SCS/HB 758 - This act provides that the retirement plan for employees of certain higher education institutions shall contribute six percent of payroll to the plan, rather than the current one percent of payroll less than the normal cost contribution rate established for employees of institutions other than outside employees, and that employees hired on or after July 1, 2018, shall contribute two percent of pay. Additionally, all employees may also contribute to an optional supplemental retirement account. The effective date of these provisions is July 1, 2018.
These provisions are identical to provisions in CCS/HCS/SS/SB 62 (2017) and SCS/HCS/HB 831 (2017) and substantially similar to provisions in HCS/HB 886 (2017), SB 1090 (2016), and SS/SCS/SB 980 (2016).
This act also provides that community colleges may grant baccalaureate degrees if authorized by the Coordinating Board for Higher Education. The West Plains Campus of Missouri State University and the State Technical College of Missouri may also offer baccalaureate degrees if authorized by the Coordinating Board. The University of Missouri is the only state college or university authorized to offer doctor of philosophy degrees or first-professional degrees.
The Coordinating Board may approve, not approve, or provisionally approve proposed new degree programs offered by state institutions of higher education. The Coordinating Board may authorize a degree program outside of an institution's coordinating board-approved mission only when certain requirements are met as described in the act.
The board of regents of each state college and each state teachers college have authority to confer additional degrees when authorized by the Coordinating Board, in circumstances as described in the act. An institution may be authorized to offer nonresearch doctoral degrees in allied health professions independently if collaboration with another institution would not increase the quality of the program. The boards of state colleges and state teachers colleges have the power and authority to confer degrees in engineering only in collaboration with the University of Missouri if the collaborative agreement is approved by the governing board of each institution. In such instance the University of Missouri will be the degree-granting institution. If the University of Missouri declines to collaborate, institutions may seek approval of the program with the Coordinating Board through the Board's review process.
No state college or university may seek the land grant designation held by Lincoln University and the University of Missouri or the research designation currently held by the University of Missouri.
This act repeals provisions relating to Missouri Southern State University's ability to offer specific programs and degrees in collaboration with the University of Missouri and provisions granting authority to Missouri Southern State University and Missouri Western State University to offer master's level degree programs in accountancy.
These provisions are identical to SCS/SB 328 (2017).
JAMIE ANDREWS