| Summary |
Joint Budget Committee. The bill imposes requirements related
to money appropriated to the department of higher education to be used
by the Auraria higher education center in the 2025-26 state fiscal year.
Money appropriated for operational costs must be used as agreed upon by
the constituent institutions in baseline service level agreements. Any
service or performance level agreement that the Auraria higher education
center enters into using money appropriated for the 2025-26 state fiscal
year must:
•
Be executed by all contracting parties no later than
September 1, 2025;
•
Clearly describe the services, service and staffing levels,
and performance expectations that are contracted for; and
•
Provide that, if costs for services exceed the prices
provided for in the contract, those excessive costs will not
be assumed or incurred until an additional contract is
executed or the original contract is amended.
In the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the Auraria higher education
center shall manage all resources related to baseline service level
agreements and goals and shall present quarterly updates to the
constituent institutions regarding baseline service level agreements and
goals. For other services for the 2025-26 state fiscal year that are not
already contracted for in the baseline service level agreements, the
Auraria higher education center shall establish fee structures, and the
constituent institutions shall enter into agreements with the Auraria higher
education center for the provision of those services.
The bill requires the constituent organizations to contract with an
independent third-party entity that shall conduct the Auraria
comprehensive study (study). The constituent institutions and the Auraria
higher education center shall agree upon which independent third-party
entity will conduct the study before executing a contract to select the
independent third-party entity. If the constituent institutions and the
Auraria higher education center do not agree upon an independent
third-party entity by August 1, 2025, the Colorado commission on higher
education shall, no later than December 31, 2025, select the independent
third-party entity from options proposed by the constituent institutions.
The study must examine the operations of the Auraria campus and
the services provided to students by the constituent institutions and by the
Auraria board of directors through the Auraria higher education center.
The independent third-party entity shall present a report on the findings
of the study.
The study must include the following:
•
A review of all plans and studies conducted in the past 15
years regarding the mission, vision, and development of the
Auraria campus;
•
An evaluation of the statutory design and mission of the
Auraria campus;
•
An evaluation of the current governance model of the
Auraria campus;
•
An evaluation of the operations and management structures
under the current governance model of the Auraria campus;
•
A comparison of the current governance model to
alternative governance models which may yield greater
efficiencies in service delivery; and
•
An evaluation of the financial supports and structures of
Auraria campus governance and operations.
The constituent institutions shall enter into a cost-sharing
agreement to pay for the study using gifts, grants, and donations.
The bill reduces the general fund appropriation made in the annual
general appropriation act for the 2025-26 state fiscal year to the
department of higher education for the college opportunity fund program
for fee-for-service contracts with state institutions by $31,435,042. The
bill appropriates $31,435,042 from the general fund to the department of
higher education for use by the Auraria higher education center.
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