Chapter 18B, Chapter 18B

As used in this section: (1) "Diversity, equity, and inclusion" means any action, attempt, or effort to: (A) Influence hiring or employment practices with respect to race, color, sex, ethnicity, or national origin, other than through the use of color-blind and sex-neutral hiring …

(a) The Legislature finds that economic development in West Virginia depends in part on collaborations developed between higher education and businesses and industry, particularly in the advancement of new and emerging technologies. It is in the best interests of the citizens of …

(a) The Legislature finds that: (1) Accountability and strategic planning are valuable and necessary components of establishing and achieving goals for higher education in this state and fulfilling missions of the institutions; (2) To be most effective and efficient, the accounta…

There is hereby created the “Higher Education Policy Commission”, hereinafter referred to as the “commission”. It is the intent of the Legislature that the commission be responsible to provide shared services in a cost-effective manner upon request by the state colleges and unive…

(a) The intent of the Legislature in enacting this section is to direct the commission, council and State Board of Education to enter into a state compact, consistent with the provisions of section six of this article, on or before July 1, 2009, to develop and maintain a longitud…

(a) There is hereby created the State Advisory Council on Postsecondary Attainment Goals. The council’s purpose is to ensure that students are provided opportunities to learn and earn the most relevant industry-demanded knowledge, skills, and credentials to prepare students for t…

(a) There is created the State Advisory Council on Establishing a Military College. The council’s purpose is to study the viability and potential benefits of creating an accredited educational institution offering baccalaureate degrees that is patterned, to the extent practicable…

(a) There is established in the State Treasury a special revenue fund known as the "research challenge fund." Moneys deposited in this fund shall be administered by the Higher Education Policy Commission. The moneys deposited in this fund shall be used to fund coal research and d…

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this section to establish state goals for public higher education which benefit the citizens of the State of West Virginia. (b) It is further the intent of the Legislature that this section be read and implemented in conjunction…

(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this code to the contrary, each state institution of higher education may develop plans that offer various incentives for voluntary, early, or phased retirement of employees or voluntary separation from employment when necessary to impl…

(a) Purpose. — The purpose of this section is as follows: (1) To assist students in the planning and preparation for success in college and other post-secondary education if their education major interests require such formal education after high school; (2) To establish the mini…

(a) The Legislature finds that: (1) Efficiencies, entrepreneurialism, and the effectiveness of governing boards in fulfilling certain goals can be incentivized through the accountability and autonomy associated with exemption status for state colleges and universities based on me…

(a) West Virginia University Institute of Technology is a fully integrated division of West Virginia University. All administrative and academic units are consolidated with primary responsibility for direction and support assigned to West Virginia University. The campus president…

(a) A state institution of higher education and each governing board of a state institution of higher education shall ensure that each unit of the institution does not: (1) Establish, sustain, support, staff, or maintain a diversity, equity, and inclusion officer or office; (2) H…

The following words used in this article have the meanings ascribed to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning: (a) "Affiliated corporation" or "corporation" means a corporation which meets the essential criteria prescribed in section three o…

(a) The commission is comprised of nine members, all of whom are entitled to vote. The membership of the commission is as follows: (1) The State Superintendent of Schools, ex officio; (2) The Chair of the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education, ex off…

The following words when used in this chapter and chapter 18C of this code have the meanings ascribed to them unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning: “Administratively linked community and technical college” means a state institution of higher education deliveri…

(a) The commission shall meet as needed at the time and place specified by the call of the chairperson. (b) The commission shall hold an annual meeting at the final, regularly scheduled meeting of each fiscal year for the purpose of electing officers. At the annual meeting, the c…

(a) "Diversity, equity, and inclusion office" does not include any of the following: (1) An office or position operating with the sole and exclusive mission of ensuring legal compliance under Title IX of the federal Education Amendments Act of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §1681 et seq., as am…

(a) The commission is authorized to enter into agreements and any other contractual relationships with an affiliated corporation formed as set forth in this article. (b) The affiliated corporation shall meet the following essential criteria: (1) Corporation status. -- The corpora…

(a) All powers, duties and authorities transferred to the board of Regents pursuant to former provisions of chapter eighteen of this code and transferred to the board of Trustees and Board of Directors which were created as the governing boards pursuant to the former provisions o…

(a) A state institution of higher education shall file and certify with the Joint Committee on Education a report of the steps taken by the academic institution of higher education and its staff, administration, and faculty to comply with this article. (b) The state institution o…

(a) The primary responsibility of the commission is to provide shared services in a cost-effective manner upon request to the state colleges and universities, the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education, and the community and technical colleges; undert…

(a) The primary responsibility of the corporation is to manage the day-to-day operations of the technology park through collaboration agreements with the commission. To that end, the board of directors has the following powers and duties: (1) To employ an executive director subje…

(a) All the powers, duties and authorities which the board of Governors of West Virginia University, previously established by article eleven of chapter eighteen of the code or by any other provisions of law, may have had immediately prior to July 1, 1969, shall be the powers, du…

