This bill revises the training requirements for governing board members of public institutions of higher education in New Jersey. It mandates that newly appointed members complete a training program within six months of their appointment, a reduction from the previous one-year requirement. Additionally, all members must undergo training every two years thereafter. The bill shifts the responsibility for determining the training content from the institutions to the Secretary of Higher Education, ensuring that the training includes topics such as the financial management role of the governing board. It also introduces a provision for notifying members who fail to meet training requirements, granting them a 30-day grace period to comply, after which failure to do so will result in automatic resignation from the board and disqualification from reappointment for two years.

Furthermore, the bill repeals a previous requirement for four-year public institutions to provide certain training and information to their governing board members, consolidating the training responsibility under the Secretary of Higher Education. To support these changes, the bill allocates $350,000 annually from the General Fund to the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education. Overall, the bill aims to enhance the governance of public higher education institutions by ensuring that board members are adequately trained and informed about their roles and responsibilities.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 18A:3B-6.3, 18A:3B-62