SB 718

This bill changes the name of faculty development grant programs for technical

colleges, eliminates the requirement for rules for those programs and for the

technical college instructor occupational competency program, modifies other rules

of the Technical College System Board, and eliminates outdated rules of the TCS

Board.

Faculty development grant programs and rules.

Current statutory law

requires the TCS Board to establish programs to award grants to district boards to

promote the following: instructor awareness of and expertise in newly emerging

technologies; the integration of learning technologies in curriculum and instruction;

and the use of instructional methods that involve emerging technologies. Current

statutory law prohibits the TCS Board from awarding a grant to a district board

unless there is a matching fund contribution from the district board equal to at least

50 percent of the grant amount. Current statutory law refers to the programs as

faculty development programs. Under this bill, the programs are referred to as

professional development programs. The bill also eliminates a requirement that the

TCS Board promulgate rules for the programs and repeals the rules the TCS Board

has promulgated.

Technical college instructor occupational competency program.

The

bill eliminates a requirement for the TCS Board to promulgate rules for a technical

college instructor occupational competency program that the TCS Board must

establish under current law. The bill also repeals the rules the TCS Board has

promulgated for the program.

Modifying other rules.

Former statutory law required a technical college

district board to conduct a referendum for capital expenditures in excess of $500,000.

2009 Wisconsin Act 28

revised that law to require a technical college district board

to conduct a referendum for capital expenditures in excess of $1,500,000. However,

a rule of the TCS Board requires a referendum for capital expenditures in excess of

$500,000. This bill updates the TCS Board rule to refer to capital expenditures in

excess of $1,500,000. Current statutory law also provides that all projects on a single

campus that are bid concurrently or approved within a two-year period are

considered one capital expenditure project for the purpose of determining whether

a referendum is required. A rule of the TCS Board requires the TCS Board to

designate, on an annual basis, what constitutes each single campus site. The bill

modifies the rule to require the TCS Board to make the designation, but eliminates

the requirement to do so on annual basis.

Certain rules of the TCS Board refer to personnel certification requirements