As used in this article 60, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) Area technical college means a school offering approved postsecondary vocational programs for credit, operated by a local school district or by a board of cooperative services, and designated by the general assembly as an area technical college in conformity with standards established by the state board for community colleges and occupational education. Tuition rates and fees charged any person not enrolled in a secondary school curriculum must be uniform for any group classification. For the purposes of this article 60, the following schools are area technical colleges: The Emily Griffith technical college, the technical college of the Rockies, and the Pickens technical college.
(1.5) Board means the state board for community colleges and occupational education created in section 23-60-104 (1)(b).
(2) Occupational education means any education designed to facilitate career and technical or occupational development of individual persons, including, but not limited to, career and technical training or retraining that is given in schools or classes, including field or laboratory work incident thereto, under public supervision and control or under contract with the board or a local educational agency and that is conducted as a part of a program designed to fit individuals for gainful employment as semiskilled or skilled workers or technicians in recognized occupations, but excluding any program to fit individuals for employment in occupations generally considered to be professional or that require a baccalaureate or higher degree. The term further includes career and technical guidance and counseling in connection with such training; instruction related to the occupation for which the person is being trained or necessary for the person to benefit from such training; and the training of persons engaged as or preparing to become career and technical education teachers, teacher-trainers, supervisors, and directors.
(3) Postsecondary means related to instruction of students over the age of seventeen years who are not enrolled in a regular program of kindergarten through grade twelve in a public, independent, or parochial school.
(4) A registered elector of a district means any person who is at least eighteen years of age, who is a citizen of the United States, who has resided in the state for thirty-two days, in the local college district thirty-two days, and in the dissolution election precinct thirty-two days immediately preceding the election, and who is duly registered.
(5) Workplace literacy program means any program of remedial education in basic mathematics or literacy skills sponsored by one or more private employers and offered for the benefit of employees and conducted in the workplace.
Source: L. 67: p. 438, � 3. C.R.S. 1963: � 124-26-3. L. 70: p. 347, � 7. L. 71: p. 564, � 49. L. 72: p. 316, � 46. L. 73: p. 1337, � 2. L. 74: (4) amended, p. 420, � 70, effective April 11; (1) amended, p. 389, � 1, effective May 1. L. 79: (1) amended, p. 789, � 2, effective July 1. L. 88: (5) added, p. 867, � 2, effective July 1. L. 95: (1) amended, p. 198, � 10, effective April 13. L. 2004: (1) amended, p. 929, � 1, effective August 4. L. 2006: (3) amended, p. 1214, � 10, effective July 1, 2007. L. 2009: (1) amended, (SB 09-043), ch. 284, p. 1294, � 3, effective May 20. L. 2016: (1) amended, (HB 16-1082), ch. 58, p. 148, � 26, effective August 10. L. 2017: (2) amended, (SB 17-294), ch. 264, p. 1400, � 62, effective May 25; IP and (1) amended, (HB 17-1258), ch. 219, p. 851, � 2, effective August 9. L. 2025: (1.5) added, (SB 25-275), ch. 377, p. 2055, � 121, effective August 6.
Cross references: For the legislative declaration contained in the 2006 act amending subsection (3), see section 1 of chapter 265, Session Laws of Colorado 2006. For the legislative declaration contained in the 2009 act amending subsection (1), see section 1 of chapter 284, Session Laws of Colorado 2009. For the legislative declaration in HB 17-1258, see section 1 of chapter 219, Session Laws of Colorado 2017.
23-60-104. State board for community colleges and occupational education - student advisory council - state advisory council.
(1) (a) Repealed.
(b) There is created a state board for community colleges and occupational education. The board is a body corporate and has the authority to adopt a seal and to receive, demand, and hold for all occupational education purposes and for any educational institution under its jurisdiction such money, lands, or other property as may be donated, bequeathed, appropriated, or otherwise made available to the board, and it may use such property in the interests of community and technical colleges and occupational education in this state.
(2) (a) (I) The board consists of:
(A) One member from each congressional district in the state, appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate;
(B) Two members from the state at large, appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate; and
(C) Two members selected pursuant to subsection (2)(a)(III) of this section.
