| Chapter 229 |
| 2022 -- S 2747 SUBSTITUTE A Enacted 06/27/2022 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO EDUCATION -- UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND |
Introduced By: Senator V. Susan Sosnowski |
| Date Introduced: March 24, 2022 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 16-32-2.2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-32 entitled "University |
| of Rhode Island [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby |
| amended to read as follows: |
| 16-32-2.2. Appointment and removal of the board of trustees. |
| (a) There is hereby established a board of trustees for the university of Rhode Island |
| consisting of seventeen (17) members. The governor shall appoint the initial members, with the |
| advice and consent of the senate, to serve on the board of trustees, until the expiration of their term |
| and their successor is appointed. In making these appointments the governor shall give due |
| consideration to recommendations from the president of the university of Rhode Island and at least |
| three (3) of those members appointed by the governor shall be residents of the state of Rhode Island, |
| at least one of those members shall be selected from a list of names of at least five (5) individuals |
| submitted by the speaker of the house of representatives, and at least one of those members shall |
| be selected from a list of names of at least five (5) individuals submitted by the president of the |
| senate. In addition, the president of the university of Rhode Island shall appoint one faculty member |
| and one student member who shall be a full-time student in good standing at the university and |
| who shall both serve in a non-voting, ex officio capacity for a single two-(2) year (2) term. The |
| president of the university of Rhode Island, the chair of the board of education, and the chair of the |
| council on postsecondary education shall serve in a non-voting, ex-officio capacity on the board of |
| trustees. Six (6) of the members initially appointed pursuant to this section shall serve terms of |
| three (3) years; seven (7) members initially appointed pursuant to this section shall serve terms of |
| two (2) years, including the member appointed from the list submitted by the speaker of the house |
| of representatives and the member appointed from the list submitted by the president of the senate; |
| and, four (4) members initially appointed pursuant to this section shall serve terms of one year. |
| Thirteen (13) A majority of voting members of the board shall constitute a quorum and the vote of |
| a majority of those present and voting shall be required for action. |
| (b) After the initial terms of appointment have expired, the governor shall appoint nine (9) |
| seventeen (17) members with the advice and consent of the senate to serve as members of the board |
| of trustees with three (3) members appointed for a term of three (3) years; with three (3) members |
| appointed for a term of two (2) years, including the member appointed from the list submitted by |
| the speaker of the house of representatives and the member appointed from the list submitted by |
| the president of the senate; and with three (3) members appointed for a term of one year and shall |
| be eligible to be reappointed to a term of two (2) years. In making these appointments the governor |
| shall give due consideration to recommendations from the president of the university and the chair |
| of the board of trustees of the university of Rhode Island and at least three (3) of those members |
| appointed by the governor shall be residents of the state of Rhode Island, at least one of those |
| members shall be selected from after due consideration of a list of names of at least five (5) |
| individuals submitted by the speaker of the house of representatives, and at least one of those |
| members shall be selected from after due consideration of a list of names of at least five (5) |
| individuals submitted by the president of the senate. The remaining eight (8) voting members shall |
| be self-perpetuating members appointed by the board pursuant to rules adopted by the board |
| regarding the nomination and appointment of members and shall serve terms as defined by the |
| board pursuant to the adopted rules and be eligible for reappointment. In making these |
| appointments the board shall give due consideration to recommendations from the president of the |
| university of Rhode Island. All members shall be appointed for a term of three (3) years and shall |
| be eligible for reappointment. In addition, the president of the university of Rhode Island shall |
| appoint one faculty member and one student member who shall be a full-time student in good |
| standing at the university and who shall both serve in a non-voting, ex officio capacity. The faculty |
| member shall serve for a single two-(2) year (2) term. The student member shall serve for up to |
| two (2) one-year terms. The president of the university of Rhode Island, the chair of the board of |
| education, and the chair of the council on postsecondary education shall serve in a non-voting, ex |
| officio capacity of on the board of trustees. |
| (c) A majority of the board shall elect the chair of the board from among the seventeen (17) |
| voting board members pursuant to rules and regulations adopted by the board establishing the |
| procedure for electing a chair. |
| (d) Public members Members of the board shall be removable by the appointing authority |
| of the member governor for cause only, and removal solely for partisan or personal reasons |
| unrelated to capacity or fitness for the office shall be unlawful. In making decisions to remove a |
| member, the governor shall give due consideration to recommendations from the chair of the board |
| of trustees of the university of Rhode Island. No removal shall be made for any cause except after |
| ten (10) days' notice in writing of specific charges, with opportunity for the member to be present |
| in person and with counsel at a public hearing before the appointing authority, to introduce |
| witnesses and documentary evidence in his or her the member’s own defense, and to confront and |
| cross-examine adversary witnesses; and appeal shall lie to the superior court from the governor's |
| determination. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC005592/SUB A/2 |
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