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2014 SESSION

14102620D
SENATE BILL NO. 449
Offered January 8, 2014
Prefiled January 7, 2014
A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 23-9.2:3.02, 23-9.6:1, 23-9.14:2, and 23-38.88 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; articulation, dual admissions, and guaranteed admissions agreements.
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Patron-- Norment
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Referred to Committee on Education and Health
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 23-9.2:3.02, 23-9.6:1, 23-9.14:2, and 23-38.88 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 23-9.2:3.02. Articulation, dual admissions, and guaranteed admissions agreements; admission of certain community college graduates.

A. The governing board of each four-year public institution of higher education shall develop, consistent with the State Council of Higher Education Guidelines and the institution's six-year plan as set forth in § 23-38.87:17, articulation, transfer, and dual enrollment and dual admissions, and guaranteed admissions agreements with uniform application to all institutions within the Virginia Community College System and any two-year public institution of higher education that (i) meet appropriate general education and program requirements at the four-year institutions; (ii) provide additional opportunities for associate degree graduates to be admitted and enrolled; and (iii) establish dual admissions programs for qualified students to be simultaneously accepted by a community college and, contingent upon the successful completion of an acceptable associate degree program from the community college, by the four-year public institution of higher education.

B. A Uniform Certificate of General Studies shall be developed by the State Council of Higher Education, the Virginia Community College System, and the public institutions of higher education as set forth in subdivision 20 of § 23-9.6:1. All credits earned in academic subject coursework by students attending a two-year college who complete an approved one-year certificate of general studies program shall be transferrable to a four-year public institution of higher education in accordance with Council guidelines. Credits earned by high school students who earn a transfer associate degree from a Virginia community college while completing high school shall be transferrable to the four-year public institution of higher education to which they have been admitted.

C. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shall submit prepare an annual report to the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education specifying the total number of transfer students each institution of higher education admitted, enrolled, and graduated on the pertinent aspects of the pipeline of students transferring from institutions within the Virginia Community College System to four-year public institutions of higher education.

D. Students enrolling at an institution within the Virginia Community College System or a two-year public institution of higher education may declare an intention in writing to transfer to a four-year public institution of higher education in Virginia having an articulation agreement with the relevant community college or two-year public institution. If a student (i) completes an associate degree within four years of submitting a written declaration of intent to transfer to a four-year public institution of higher education in Virginia and (ii) enrolls in such an institution within 18 months of completing an associate degree, the articulation agreement in force at the time of the student's declaration shall determine those credits that will be transferred from the community college or two-year public institution to the four-year public institution upon successful completion of an associate degree.

E. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the admission of students of the Virginia Community College System by a four-year public institution of higher education.

F. The State Council of Higher Education, consistent with its responsibility to facilitate the development of articulation, transfer, and dual enrollment and dual admissions, and guaranteed admissions agreements set forth in §§ 23-9.6:1 and 23-9.14:2, shall develop guidelines for such agreements, including the conditions required to establish dual admissions programs for qualified students to be simultaneously accepted by a community college and a four-year public institution of higher education and, upon successful completion of an acceptable associate degree program from the community college, to be automatically enrolled in the four-year institution of higher education. Dual admissions agreements shall set forth (i) the obligations of the students accepted in such programs, including grade point average requirements, acceptable associate degree majors, and completion timetables; and (ii) the student's access to the privileges of enrollment in both institutions during the time enrolled in either institution.

G. E. Each institution within the Virginia Community College System shall develop agreements for postsecondary degree attainment with the public high schools in the school divisions that they serve, specifying the options for students to complete an associate's degree or a one-year Uniform Certificate of General Studies concurrent with a high school diploma. Such agreements shall specify the credit available for dual enrollment courses and Advanced Placement courses with qualifying exam scores of three or higher. Agreements shall be submitted by the institutions to the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System and the Superintendent of Public Instruction by April 15, 2013.

§ 23-9.6:1. Duties of Council generally.

