§ 74-32,469 — Fort Hays state university – northwest Kansas technical college and Fort Hays state university – north central Kansas technical college; affiliation and approval thereof; industry or regional advisory boards; governing body; programs; admissions

(a) Northwest Kansas technical college and north central Kansas technical college, authorized and designated as technical colleges pursuant to K.S.A. 74-32,464 and 74-32,461, and amendments thereto, respectively, with governing boards established pursuant to K.S.A. 74-32,452, and amendments thereto, are hereby affiliated with Fort Hays state university. The institutional infrastructures of these technical colleges are hereby officially designated as Fort Hays state university – northwest Kansas technical college and Fort Hays state university – north central Kansas technical college and shall be governed by and operated as technical colleges within Fort Hays state university.
(b) The governing bodies of northwest Kansas technical college and north central Kansas technical college shall become industry or regional advisory boards to the president of Fort Hays state university for Fort Hays state university – northwest Kansas technical college and Fort Hays state university – north central Kansas technical college. All of the powers and duties established in the governing body of such technical college by law shall be transferred to Fort Hays state university, subject to the rules and regulations and supervision of the state board of regents. The president of Fort Hays state university shall appoint the members of the industry or regional advisory boards. The members of the advisory boards shall represent industry sectors or regions that correspond to the programs offered by Fort Hays state university – northwest Kansas technical college and Fort Hays state university – north central Kansas technical college.
(c) Fort Hays state university – northwest Kansas technical college and Fort Hays state university – north central Kansas technical college shall offer programs approved by Fort Hays state university, including credential and degree programs that technical colleges are authorized by law to award. The industry or regional advisory boards shall:
(1) Review non-credit and credit programs with the president and senior leadership of Fort Hays state university, Fort Hays state university – northwest Kansas technical college and Fort Hays state university – north central Kansas technical college to ensure such programs are aligned with current and emerging needs of industry and the community for an educated and trained workforce;
(2) provide input relating to changes in each advisory board member's industry sector or region that affect academic programs;
(3) perform any operational responsibilities or duties specified in the formal affiliation agreement referenced in subsection (j); and
(4) perform such other responsibilities as requested by the president of Fort Hays state university.
(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed as altering any admission requirements applicable to the respective educational institutions, and each affiliating institution shall continue to be subject to any applicable admission requirements imposed by law. Fort Hays state university shall not admit degree-seeking first-time freshmen or transfer students to university programs who do not meet the applicable qualified admission standards.
(e) Fort Hays state university – northwest Kansas technical college and Fort Hays state university – north central Kansas technical college shall continue to be technical colleges and shall be eligible for funding that is available to technical colleges to the extent provided by law. The amounts of such funding are to be determined in the same manner as provided by law for technical colleges.
(f) Whenever northwest Kansas technical college, northwest Kansas technical school, northwest Kansas area vocational-technical school or northwest tech, or words of like effect, is referred to or designated by any statute, contract or other document, such reference or designation shall be deemed to apply to Fort Hays state university – northwest Kansas technical college. Whenever north central Kansas technical college, north central Kansas area vocational-technical school or NCK tech, or words of like effect, is referred to or designated by any statute, contract or other document, such reference or designation shall be deemed to apply to Fort Hays state university – north central Kansas technical college. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the provisions of all statutes of general application to area vocational schools, area vocational technical schools or technical colleges shall apply to Fort Hays state university – northwest Kansas technical college and Fort Hays state university – north central Kansas technical college. Whenever area vocational schools, area vocational-technical schools or technical colleges are defined, referred to or designated in a statute, such definition, referral or designation shall be deemed to apply to Fort Hays state university – northwest Kansas technical college and Fort Hays state university – north central Kansas technical college.
(g) The formal affiliation agreement between northwest Kansas technical college, north central Kansas technical college and Fort Hays state university shall include provisions relating to the manner and terms upon which faculty, employees and students may be transferred to Fort Hays state university. Such provisions shall specify terms of employment and include other personnel matters. Subject to the authorization of the state board of regents, all personnel of northwest Kansas technical college and north central Kansas technical college who are necessary to the operation of Fort Hays state university – northwest Kansas technical college and Fort Hays state university – north central Kansas technical college, in accordance with the needs of Fort Hays state university, may become personnel of Fort Hays state university. The employment of such personnel shall be deemed uninterrupted.
(h) No suit, action or other proceeding, judicial or administrative, lawfully commenced, or that could have been commenced, by or against northwest Kansas technical college or north central Kansas technical college prior to affiliation, or by or against any personnel of such technical colleges, shall abate by reason of such affiliation. Any such suit, action or other proceeding may be allowed to be maintained by or against Fort Hays state university – northwest Kansas technical college or Fort Hays state university – north central Kansas technical college, as the case may be. No criminal action commenced or that could have been commenced by northwest Kansas technical college or north central Kansas technical college prior to affiliation shall abate by reason of such affiliation.
(i) The affiliation provided for by this section shall not affect any contract, agreement or assurance in effect on the effective date of this section.
(j) The provisions of this section shall be effective upon approval of a formal affiliation agreement that is consistent with these provisions by the state board of regents and the governing bodies of northwest Kansas technical college and north central Kansas technical college and on and after the date the higher learning commission of the north central association of colleges and schools approves the affiliation described in subsection (a). If only one of the governing bodies of the technical colleges provides approval of a formal affiliation agreement as set forth herein, the provisions of this section shall still be considered effective as to the affiliation between Fort Hays state university and the technical college whose governing body provided approval of the formal affiliation agreement.

Legislative History

L. 2023, ch. 26, § 1; July 1.