HOUSE BILL 656

47th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2006

INTRODUCED BY

Danice Picraux

AN ACT

RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION; PROVIDING FOR FACULTY INFORMATION IN THE ANNUAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT FOR HIGHER EDUCATION; MAKING APPROPRIATIONS.

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

     Section 1. Section 21-1-26.7 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1990 (1st S.S.), Chapter 4, Section 2, as amended) is amended to read:

     "21-1-26.7. ANNUAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT.--

          A. The higher education department shall submit an annual accountability report to the governor and to the legislature by December 31. Prior to publication, the department shall distribute a draft of the accountability report to all public post-secondary educational institutions and shall allow comment upon the draft report.

          B. The department in consultation with [the] each public post-secondary educational institution shall develop and adopt the content and a format for the report, including the following information:

                (1) student progress and success;

                (2) student access and diversity;

                (3) affordability and cost of educational services; [and]

                (4) public and community service by the [institutions] institution; and

                (5) faculty diversity, orientation, evaluation, compensation and benefits practices, including:

                     (a) number and percentage of part-time and full-time faculty by ethnicity and gender;

                     (b) number of vacant positions posted, average number of applicants for each position and percentage of applicants interviewed for full-time and part-time faculty positions;

                     (c) percentage of full-time and percentage of part-time faculty receiving an annual performance evaluation that includes peer review and a meeting with a supervisor;

                     (d) list of dates and locations for formal orientation sessions for full-time faculty and a list of dates and locations for formal orientation sessions for part-time faculty;

                     (e) per-credit-hour pay rate for full-time instructors or lecturers and per-credit-hour pay rate for part-time faculty;

                     (f) percent salary increase for full-time faculty and percent salary increase for part-time faculty; and

                     (g) description of the institution's policy for offering benefits to full-time faculty and to part-time faculty.

          C. The department shall make no funding recommendation, capital outlay recommendation, distribution or certification on behalf of any public post-secondary educational institution that has not submitted the information required pursuant to this section."

     Section 2. APPROPRIATIONS.--

          A. Three million dollars ($3,000,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the higher education department for expenditure in fiscal year 2007 to distribute to the public post-secondary educational institutions so that the institutions may begin to phase in part-time faculty compensation rates that on a per-credit-hour basis equal those of full-time instructors or lecturers.

          B. Two million dollars ($2,000,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the higher education department for expenditure in fiscal year 2007 to distribute to the public post-secondary educational institutions so that the institutions may begin to phase in the provision of group insurance benefits for part-time faculty.

          C. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2007 shall revert to the general fund.

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