In addition to such other duties as may be prescribed elsewhere, the State Council of Higher Education shall:

1. Develop a statewide strategic plan that (i) reflects the goals set forth in subsection B of § 23-38.88 or (ii) once adopted, reflects the goals and objectives developed pursuant to subdivision B 5 of § 23-38.87:20 for higher education in the Commonwealth, identifies a coordinated approach to such state and regional goals, and emphasizes the future needs for higher education in Virginia at both the undergraduate and the graduate levels, as well as the mission, programs, facilities and location of each of the existing institutions of higher education, each public institution's six-year plan, and such other matters as the Council deems appropriate. The Council shall revise such plans at least once every six years and shall submit such recommendations as are necessary for the implementation of the plan to the Governor and the General Assembly.

2. Review and approve or disapprove any proposed change in the statement of mission of any presently existing public institution of higher education and to define the mission of all public institutions of higher education created after the effective date of this provision. The Council shall, within the time prescribed in subdivision 1, make a report to the Governor and the General Assembly with respect to its actions hereunder. No such actions shall become effective until 30 days after adjournment of the session of the General Assembly next following the filing of such a report. Nothing contained in this provision shall be construed to authorize the Council to modify any mission statement adopted by the General Assembly, nor to empower the Council to affect, either directly or indirectly, the selection of faculty or the standards and criteria for admission of any public institution, whether related to academic standards, residence or other criteria; it being the intention of this section that faculty selection and student admission policies shall remain a function of the individual institutions.

3. Study any proposed escalation of any public institution to a degree-granting level higher than that level to which it is presently restricted and to submit a report and recommendation to the Governor and the General Assembly relating to the proposal. The study shall include the need for and benefits or detriments to be derived from the escalation. No such institution shall implement any such proposed escalation until the Council's report and recommendation have been submitted to the General Assembly and the General Assembly approves the institution's proposal.

4. Review and approve or disapprove all enrollment projections proposed by each public institution of higher education. The Council's projections shall be in numerical terms by level of enrollment and shall be used for budgetary and fiscal planning purposes only. The Council shall develop estimates of the number of degrees to be awarded by each institution and include those estimates in its reports of enrollment projections. The student admissions policies for the institutions and their specific programs shall remain the sole responsibility of the individual boards of visitors; however, all four-year institutions shall adopt dual admissions policies with the community colleges, as required by § 23-9.2:3.02.

5. Review and approve or disapprove all new academic programs which any public institution of higher education proposes. As used herein, "academic programs" include both undergraduate and graduate programs.

6. Review and require the discontinuance of any undergraduate or graduate academic program that is presently offered by any public institution of higher education when the Council determines that such academic program is (i) nonproductive in terms of the number of degrees granted, the number of students served by the program, the program's effectiveness, and budgetary considerations, or (ii) supported by state funds and is unnecessarily duplicative of academic programs offered at other public institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth. The Council shall make a report to the Governor and the General Assembly with respect to the discontinuance of any such academic program. No such discontinuance shall become effective until 30 days after the adjournment of the session of the General Assembly next following the filing of such report.

7. Review and approve or disapprove the creation and establishment of any department, school, college, branch, division or extension of any public institution of higher education that such institution proposes to create and establish. This duty and responsibility shall be applicable to the proposed creation and establishment of departments, schools, colleges, branches, divisions and extensions, whether located on or off the main campus of the institution in question. If any organizational change is determined by the Council to be proposed solely for the purpose of internal management and the institution's curricular offerings remain constant, the Council shall approve the proposed change. Nothing in this provision shall be construed to authorize the Council to disapprove the creation and establishment of any department, school, college, branch, division or extension of any institution that has been created and established by the General Assembly.

8. Review the proposed closure of any academic program in a high demand or critical shortage area, as defined by the Council, by any public institution of higher education and assist in the development of an orderly closure plan, when needed.

9. Develop a uniform, comprehensive data information system designed to gather all information necessary to the performance of the Council's duties. The system shall include information on admissions, enrollments, self-identified students with documented disabilities, personnel, programs, financing, space inventory, facilities and such other areas as the Council deems appropriate. When consistent with the Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act, the Virginia Unemployment Compensation Act, and applicable federal law, the Council, acting solely or in partnership with the Virginia Department of Education or the Virginia Employment Commission, may contract with private entities to create de-identified student records for the purpose of assessing the performance of institutions and specific programs relative to the workforce needs of the Commonwealth. For the purposes of this section, "de-identified student records" means records in which all personally identifiable information has been removed.

