Relating to postsecondary education institutions, including the membership and functions of the state board of regents and accreditation of public institutions of higher education

Three ex officio, nonvoting members are students enrolled at the university of Iowa, Iowa state university, and the university of northern Iowa, respectively, and appointed by the governor. The division provides terms of service for student members. The other four ex officio, nonvoting members of the board are two members of the senate appointed by the majority leader of the senate and two members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house. The terms of legislative members of the board expire December 31, 2029. The division includes conforming changes to statutory references to members of the board. _____ date of the division. DISAPPROVAL OF EXPENDITURES. This division authorizes the general assembly, by passage of a joint resolution requiring approval of the governor, to disapprove any individual, ongoing expenditure by the board or an institution under the governance thereof. The board or institution shall terminate the expenditure upon the effective date of the resolution. The division does not apply to an ongoing expenditure specifically authorized by law. STATE BOARD OF REGENTS —— FUNCTIONS. This division requires the board to develop and adopt a policy providing for a post-tenure review at any time of a tenured employee of a regents institution if authorized by the board by a majority vote. The division requires the board to develop and adopt a policy requiring prior approval of the board before a regents institution may establish an academic program to be offered at the institution, to review and approve all academic programs at regents institutions with fewer than enrolled students on a biennial basis beginning in 2027, to review and approve all general education requirements at regents institutions on a biennial basis beginning in 2028, and to develop and adopt a policy prohibiting a faculty senate or council at a regents institution from exercising any governance authority over the institution. The division requires the board to establish committees of the board and duties thereof. The bill provides for a budgets, investments, and finance committee. The annual budget of each regents institution must be approved by the committee before it is subject to a vote of the board. The division also provides for an athletics committee. The division provides that a meeting of a committee of the board shall be considered a meeting for purposes of Code chapter (open meetings). _____ electronic means. The division requires the board to establish the position of ombudsman for higher education to receive and investigate complaints of violations of state or federal law or board policy at regents institutions. ACCREDITATION OF PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. This division relates to Code chapter 261K, which governs accreditation of public institutions of higher education. The division provides that a “public institution of higher education” for purposes of Code chapter 261K includes any program within such an institution. The division modifies the definition of an “accrediting agency” subject to the Code chapter to mean a legal entity, or a part of a legal entity, that conducts accrediting activities through voluntary, nonfederal peer review and makes decisions concerning the accreditation or preaccreditation status of institutions, programs, or both. The term includes institutional accrediting agencies that accredit institutions of higher education, and programmatic accrediting agencies that accredit specific educational programs, including programs that prepare students in specific academic disciplines or prepare students for entry into a profession, occupation, or vocation. Under current law, an accrediting agency can be subject to a civil action for injunctive relief and liquidated damages by a public institution of higher education negatively affected by adverse action taken against the institution by the agency. The attorney general may bring such an action on the institution’s behalf.