Chapter 18B, Chapter 18B

(a) Definitions. – As used in this section, unless used in a context that clearly requires a different meaning, the term: "Dual credit course" means a credit-bearing college-level course offered by an eligible institution to secondary school students in which the students receive…

(a) 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 hir…

(a) It is the policy of the state that the administrations of state institutions of higher education, and their administrative units, be officially neutral with regard to widely contested opinions in the state regarding unconscious or implicit bias, cultural appropriation, identi…

Pursuant to section ten, article two, chapter two of this code, if any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held unconstitutional or invalid, such unconstitutionality or invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications …

This article shall be known and may be cited as "The Rural Health Initiative Act of 1991."

(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the health of the citizens of West Virginia is of paramount importance; that the education of health care professionals must be reshaped; that the delivery of health care services must be improved; that refocusing health sciences…

For purposes of this article, and in addition to the definitions set forth in section two, article one of this chapter, the terms used in this article have the following definitions ascribed to them: (a) "Advisory panel" or "panel" means the West Virginia rural health advisory pa…

There is hereby established a rural health initiative under the auspices of the board of trustees and under the direction and administration of the vice chancellor. This initiative shall combine the efforts of the rural health initiative as created by this article in the year one…

In addition to all other duties assigned to the vice chancellor by the Higher Education Policy Commission, the vice chancellor shall: (a) Provide assistance to communities in planning an educational and clinical component for the primary health care education sites; (b) Coordinat…

(a) There is hereby created within the commission an office of nursing education and workforce development for the purpose of addressing the issues of education, recruitment, and retention of nurses in West Virginia. The commission is the state’s designated nursing workforce cent…

(a) In addition to the authority granted elsewhere in this chapter, the board of trustees is authorized and directed to establish at least six primary health care education sites at existing rural health care facilities at which students, interns and residents in health sciences …

(a) The primary health care education sites established under this article shall be supported financially in part from line item appropriations to the university of West Virginia health sciences account. Funds shall be distributed to the state’s schools of medicine upon considera…

(a) The vice chancellor, with the assistance of the advisory panel, shall report in detail to the board of trustees on the expenditure and planned expenditure of public funds to the schools of medicine under section eight of this article. The board of trustees shall report to the…

(a) Under the provisions of article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of the Code of West Virginia, the Legislature expressly authorizes the promulgation of the rules described in this article, subject only to the limitations set forth with respect to each rule in the section or sec…

(a) The legislative rule filed in the State Register on September 10, 2008, relating to the Higher Education Policy Commission (Medical Student Loan Program, 133 CSR 34), is authorized, with the following amendment: On page two, subsection 5.1, following the words "financial aid …

(a) The legislative rule filed in the State Register on September 26, 2018, relating to the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education (Acceptance of Advanced Placement Credit, 135 CSR 15), is repealed. (b) The legislative rule filed in the State Register…

(a) The Legislature hereby finds that the essence of excellence in education is the attraction and retention of outstanding faculty; and that, however necessary modern facilities and efficient and effective administration may be, the faculty provides the catalyst by which all the…

(a) The Legislature finds that the continued expansion of the nation's economy is dependent upon the ability of its institutions of higher education to increase the quality, quantity and productivity of its citizens who are engaged in scientific and technical fields of study. Fai…

(a) The Science and Research Council is hereby established. For the purposes of this article only, “council” means the Science and Research Council established herein. (b) The purposes of the council include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) Increasing the capacity of t…

(a) The commission may use a portion of those moneys derived from investment earnings accruing to the trust fund in accordance with the provisions of section three of this article, as well as moneys that are not distributed to participating institutions in accordance with the pro…

Effective July 1, 2002, all funds existing in accounts established in the eminent scholars endowment trust fund act and the distinguished professors endowment trust fund act as previously set out in articles twenty-two-a and twenty-two-e, respectively, of chapter eighteen of this…

(a) The commission's legislative rule to implement the provisions and purposes of this article which is in effect on July 1, 2014, continues in effect unless repealed or amended in accordance with the provisions of section six, article one of this chapter and article three-a, cha…

Whenever the following term is used in this article, it has the meaning described below: "Board of Governors" or "board" means the institutional boards of Governors, individually or collectively, created pursuant to subsection (b), section one, article two-a of this chapter.

(a) General. – For the purposes of this article, terms have the meaning ascribed to them in section two, article one of this chapter, unless the context in which the term is used clearly requires a different meaning or a specific definition is provided in this section. (b) Defini…

(a) The council shall develop a strategic state plan for science and technology research that establishes a collaborative process to engage all scientific research resources, both public and private, in a comprehensive, strategic network. The council's strategic state plan serves…

There is hereby established at each state institution of higher education an eminent scholars endowment trust fund.