10. Develop in cooperation with institutions of higher education guidelines for the assessment of student achievement. An institution shall use an approved program that complies with the guidelines of the Council and is consistent with the institution's mission and educational objectives in the development of such assessment. The Council shall report the institutions' assessments of student achievement in the biennial revisions to the state's master plan for higher education.

11. Develop in cooperation with the appropriate state financial and accounting officials and to establish uniform standards and systems of accounting, record keeping and statistical reporting for the public institutions of higher education.

12. Review biennially and approve or disapprove all changes in the inventory of educational and general space that any public institution of higher education may propose, and to make a report to the Governor and the General Assembly with respect thereto. No such change shall be made until 30 days after the adjournment of the session of the General Assembly next following the filing of such report.

13. Visit and study the operations of each of the public institutions of higher education at such times as the Council shall deem appropriate and to conduct such other studies in the field of higher education as the Council deems appropriate or as may be requested by the Governor or the General Assembly.

14. Provide advisory services to private, accredited and nonprofit institutions of higher education, whose primary purpose is to provide collegiate or graduate education and not to provide religious training or theological education, on academic, administrative, financial and space utilization matters. The Council may also review and advise on joint activities, including contracts for services between such public and private institutions of higher education or between such private institutions and any agency of the Commonwealth or political subdivision thereof.

15. Adopt such rules and regulations as the Council believes necessary to implement all of the Council's duties and responsibilities as set forth in this Code. The various public institutions of higher education shall comply with such rules and regulations.

16. Issue guidelines consistent with the provisions of the federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. § 1232g requiring public institutions of higher education to release a student's academic and disciplinary record to a student's parent.

17. Require that each institution of higher education formed, chartered, or established in the Commonwealth after July 1, 1980, shall ensure the preservation of student transcripts in the event of institutional closure or revocation of approval to operate in the Commonwealth of Virginia. An institution may provide for the preservation of student transcripts by binding agreement with another institution of higher education with which it is not corporately connected or in such other way as the Council may authorize by regulation. In the event an institution closes, or has its approval to operate in the Commonwealth revoked, the Council, through its Director, may take such action as is necessary to secure and preserve the student transcripts until such time as an appropriate institution accepts all or some of the transcripts. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to interfere with the right of a student to his own transcripts; nor shall this section authorize disclosure of student records except as may otherwise be authorized by law.

18. Require the development and submission of articulation, transfer, and dual enrollment and dual admissions, and guaranteed admissions agreements between two- two-year and four-year public institutions of higher education in Virginia, including programs for qualified students to be simultaneously accepted by a community college and a four-year public institution of higher education and, upon successful completion of an associate degree program from the community college, to be automatically enrolled in the four-year institution of higher education. Dual admissions agreements shall set forth (i) the obligations of the students accepted in such programs, including grade point average requirements, acceptable associate degree majors, and completion timetables; and (ii) the student's access to the privileges of enrollment in both institutions during the time enrolled in either institution. Such agreements shall be subject to the admissions requirements of the four-year institutions, except as provided in § 23-9.2:3.02.

19. Provide periodic updates of base adequacy funding guidelines adopted by the Joint Subcommittee Studying Higher Education Funding Policies for the various public institutions.

20. Develop a uniform certificate of general studies program, in consultation with the Virginia Community College System and Virginia public institutions of higher education, to be offered at each community college in Virginia. Such program shall ensure that a community college student who completes the one-year certificate program shall be able to transfer all credits earned in academic subject coursework to a four-year public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth upon acceptance to the institution.

In carrying out its duties and responsibilities, the Council, insofar as practicable, shall preserve the individuality, traditions and sense of responsibility of the respective institutions. The Council, insofar as practicable, shall seek the assistance and advice of the respective institutions in fulfilling all of its duties and responsibilities.

§ 23-9.14:2. State Transfer Tool.

