CCS/HCS/SCS/SB 355 - This act enacts provisions relating to higher education. HIGHER EDUCATION (Sections 163.191, 172.280, 173.005, 174.160, 174.225, 174.231, 174.251, 174.50, and 178.636) This act 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 of 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. ENGINEERING EQUIPMENT GRANTS (Section 172.287) This act extends from June 30, 2017, to June 30, 2027, the expiration date for a capital improvement appropriation request to include engineering equipment grants at the University of Missouri. THE ACCESS MISSOURI FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (Sections 173.1101, 173.1102, 173.1104, 173.1105, and 173.1107) This act allows students enrolled in virtual institutions, as defined in the act, to participate in the Access Missouri Financial Assistance Program. A virtual institution must continuously maintain certain specified requirements to be considered an approved virtual institution. EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION ROAD SIGNS (Section 226.520) This act provides that 2-year colleges shall qualify for substantially the same road signs as traditional 4-year colleges, irrespective of differences in student housing or types of degrees offered. DENTAL FACULTY PERMITS (Sections 332.081, and 332.183) This act allows the Missouri Dental Board to create and issue dental faculty permits to individuals employed by an accredited dental school, college, or program in Missouri. The holder of a dental faculty permit will be authorized to practice dentistry without a license but only within the scope of his or her employment at such school, college, or program. The holder of a dental faculty permit may not receive any fee or compensation for the practice of dentistry except salary or benefits received as part of his or her employment with the school, college, or program. The qualifications to receive a dental faculty permit are set forth in the act. This act contains provisions identical to provisions in CCS/SB 225 (2017), SB 440 (2017), HCS/HB 411 (2017), HB 665 (2017)(332.081, 332.183), SCS/HB 758 (2017), SCS/HB 815 (2017), HCS/HB 1039 (2017), provisions substantially similar to provisions in SCS/SB 188 (2017), and provisions similar to provisions in SCS/SB 328 (2017), and SB 388 (2017). ERIC VANDER WEERD