Proposed Legislation to Implement the Creation of the West Virginia Office of
Postsecondary Education
Executive Summary
The Governor has charged the Blue Ribbon Commission on Four Year Higher Education to
recommend policies, structure and organization to improve four year higher education in the
State of West Virginia. In particular, the Commission is charged with recommending policies
that support keeping schools in communities with institutional local governing boards, and that
support mission differentiation, particularly service, research and innovation. The Commission
appointed a Governance Subcommittee to perform the following duties set forth in the
Governor’s Charge:


Examine policies and governance structures to provide institutions with the ability to
streamline administrative services to increase quality, create potential economies of scale
and scope, including provision of services by a central providing entity.



Examine policies that facilitate compatibility and alignment among the institutions and
any central service-providing body.



Examine policies that enhance the value and ability of four year institutions to provide
high quality instruction, community outreach, economic development as well as research
and creative discovery within the scope of each institution’s mission.



Examine methods used in other states to restructure higher education.

In accordance with the Governor’s Charge, the Governance Subcommittee has reviewed the
current governance structure for four year higher education provided through the Higher
Education Policy Commission, researched options for the optimal delivery of services and
support to four year institutions and received the input of the State’s four year institutions
regarding their needs for services to be provided through a central service-providing body.
Based upon this research and analysis, the Governance Subcommittee has developed the
following recommendations:


The State shall establish the Office of Postsecondary Education (“OPE”) which will
replace the current Higher Education Policy Commission.



OPE’s purpose will be to (1) enhance access for West Virginians to high quality, low
cost postsecondary educational opportunities; (2) provide maximum flexibility for
individual institutions to operate; (3) maximize the stability of the legal environment for
West Virginia higher education; (4) promote efficiency of operations for all institutions;
and (5) encourage cross-campus collaboration.



The specific responsibilities of OPE will be to (1) provide shared services in a costeffective manner upon the request of the public state colleges and universities and the

 community and technical colleges; and (2) coordinate academic programs at state
colleges and universities.


Based upon the input from the State’s four year institutions, OPE will provide any of the
following shared services to those public institutions which request such services:
(1)

Financial aid training for high school counselors and other citizens
providing financial aid advice to high school students;

(2)

Administration of reciprocity agreements with higher education
institutions and agencies in other states;

(3)

Support for college completion initiatives;

(4)

Online curriculum quality improvement;

(5)

Institutional data management and reporting, including response to
legislative requests for data;

(6)

Health science education and workforce development initiatives, including
the Rural Health Initiative and the Rural Health Residency Program;

(7)

Support for the GEAR UP initiative;

(8)

Support for veterans education and training programs;

(9)

Support for College Foundation of West Virginia student recruitment and
support initiatives;

(10)

Joint purchasing initiatives;

(11)

Preparation of legislative fiscal notes;

(12)

Bond administration;

(13)

Preparation of budgets for the operation of the Office;

(14)

Preparation of audits;

(15)

Implementation of OASIS system;

(16)

Administration of employee benefits system;

(17)

Software support for human resource functions;

(18)

Technical assistance for statutorily required classification and
compensation systems;

(19)

Information technology systems;

(20)

Clearinghouse for external (federal and private) grants;
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 (21)

Training and development initiatives for members of the governing boards
at West Virginia’s four-year public institutions of higher education; and

(22)

Such other services as OPE’s board of managers may determine are
necessary for the Office to achieve its mission.



OPE will also provide any of the shared services enumerated above to private institutions
of higher education in the State upon request in accordance with a fee structure to be
established annually by OPE’s board of managers.



OPE will be overseen and operated by a ten-member board of managers, to be comprised
of one appointee from each one of the State’s four year public institutions. The appointee
will be selected by the respective governing board of each institution, except that the
appointee must be someone other than the president of the institution. The three
members appointed by the Exempted Schools (WVU, Marshall and the School of
Osteopathic Medicine) shall be entitled to vote on all matters before the board of
managers, other than matters pertaining to academic programs at any of the state colleges
and universities.



OPE will have a director to be selected by the board of managers and will employ those
staff persons necessary to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the office.



OPE will review and approve academic programs for governing boards at state colleges
and universities, except for Exempted Schools, in the same manner that HEPC currently
acts.



Except for the specific responsibilities of OPE as outlined herein, all other responsibility
for governance and operation of the public institutions of higher education shall remain
with the governing boards of each respective institution.

With the input and direction of all of the public four year institutions, OPE will be wellpositioned to support our public colleges and universities to enhance the access and quality of
postsecondary education in West Virginia in a more efficient, cost-effective and collaborative
manner, while providing institutions with the maximum amount of authority and flexibility in
their governance and operations.

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