A. The Council shall develop, in cooperation with the governing boards of the public two- two-year and four-year institutions of higher education, a State Transfer Module Tool that designates those general education courses that are offered within various associate degree programs at the public two-year institutions that are transferable for credit or admission with standing as a junior (third year) to the public four-year institutions.

In developing such Module the Transfer Tool, the Council shall also seek the participation of private institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth.

B. The Council shall also require develop guidelines to govern the development and implementation of articulation, transfer, and dual enrollment and dual admissions, and guaranteed admissions agreements between the Commonwealth's public two- two-year and four-year institutions of higher education, including agreements to establish dual admissions programs for qualified students to be simultaneously accepted by a community college and a four-year public institution of higher education and, upon successful completion of an associate degree program from the community college, to be automatically enrolled in the four-year institution of higher education. Dual admissions agreements shall set forth (i) the obligations of the students accepted in such programs, including grade point average requirements, acceptable associate degree majors, and completion timetables;, and (ii) the student's access to the privileges of enrollment in both institutions during the time enrolled in either institution. Such agreements shall be subject to the admissions requirements of the four-year institutions. The Council shall require the public two- and four-year institutions of higher education to develop and implement such agreements, in accordance with the guidelines for articulation, transfer, and dual enrollment and admissions agreements required by § 23-9.2:3.02.

C. The Council shall develop and make available to the public information identifying (i) all general education courses offered at public two-year institutions and designating those that are accepted for purposes of transfer for course credit at four-year public and private institutions of higher education in Virginia; and (ii) those two- and four-year public institutions that have entered into articulation, transfer, and dual enrollment and admissions agreements as required by § 23-9.2:3.02.

§ 23-38.88. Eligibility for restructured financial and administrative operational authority.

A. Public institutions of higher education shall be eligible for the following restructured financial and operational authority:

1. To dispose of their surplus materials at the location where the surplus materials are held and to retain any proceeds from such disposal as provided in subdivision B 14 of § 2.2-1124;

2. To have the option, as provided in subsection C of § 2.2-1132 and pursuant to the conditions and provisions under such subsection, to contract with a building official of the locality in which construction is taking place and for such official to perform any inspection and certifications required for the purpose of complying with the Uniform Statewide Building Code (§ 36-97 et seq.) pursuant to subsection C of § 36-98.1;

3. For those public institutions of higher education that have in effect a signed memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Administration regarding participation in the nongeneral fund decentralization program as set forth in the appropriation act, as provided in subsection C of § 2.2-1132, to enter into contracts for specific construction projects without the preliminary review and approval of the Division of Engineering and Buildings of the Department of General Services, provided such institutions are in compliance with the requirements of the Virginia Public Procurement Act (§ 2.2-4300 et seq.) and utilize the general terms and conditions for those forms of procurement approved by the Division and the Office of the Attorney General;

4. To acquire easements as provided in subdivision 4 of § 2.2-1149;

5. To enter into an operating/income lease or capital lease pursuant to the conditions and provisions provided in subdivision 5 of § 2.2-1149;

6. To convey an easement pertaining to any property such institution owns or controls as provided in subsection C of § 2.2-1150;

7. In accordance with the conditions and provisions of subdivision C 2 of § 2.2-1153, to sell surplus real property valued at less than $5 million, which is possessed and controlled by the institution;

8. For purposes of compliance with § 2.2-4310, to procure goods, services, and construction from a vendor that the institution has certified as a small, women-owned, and minority-owned business enterprise pursuant to the conditions and provisions provided in § 2.2-1609;

9. To be exempt from review of their budget request for information technology by the CIO as provided in subdivision A 4 of § 2.2-2007;

10. To be allowed to establish policies for the designation of administrative and professional faculty positions at the institution pursuant to the conditions and provisions provided in subsection E of § 2.2-2901;

11. To receive the financial benefits described under § 2.2-5005 pursuant to the conditions and provisions of such section;

12. To be exempt from reporting its purchases to the Secretary of Education, provided that all purchases, including sole source purchases, are placed through the Commonwealth's electronic procurement system using proper system codes for the methods of procurement;

13. To utilize as methods of procurement a fixed price, design-build or construction management contract notwithstanding the provisions of § 2.2-4306; and

14. The restructured financial and operational authority set forth in Article 2 (§ 23-38.90) and Article 3 (§ 23-38.91 et seq.).