A state institution of higher education shall reallocate any and all unexpended moneys appropriated by the Legislature in fiscal year 2025-2026 that would have been expended on prohibited diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and officers on or after the effective date of this…

(a) The commission shall set the qualifications for the position of executive director and shall conduct a thorough search for qualified candidates. A qualified candidate is one who meets at least the following criteria: (1) Possesses a broad understanding of the relationship bet…

(a) The commission, created by §18B-1B-1 of this code, shall employ a Chancellor for Higher Education who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission and who serves at its will and pleasure. (b) The commission shall set the qualifications for the position of chancellor and, …

(a) The commission may promulgate, adopt, amend, or repeal rules, in accordance with §29A-3A-1 et seq. of this code, subject to §18B-1-3 of this code. This grant of rule-making authority does not limit, overrule, restrict, supplant, or supersede the rule-making authority provided…

(a) The commission may enter into agreements or other contractual relationships with a corporation that meets the conditions set forth in section three of this article. Any agreement shall specify that the corporation is accountable to the commission for the efficient operations …

(a) Appointment of institutional presidents. — Appointment of presidents of the state institutions of higher education, except the statutorily exempted schools, shall be made as follows: (1) The initial contract term for a president may not exceed two years. At the end of the ini…

(a) The Legislature finds that West Virginia long has recognized the value of education and, on a per capita income basis, ranks very high among the states in its investment to support public education. The Legislature further finds that a combination of state and national demogr…

(a) Each public and private institution of higher education shall develop and implement a policy to advise students and staff on suicide prevention programs available on and off campus that includes, but is not limited to: (1) Crisis intervention access, which includes informatio…

(a) The financial statements of the corporation shall be audited annually by an independent certified public accountant or firm. Within thirty days of completion, the financial audit report shall be presented to the corporation's board of directors for approval, after which a cop…

(a) Nothing contained in this article waives or abrogates in any way the sovereign immunity of the state or deprives the commission or any officer or employee of the commission of sovereign immunity. (b) Obligations of the board of directors or the corporation do not constitute d…

(a) The purpose of the institutional and statewide data reporting system is to make information available through the official websites of the commission and council to parents, students, faculty, staff, state policymakers, and the general public on the quality and performance of…

(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this code to the contrary, the following statutorily mandated reports are not required to be prepared and submitted annually to the Legislature but this information and data previously contained therein shall be combined with other repo…

(a) The Legislature finds that the Technology Park is a diversified, multi-tenant research, development and commercialization park focused on energy, chemicals and other sciences and technologies for the advancement of education and economic development in West Virginia. The area…

(a) The Chancellor for higher education and the chancellor for community and technical college education, as those terms are defined in §18B-1-2 of this code, or their designees, shall develop a comprehensive orientation and training program for new members of the commission, the…

(a) Findings. The Legislature finds that the State of West Virginia is served best when the membership of each governing board is informed by the following: (1) The academic expertise and institutional experience of faculty members and a student of the institution governed by the…

(a) Legislative findings. -- (1) The Legislature hereby finds that for nearly two decades legislation has been enacted having as a principal goal creation of a strong, effective system of community and technical education capable of meeting the needs of the citizens of the state.…

The following words when used in this article and article two-b of this chapter have the meaning hereinafter ascribed to them unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning: (a) "Adult basic education" means adult basic skills education designed to improve the basic lit…

The following words when used in this article have the meaning hereinafter ascribed to them unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning: (a) "Adult basic education" means adult basic skills education designed to improve the basic literacy needs of adults, including i…

(a) The boards of Governors shall hold at least six meetings in every fiscal year, including an annual meeting each June for the purpose of electing officers. (b) One more than half the number of voting members currently serving on an institutional board of Governors shall consti…

(a) The council annually shall review and analyze all the state community and technical colleges, and any branches, centers, regional centers or other delivery sites with a community and technical college mission, to determine their progress toward meeting the goals, objectives, …

(a) The governing boards are subject to the oversight of the commission or the council, as appropriate, except that the authority of the commission relating to the exempted schools is limited to the specific authorities granted under this chapter. (b) The Chancellor for Higher Ed…

(a) There is continued the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education. The council has all the powers and duties assigned by law to the joint commission for vocational--technical-occupational education prior to July 1, 2001, and all other powers and dutie…

(a) The council is comprised of thirteen members selected as follows: (1) Eight members appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate: (A) One member shall be appointed from each community and technical college consortia district as established in this sect…

(a) Subject to the provisions of subsection (c), section three of this article, if the council makes a determination that one or more of the conditions exists, then the council is authorized to create the West Virginia community and technical college. (b) As soon as practicable a…

Each governing board separately shall: (a) Determine, control, supervise, and manage the financial, business, and education policies and affairs of the state institution of higher education under its jurisdiction; (b) Develop a master plan for the institution under its jurisdicti…