(II) The board shall appoint a director of occupational education and a director of community and technical colleges with the qualifications and background specified by the board. No appointed member shall be an employee of any local district college, community or technical college, school district or agency receiving vocational funds allocated by the board, private institution of higher education, or state or private occupational school in the state. No appointed member shall be an elected or appointed statewide official of the state of Colorado or member of the governing board of any state-supported institution of higher education. The board must at no time have more than a minimum majority of the appointed members affiliated with any one political party. Members of the board shall be appointed so as to ensure that all geographic areas of the state are represented. A state student advisory council of student members who are enrolled for a minimum of nine hours shall be elected, one each, from and by the student bodies of each of the campuses governed by the board.
(III) The first additional member must be a student at a college of a state system of community colleges, and the second additional member must be a member of the faculty of a college of the state system of community colleges. Such members shall be elected in accordance with procedures established by the board, which procedures must take into account all the colleges within the state system of community colleges. The term of said offices is one year. Said offices are advisory, without the right to vote and without the right to attend executive sessions.
(b) The term of office for each member appointed by the governor is four years; except that a member of the board who is appointed by the governor shall continue to serve until a successor is appointed and confirmed by the senate, and the terms of members appointed by the governor shall be staggered so that no more than a minimum majority of the appointed members' terms expire in the same year. The terms of the offices of members of the state student advisory council shall be one year. A member appointed to the board shall not serve for more than two consecutive full four-year terms. Members of the board shall receive fifty dollars per diem for attendance at official meetings, plus actual and necessary expenses incurred in the conduct of official business.
(c) If a member appointed by the governor moves out of the congressional district from which the member was appointed, a vacancy is created. A member who moves out of such congressional district shall promptly notify the governor of the date of such move, but such notice is not required for the vacancy to occur. Any vacancy in the office of any member of the board appointed by the governor shall be filled by appointment of the governor with the consent of the senate for the unexpired term. Any vacancy on the state student advisory council shall be filled for the unexpired term by appointment by the duly elected student government of the affected campus within thirty days after such vacancy occurs.
(3) Repealed.
(4) The board shall appoint an executive officer of the board, who shall serve at the pleasure of the board and shall receive compensation commensurate with his duties as determined by the board. Offices held by the executive officer and professional personnel are declared to be educational in nature and not under the state personnel system.
Source: L. 67: p. 438, � 4. C.R.S. 1963: � 124-26-4. L. 71: p. 1305, � 7. L. 72: p. 552, � 19. L. 73: p. 1335, � 1. L. 75: (2) amended, p. 741, � 8, effective January 1, 1976; (2)(a) amended, p. 509, � 2, effective January 1, 1976. L. 77: (2) amended, p. 1126, � 1, effective July 1. L. 78: (2)(a) amended, p. 383, � 1, effective March 17; (3) amended, p. 385, � 1, effective April 4. L. 79: (2)(a) amended, p. 1637, � 36, effective July 19. L. 81: (2)(a) amended, p. 852, � 29, effective July 1. L. 82: (2)(a) and (2)(b) amended, p. 353, � 10, effective April 30. L. 85: (2)(a) amended, p. 769, � 27, effective July 1. L. 86: (3) amended, p. 415, � 26, effective March 26; entire section amended, p. 838, � 2, effective April 14. L. 91: (3) amended, p. 695, � 10, effective April 20; (2)(b) amended, p. 900, � 40, effective June 5. L. 97: (3) repealed, p. 1093, � 1, effective May 27. L. 2001: (2)(a)(I) amended, p. 146, � 2, effective March 23. L. 2006: (2)(b) amended, p. 1234, � 9, effective May 26. L. 2019: (2)(b) amended, (HB 19-1152), ch. 58, p. 199, � 1, effective March 28. L. 2022: (1)(a) repealed and (2) amended, (SB 22-013), ch. 2, p. 42, � 52, effective February 25. L. 2025: (1)(b) amended, (SB 25-275), ch. 377, p. 2055, � 122, effective August 6.
Editor's note: Amendments to subsection (2) in Senate Bill 75-384 and House Bill 75-1232 were harmonized.