No such authority shall be granted unless the institution meets the conditions set forth in this chapter.

B. The Board of Visitors of a public institution of higher education shall commit to the Governor and the General Assembly by August 1, 2005, through formal resolution adopted according to its own bylaws, to meeting the state goals specified below, and shall be responsible for ensuring that such goals are met, in addition to such other responsibilities as may be prescribed by law. Each such institution shall commit to the Governor and the General Assembly to:

1. Consistent with its institutional mission, provide access to higher education for all citizens throughout the Commonwealth, including underrepresented populations, and, consistent with subdivision 4 of § 23-9.6:1 and in accordance with anticipated demand analysis, meet enrollment projections and degree estimates as agreed upon with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Each such institution shall bear a measure of responsibility for ensuring that the statewide demand for enrollment is met;

2. Consistent with § 23-38.87:17, ensure that higher education remains affordable, regardless of individual or family income, and through a periodic assessment, determine the impact of tuition and fee levels net of financial aid on applications, enrollment, and student indebtedness incurred for the payment of tuition and fees;

3. Offer a broad range of undergraduate and, where appropriate, graduate programs consistent with its mission and assess regularly the extent to which the institution's curricula and degree programs address the Commonwealth's need for sufficient graduates in particular shortage areas, including specific academic disciplines, professions, and geographic regions;

4. Ensure that the institution's academic programs and course offerings maintain high academic standards, by undertaking a continuous review and improvement of academic programs, course availability, faculty productivity, and other relevant factors;

5. Improve student retention such that students progress from initial enrollment to a timely graduation, and that the number of degrees conferred increases as enrollment increases;

6. Consistent with its institutional mission, develop articulation agreements that have uniform application to, dual admissions, and guaranteed admissions agreements with all Virginia community colleges and meet appropriate general education and program requirements at the four-year institution, provide additional opportunities for associate degree graduates to be admitted and enrolled, and offer dual enrollment programs in cooperation with high schools;

7. Actively contribute to efforts to stimulate the economic development of the Commonwealth and the area in which the institution is located, and for those institutions subject to a management agreement set forth in Article 3 (§ 23-38.91 et seq.), in areas that lag the Commonwealth in terms of income, employment, and other factors;

8. Consistent with its institutional mission, increase the level of externally funded research conducted at the institution and facilitate the transfer of technology from university research centers to private sector companies;

9. Work actively and cooperatively with elementary and secondary school administrators, teachers, and students in public schools and school divisions to improve student achievement, upgrade the knowledge and skills of teachers, and strengthen leadership skills of school administrators;

10. Prepare a six-year financial plan consistent with § 23-38.87:17;

11. Conduct the institution's business affairs in a manner that maximizes operational efficiencies and economies for the institution, contributes to maximum efficiencies and economies of state government as a whole, and meets the financial and administrative management standards as specified by the Governor pursuant to § 2.2-5004 and included in the appropriation act that is in effect, which shall include best practices for electronic procurement and leveraged purchasing, information technology, real estate portfolio management, and diversity of suppliers through fair and reasonable consideration of small, women-owned, and minority-owned business enterprises; and

12. Seek to ensure the safety and security of the Commonwealth's students on college and university campuses.

Upon making such commitments to the Governor and the General Assembly by August 1, 2005, the public institution of higher education shall be allowed to exercise the restructured financial and operational authority set forth in subdivisions A 1 through A 13, subject to such conditions as may be provided under the enabling statutes granting the additional authority.

C. As provided in § 23-9.6:1.01, the State Council of Higher Education shall in consultation with the respective chairmen of the House Committees on Education and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on Finance and Education and Health or their designees, representatives of public institutions of higher education, and such other state officials as may be designated by the Governor, develop objective measures of educational-related performance and institutional performance benchmarks for such objective measures. At a minimum, the State Council shall develop such objective measures and institutional performance benchmarks for the goals and objectives set forth in subdivisions B 1 through B 10 and B 12. In addition, the Governor shall develop objective measures of financial and administrative management performance and related institutional performance benchmarks for the goals and objectives set forth in subdivision B 11.