(a) There is continued in the State Treasury a special fund to be known as the West Virginia Research Trust Fund which shall consist of appropriations of moneys to the fund made by the Legislature, all earnings from investment of the fund and any unmatched portion of state moneys…

(a) Each board of Governors is hereby expressly authorized to receive private or public grants, gifts or bequests restricted by the donor to the programs set out in this article. The board may hold, invest or reinvest such moneys and expend the income from the moneys as provided …

(a) The governing board of each participating institution may create and administer or enter into an agreement with its research corporation and/or foundation to administer one or more directed research endowments to receive qualified donations and matching state moneys allocated…

(a) Private donations and pledges to a research endowment meet the criteria for designation as a qualified donation or qualified pledge under the following conditions: (1) The donation or pledge is expressly and specifically restricted by the donor for one or more of the eligible…

(a) Each eminent scholars endowment trust fund established at a state institution of higher education pursuant to section three of this article is to be administered by the appropriate board of Governors. The fund at each institution shall consist of new gifts or bequests of priv…

(a) Endowment proceeds may be expended by a participating institution or its affiliated research corporation for any of the following designated uses: (1) To pay the base salaries of newly endowed department chairs, new professorship positions, new research scientists and new res…

The Higher Education Policy Commission shall: (a) Establish documentation standards and review procedures to determine the eligibility of donor gifts to participate in the eminent scholars program when the gift is initially received or whenever the terms are significantly changed…

(a) The Governor shall consider for inclusion in the appropriate account the budget request of the policy commission for the eminent scholars program. (b) Whether or not the Governor includes the budget request of the policy commission as described in subsection (a) of this secti…

(a) To facilitate the goals of this article and to ensure the prudent expenditure of state moneys, the governing board of each participating institution shall submit to the commission a directed research endowment plan. (b) The research plan shall include, but is not limited to, …

(a) A participating institution seeking a distribution of matching moneys from the trust fund first shall obtain qualified donations, qualified pledges, or both, in an amount equal to the amount of matching moneys requested for distribution and shall submit a request to the commi…

(a) Each institution shall establish criteria for the selection of persons to be appointed as eminent scholars pursuant to this article. The criteria shall include, but not be limited to: (1) The prospective appointees' record of distinguished academic or professional work in an …

(a) No later than seven years from the July 1, 2014, each participating institution shall have deposited into its research endowments an amount of qualified donations equal to or greater than the total amount of moneys allocated for distribution to the institution pursuant to the…

Each institution, and each dean and department chair within each institution, may solicit moneys for the endowment of eminent scholars pursuant to this article. All persons and institutions engaged in soliciting moneys shall apprise the board of their actions and provide periodic…

(a) The Legislature makes the following findings: (1) State institutions of higher education vary widely in the conditions of their facilities infrastructure. (2) State institutions of higher education vary widely in their ability to incur debt for capital improvements. It is nea…

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or this code to the contrary, the commission, council and governing boards each may sell, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or part of any real property that it owns, either by contract or at public auction, and shall retain …

(a) The commission or council may enter into lease-purchase agreements for capital improvements, including equipment, on behalf of, or for the benefit of, a state institution of higher education, the commission or council. (b) After the commission or council, as appropriate, has …

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, the commission, council and governing boards may lease, or offer to lease, as lessee, any grounds, buildings, office or other space in the name of the state. (b) The commission, council and governing boards hav…

(a) In addition to the requirements otherwise provided in this article, any purchase of real estate, any lease-purchase agreement and any construction of new buildings or other acquisition of buildings, office space or grounds resulting from these transactions, shall be approved …

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, a governing board may sell any building that is on unencumbered real property to which the board holds title and may lease back the same building if the governing board obtains approval of the council or confir…

(a) A governing board may provide, construct, erect, improve, equip, maintain and operate auxiliary facilities, as defined in section two of this article, for students, employees and visitors on land it owns or leases. (b) The cost of construction, erection, improvement or equipm…

(a) The commission, council and governing boards each may acquire land or buildings by condemnation for the use and benefit of any state institution under its jurisdiction. A condemnation proceeding conducted pursuant to this section is governed by chapter fifty-four of this code…

The commission and council jointly shall propose a rule or rules for legislative approval in accordance with article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, to implement this article.

(a) By July 1, 2013, and annually thereafter, the commission and council shall provide a general status report to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability on the progress being made in implementing the state-wide capital development plan and on the progres…

The governing boards of the exempted schools each may, without obtaining approval of the commission, take any action described or set forth in this article that otherwise would require the approval or confirmation of the commission. The respective governing board shall provide no…