23-60-104.5. Recommendations of governor's task force - legislative declaration - definitions. (1) The general assembly hereby finds and declares that:
(a) On December 23, 2003, by executive order, the governor established the governor's task force to strengthen and improve the community college system;
(b) The task force was charged with evaluating the current structure of governance and administration in the state system of community colleges and recommending reforms and cost savings to the governor, the Colorado commission on higher education, the board, and, if applicable, the general assembly;
(c) The task force met ten times and sponsored five public forums at community colleges around the state;
(d) The task force made six recommendations to the governor along with a two-year timeline for completing each recommendation and sending periodic reports to the governor;
(e) These recommendations were:
(I) Decreasing the administrative costs of the system office;
(II) Maintaining a central system office but restructuring its functions;
(III) Centralizing and standardizing the information technology functions of the system office;
(IV) Decentralizing institutional research functions of the colleges;
(V) Restructuring of distance learning; and
(VI) Completing a comprehensive review of the administrative costs for career and technical education;
(f) The task force recommended that any cost savings achieved from the recommendations, pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of this section, should go to program providers for enhancing services pursuant to paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of this section;
(g) The task force recommended that the board conduct a comprehensive examination of the Lowry campus, including how to develop the land to its highest and best use and how any funds resulting from these changes may be invested in the classrooms of the state system of community colleges;
(h) The task force established a timeline for the board to follow and included in that timeline periodic reports to the governor; and
(i) It is in the best interests of the public that some of these recommendations be put into statute.
(2) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) Colleges means the community colleges under the control of the board.
(b) System office means the office under the board that provides services to all of the colleges.
(c) Task force means the governor's task force established pursuant to an executive order dated December 23, 2003.
(3) (a) For the state fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2004, and ending on June 30, 2005, the board shall reduce the state-funded administrative costs of the system office by at least twenty percent.
(b) The moneys available because of the reductions required by paragraph (a) of this subsection (3) shall be used to finance the following recommendations of the task force:
(I) (A) The installation of a centralized, standardized, integrated, system-wide information technology system solution for the colleges.
(B) On or before July 1, 2004, the board shall begin implementation of the centralized, standardized, integrated, system-wide information technology configuration for the colleges. The implementation of the information technology configuration shall be substantially completed on or before June 30, 2006. The board and the colleges shall adopt best practices for all business processes.
(II) By January 1, 2005, the restructuring of distance learning at all colleges by requiring the system office to provide and all colleges to use a common utility infrastructure and maintain a common standard for security and accreditation;
(III) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2005, p. 1016, � 10, effective June 2, 2005.)
(IV) By July 1, 2004, conducting a comprehensive review by the board of the administrative costs for career and technical education.
(c) Any remaining moneys available because of the reductions required by paragraph (a) of this subsection (3) after the financing of the recommendations specified in paragraph (b) of this subsection (3) shall be used in delivering classroom instruction and in support of the colleges.
(4) (a) On or before June 30, 2005, the state board shall develop a master plan for the use, development, or sale of the real property at the Lowry campus, except for the property used by the community college of Aurora or the community college of Denver. Nothing in this section shall prevent the board from allowing a charter school to be located at the Lowry campus prior to the development of the master plan, and nothing in the master plan shall cause the displacement of a charter school.
(b) On or before June 30, 2006, the state board may enter into an agreement with a third-party master developer to carry out the use, development, or sale of the real property for the Lowry campus.
(5) (a) As used in this subsection (5), unless the context otherwise requires, net proceeds from the Lowry property means the proceeds from the sale, ground lease, or other disposition of the real estate interests of the state board at the Lowry campus, less the actual and reasonable costs of completing the transaction and less any unsatisfied debt or other obligation relating to such real estate interests.
(b) The net proceeds from the Lowry property may be maintained in an account for use by the state board for capital-development-related projects at the system office or the colleges.
(6) On or before October 1, 2004, July 1, 2005, and July 1, 2006, the board shall submit to the governor and to the education committees of the senate and house of representatives reports on the progress made in implementing the recommendations contained in this section.
Source: L. 2004: Entire section added, p. 1529, � 1, effective May 28. L. 2005: (3)(a) and (3)(b)(III) amended, p. 1016, � 10, effective June 2.