As provided in subsection C of § 23-9.6:1.01, any public institution of higher education that has been certified during the fiscal year by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia as meeting the institutional performance benchmarks in effect for the fiscal year as set forth in the general appropriation act shall be provided the financial benefits under § 2.2-5005. Such benefits shall first be provided as determined under such section. Objective criteria for measuring performance with regard to the state goals and objectives developed pursuant to subsection B, and benefits or consequences for meeting or not meeting those goals and objectives, shall be developed as provided in subdivision B 5 of § 23-38.87:20.

D. 1. The restructured financial and operational authority set forth in Article 3 (§ 23-38.91 et seq.) shall only be granted in accordance with the expressed terms of a management agreement between the public institution of higher education and the Commonwealth.

No restructured financial or operational authority set forth in Article 3 (§ 23-38.91 et seq.) shall be granted to a public institution of higher education unless such authority is expressly included in the management agreement. In addition, the only implied authority that shall be granted from entering into a management agreement is that implied authority that is actually necessary to carry out the expressed grant of restructured financial or operational authority. As a matter of law, the initial presumption shall be that any restructured financial or operational authority set forth in Article 3 (§ 23-38.91 et seq.) is not included in the management agreement. These requirements shall also apply to any other provision included in Article 3 (§ 23-38.91 et seq.).

2. No public institution of higher education shall enter into a management agreement unless:

a. (i) Its most current and unenhanced bond rating received from (a) Moody's Investors Service, Inc., (b) Standard & Poor's, Inc., or (c) Fitch Investor's Services, Inc. is at least AA- (i.e., AA minus) or its equivalent, provided that such bond rating has been received within the last three years of the date that the initial agreement is entered into or (ii) the institution has (a) participated in decentralization pilot programs in the areas of finance and capital outlay, (b) demonstrated management competency in those two areas as evidenced by a written certification from the Cabinet Secretary or Secretaries designated by the Governor, (c) received additional operational authority under a memorandum of understanding pursuant to § 23-38.90 in at least one functional area, and (d) demonstrated management competency in that area for a period of at least two years. In submitting "The Budget Bill" for calendar year 2005 pursuant to subsection A of § 2.2-1509, the Governor shall include criteria for determining whether or not an institution has demonstrated the management competency required by clause (ii);

b. An absolute two-thirds, or more, of the institution's governing body shall have voted in the affirmative for a resolution expressing the sense of the body that the institution is qualified to be, and should be, governed by the provisions of Article 3 (§ 23-38.91 et seq.), which resolution shall be included in the initial management agreement;

c. The institution agrees to reimburse the Commonwealth for any additional costs to the Commonwealth in providing health or other group insurance benefits to employees, and in undertaking any risk management program, that are attributable to the institution's exercise of any restructured financial or operational authority set forth in Article 3 (§ 23-38.91 et seq.). The institution's agreement to reimburse the Commonwealth for such additional costs shall be expressly included in each management agreement with the institution. The Secretary of Finance and the Secretary of Administration, in consultation with the Virginia Retirement System and the affected institutions, shall establish procedures for determining any amounts to be paid by each institution and a mechanism for transferring the appropriate amounts directly and solely to the programs whose costs have been affected.

In developing management agreements, public institutions of higher education shall give consideration to potential future impacts of tuition increases on the Virginia College Savings Plan (§ 23-38.75) and shall discuss such potential impacts with parties participating in development of such agreements. The chief executive officer of the Virginia College Savings Plan shall provide to the institution and such parties the Plan's assumptions underlying the contract pricing of the program; and

d. Before executing a management agreement with the Commonwealth that affects insurance or benefit programs administered by the Virginia Retirement System, the Governor shall transmit a draft of the relevant provisions to the Board of Trustees of the Virginia Retirement System, which shall review the relevant provisions in order to ensure compliance with the applicable provisions of Title 51.1, administrative policies and procedures and federal regulations governing retirement plans. The Board shall advise the Governor and appropriate Cabinet Secretaries of any conflicts.

