§3134. Accountability in higher education; legislative intent; definitions; reporting forms

A.(1) It is the intent of the legislature that an accountability process be established and implemented to provide for the systematic, ongoing evaluation of quality and effectiveness in the public institutions of higher education in Louisiana that may be used to initiate curriculum, programmatic, funding, policy, or planning changes in higher education.

(2) It is further the intent of the legislature that the accountability process monitor performance at the institutional level in each of the major areas of research, student learning and development, faculty development and quality, and to assure that progress toward providing excellent educational programming and opportunities consistent with the institutional role, scope, and mission of each of the public institutions of higher education is being made and funded.

B. The accountability process shall be developed by the Board of Regents in a collaborative effort involving each higher education management board.

C.(1) The Board of Regents shall be the authorized agency for administration, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the accountability process and is authorized to, but is not limited to, the following:

(a) Adopt the appropriate measures, necessary standard definitions, and program guidelines to implement an accountability process for public institutions of higher education.

(b) Identify institutional and systemwide performance standards and performance goals.

(c) Develop appropriate reporting procedures and formats for use by the institutions in reporting data.

(d) Develop a process for allocating funding in an objective and measurable manner designed to assure adequate resources are available to achieve excellent educational programming and opportunity consistent with each institution's role, scope, and mission and to provide incentive and reward for excellence in institutional performance.

(e) Submit an annual report to the governor and to the Committees on Education of the Senate and the House of Representatives beginning in 1997.

(2) The Board of Regents shall adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary in implementing this Section, which shall include but shall not be limited to the final recommendations of the Accountability in Public Higher Education Advisory Committee.

D. The Board of Regents may require that every public higher education institution submit to it, at a time it specifies, an annual accountability report of institutional effectiveness to include the data as it may determine.

E. The provisions of this Section shall be mandatory only to the extent that the necessary funds are appropriated to the Board of Regents for this purpose.

Acts 1993, No. 237, §1; Acts 1995, No. 459, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1360, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1998.