44th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2000

RELATING TO EDUCATION; CREATING THE MCKINLEY COUNTY LEARNING CENTER; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. A new section of Chapter 21 NMSA 1978 is enacted to read:

"[NEW MATERIAL] LEARNING CENTER--CREATION--PURPOSE--BOARD.--

A. The "McKinley county learning center" is created to coordinate and provide upper division classes, graduate education and other instruction that is not authorized by Chapter 21, Article 14 NMSA 1978 as an approved component of the branch community college vocational and technical curricula and is needed to provide educational opportunities in McKinley county.

B. All programs offered by the McKinley county learning center shall be existing programs offered by a four-year post-secondary educational institution. The McKinley county learning center shall not develop its own courses.

C. The local advisory board of the Gallup branch of the university of New Mexico shall provide advisory and policy oversight of the administration of the McKinley county learning center and shall be authorized to:

(1) employ staff;

(2) enter into contracts and written agreements and administer and oversee the implementation, completion and enforcement of those contracts or written agreements;

(3) sue and be sued;

(4) assess the educational needs of the community and implement programs and courses as feasible and needed;

(5) act as fiscal agent for the McKinley county learning center to the extent appropriate;

(6) select the courses or programs to be offered by the McKinley county learning center;

(7) manage the transfer and articulation of credits for courses completed; and

(8) administer the process and requirements for conferring degrees earned at the McKinley county learning center."

Section 2. APPROPRIATION.--Seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the board of regents of the university of New Mexico for expenditure in fiscal year 2001 for use by the Gallup branch of the university of New Mexico to establish and initially operate the McKinley county learning center. The appropriation shall be used in the same manner as funding that is provided to universities for residence instruction. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2001 shall revert to the general fund.