HCS/HB 493 & 39 - This act makes several changes in the representation on the governing bodies of public colleges and universities. These changes affect the governing boards at the University of Missouri, Lincoln University, Truman State University, and the regional state colleges and universities. The act requires that confidentiality requirements apply to all members and representatives on the governing boards, and the act allows any member or representative to voluntarily recuse himself from any board deliberation or proceeding.

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES - The student representative to the governing board of each institution shall receive the same reimbursement for expenses related to board meeting attendance as other board members. Current law prohibits the student representative at Lincoln University and the regional institutions from receiving reimbursement for expenses. The act also provides that the current requirement for the student representative to have paid all student fees and tuition prior to appointment to the board and while serving on the board applies to the student representative at each of the institutions. The student representatives may attend closed meetings of the board unless the board members who are present, not including faculty and student representatives, unanimously vote to exclude them from a given closed meeting.

FACULTY REPRESENTATIVES - The act provides that a faculty member representative shall be appointed as a nonvoting member of each institution's governing body. A panel of three names of full-time faculty members is to be submitted to the Governor by each institution's faculty governing association. From the panel of names, the Governor will appoint the faculty member representative, with the advice and consent of the Senate. Faculty appointments to the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri will rotate among each of the 4 campuses, beginning with the Columbia campus, followed by the Kansas City campus, the Rolla campus, and the St. Louis campus.

The faculty member representative at each institution must be a U.S. citizen and a Missouri resident. Faculty member representatives are to serve a term of two years, and will receive the same reimbursement for expenses as other board members. Faculty member representatives may attend closed meetings of the board unless the board members who are present, not including faculty and student representatives, unanimously vote to exclude them from a given closed meeting. Provisions for filling faculty vacancies on the boards are outlined. The board of governors at Truman State University is increased from ten to eleven members, to accommodate the addition of a nonvoting faculty member representative.

Similar provisions are also in HCS/SS/SCS/SB 168 (1997).
OTTO FAJEN