of society; and (6) ensure the efficient use of resources. The council shall develop an implementation plan for use of the accountability measures.
(b) In developing the measures pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the council shall consider graduation rates, student retention rates, tuition and fees, student financial need and available aid, trends in enrollment and the percentage of incoming students who are state residents, strategic plans pursuant to section 10a-11, data on graduates by academic program, faculty productivity, and any other factor that it deems relevant. In considering faculty productivity measures, the council shall consult with the committee established under section 10a-3.
(c) The council shall submit the accountability measures to the Board of Governors of Higher Education for the board's review and approval. Once the measures are approved, each constituent unit shall provide the data to the department that is necessary for purposes of applying the measures.
(d) The Commissioner of Higher Education, on behalf of the council, shall report, in accordance with section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education on the accountability measures and the implementation plan developed pursuant to this section by February 1, 2000. The report shall include recommendations: (1) For any statutory changes needed for purposes of assessing the constituent units and public institutions of higher education based on the accountability measures; (2) to clarify and streamline planning and accountability reporting requirements of the constituent units and public institutions of higher education; (3) concerning goals, actions to achieve such goals and analysis of performance; and (4) for options to revise budgeting policies and programs to meet accountability goals and measures as outlined in subsections (a) and (b) of this section.
(e) The Commissioner of Higher Education shall develop, in concurrence with the Higher Education Coordinating Council, an accountability report prototype. Upon review and approval by the Board of Governors of Higher Education, the commissioner shall submit the report prototype to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education by October 1, 2000. The report prototype shall include accountability measures developed and approved under this section for which data collection mechanisms exist as determined by the commissioner.
(f) Each constituent unit of the state system of higher education shall submit to the Commissioner of Higher Education its first accountability report by January 1, 2001. The commissioner shall compile and consolidate the reports. The commissioner shall submit, in accordance with section 11-4a, an accountability report that covers the state system of higher education and each constituent unit and public institution of higher education to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education by February 1, 2001. The report shall include baseline data for the accountability measures developed under this section for which data collection mechanisms exist and comparable peer data, as determined by the commissioner after consultation with the Higher Education Coordinating Council and reviewed and approved by the Board of Governors of Higher Education. The report shall also include a timeline for the collection of data and reporting of the remaining accountability measures and for the identification of performance improvement targets.
(g) Each constituent unit of the state system of higher education shall submit an accountability report to the Commissioner of Higher Education annually, by January first. The commissioner shall compile the reports and shall submit, in accordance with section 11-4a, a consolidated accountability report for the state system of higher education to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education annually, by February first. The report shall contain accountability measures for each constituent unit and public institution of higher education pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of this section. The report shall include updated baseline and peer comparison data, performance improvement targets for each measure, and other information as determined by the commissioner.
(P.A. 99-285, S. 2, 12; P.A. 00-220, S. 24, 25, 38, 43; P.A. 01-173, S. 52, 67; P.A. 04-257, S. 14.)
History: P.A. 99-285 effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 00-220 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a) and (d) and added Subsecs. (e) and (f) re report prototype and accountability reports, respectively, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 01-173 added Subsec. (g) re annual reports, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 04-257 made a technical change in Subsecs. (a), (f) and (g), effective June 14, 2004.