3. Each initial management agreement with an institution shall remain in effect for a period of three years. Subsequent management agreements with the institution shall remain in effect for a period of five years.

If an existing agreement is not renewed or a new agreement executed prior to the expiration of the three-year or five-year term, as applicable, the existing agreement shall remain in effect on a provisional basis for a period not to exceed one year. If, after the expiration of the provisional one-year period, the management agreement has not been renewed or a new agreement executed, the institution shall no longer be granted any of the financial or operational authority set forth in Article 3 (§ 23-38.91 et seq.), unless and until such time as a new management agreement is entered into between the institution and the Commonwealth.

The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, in cooperation with the Auditor of Public Accounts, shall conduct a review relating to the initial management agreement with each public institution of higher education. The review shall cover a period of at least the first 24 months from the effective date of the management agreement. The review shall include, but shall not be limited to, the degree of compliance with the expressed terms of the management agreement, the degree to which the institution has demonstrated its ability to manage successfully the administrative and financial operations of the institution without jeopardizing the financial integrity and stability of the institution, the degree to which the institution is meeting the objectives described in subsection B, and any related impact on students and employees of the institution from execution of the management agreement. The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission shall make a written report of its review no later than June 30 of the third year of the management agreement. The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission is authorized, but not required, to conduct a similar review of any management agreement entered into subsequent to the initial agreement.

4. The right and power by the Governor to void a management agreement shall be expressly included in each management agreement. The management agreement shall provide that if the Governor makes a written determination that a public institution of higher education that has entered into a management agreement with the Commonwealth is not in substantial compliance with the terms of the agreement or with the requirements of this chapter in general, (i) the Governor shall provide a copy of that written determination to the chairmen of the Board of Visitors or other governing body of the public institution of higher education and to the members of the General Assembly, and (ii) the institution shall develop and implement a plan of corrective action, satisfactory to the Governor, for purposes of coming into substantial compliance with the terms of the management agreement and with the requirements of this chapter, as soon as practicable, and shall provide a copy of such corrective action plan to the members of the General Assembly. If after a reasonable period of time after the corrective action plan has been implemented by the institution, the Governor determines that the institution is not yet in substantial compliance with the management agreement or the requirements of this chapter, the Governor may void the management agreement. Upon the Governor voiding a management agreement, the affected public institution of higher education shall not be allowed to exercise any restructured financial or operational authority pursuant to the provisions of Article 3 (§ 23-38.91 et seq.) unless and until the institution enters into a subsequent management agreement with the Secretary or Secretaries designated by the Governor or the void management agreement is reinstated by the General Assembly.

5. A management agreement with a public institution of higher education shall not grant any of the restructured financial or operational authority set forth in Article 3 (§ 23-38.91 et seq.) to the Virginia Cooperative Extension and Agricultural Experiment Station, the University of Virginia College at Wise, or the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences or to an affiliated entity of the institution unless such intent, as well as the degree of the restructured financial or operational authority to be granted, is expressly included in the management agreement.

6. Following the execution of each management agreement with a public institution of higher education and submission of that management agreement to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Education, the Senate Committee on Finance, and the Senate Committee on Education and Health pursuant to § 23-38.97, the Governor shall include a recommendation for approval of the management agreement in "The Budget Bill" submitted pursuant to subsection A of § 2.2-1509 or in his gubernatorial amendments submitted pursuant to subsection E of § 2.2-1509 due by the December 20 that immediately follows the date of submission of the management agreement to such Committees. Following the General Assembly's consideration of whether to approve or disapprove the management agreement as recommended, if the management agreement is approved as part of the general appropriation act, it shall become effective on the effective date of such general appropriation act. However, no management agreement shall be entered into by a public institution of higher education and the Secretary or Secretaries designated by the Governor after November 15 of a calendar year.

E. A covered institution and the members of its governing body, officers, directors, employees, and agents shall be entitled to the same sovereign immunity to which they would be entitled if the institution were not governed by this chapter; provided further, that the Virginia Tort Claims Act (§ 8.01-195.1 et seq.) and its limitations on recoveries shall remain applicable with respect to institutions governed by this chapter.