(a) There shall be a student advisory committee to the Board of Regents for Higher Education to assist the board in performing its statutory functions. The committee shall consist of the following student members: One member from each of the institutions within the jurisdiction of the Connecticut State University System, one member from each of the regional community-technical colleges and one member from Charter Oak State College. For the term commencing on July 1, 2015, the members from six of the regional community-technical colleges and two of the institutions within the jurisdiction of the Connecticut State University System, as selected by the student members whose terms expire on or before June 30, 2015, shall serve a term of one year. For the term commencing on July 1, 2016, and every term thereafter, the members from such selected colleges and institutions shall serve a term of two years. All remaining members shall serve a term of two years. If any member ceases to be a matriculating student in good standing, either as a full-time or part-time undergraduate or graduate student at the institution within the constituent unit system that elected such student, the membership of such student shall terminate. If the membership of any such student member terminates, the student government organization of the institution of higher education that elected such member shall, not later than thirty days after the membership terminates and in such a manner as the council determines, elect a student member who shall serve for the remainder of the term.

(b) The members of the committee and alternates for such members shall be elected by the student government organization of the institution of higher education they are to represent. The alternate members of the committee may serve in the absence of the regularly elected member.

(c) The committee shall, on a rotating basis among its members and by a consensus vote of all its members, elect its own chairperson and vice-chairperson, one of whom shall be a member from the Connecticut State University System or Charter Oak State College and the other of whom shall be a member from the regional community-technical colleges, and such other officers as it deems necessary, to serve for a term of one year. The committee shall be deemed to be a public agency within the scope of the Freedom of Information Act, as defined in section 1-200, and shall keep such records as may be appropriate.

(d) The committee, established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, shall meet at least biannually with the Board of Regents for Higher Education. Agendas shall be prepared for such meetings and shall be distributed by the board prior thereto and shall consist of matters recommended for inclusion by the chairperson of the Board of Regents for Higher Education and the committee. Such meetings shall be chaired by the chairperson of the Board of Regents for Higher Education and the committee members shall have the right to participate in all discussions and deliberations, but shall not have the right to vote at such meetings.

(P.A. 82-218, S. 3, 46; P.A. 83-587, S. 15, 96; P.A. 84-241, S. 2, 5; P.A. 89-260, S. 9, 41; P.A. 91-256, S. 46, 69; P.A. 92-126, S. 20, 48; P.A. 97-47, S. 30; P.A. 99-285, S. 5, 12; P.A. 11-48, S. 213; P.A. 15-248, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 82-218 effective March 1, 1983; P.A. 83-587 made a technical amendment to Subsec. (a), substituting “Connecticut State University” for “state colleges”; P.A. 84-241 added “of higher education” to board of governors' title; P.A. 89-260 in Subsec. (a) provided that for the constituent unit of the state system of higher education under the jurisdiction of the board of trustees of the community-technical colleges there shall be two members where the other constituent units each have one member; P.A. 91-256 made technical change in Subsec. (a); P.A. 92-126 changed the descriptions of the members representing technical or technological education; P.A. 97-47 amended Subsec. (c) by substituting “the Freedom of Information Act, as defined in Sec. 1-18a” for “chapter 3”; P.A. 99-285 amended Subsec. (a)(3) to specify that the faculty members be from the faculty senate, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 11-48 replaced advisory committee to the Board of Governors of Higher Education with student advisory committee to the Board of Regents for Higher Education and replaced former provisions with provisions re membership and duties of student advisory committee, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 15-248 amended Subsec. (a) to add provisions re staggered terms of student members and amended Subsec. (c) to permit chairperson and vice-chairperson to be a member representing Charter Oak State College and to change officers' terms from two years to one year, effective July 1, 2015.