§ 21-18-202 — Powers and duties of the commission

(a) The commission shall perform the following general
functions:
(i) Advocate community college education to the
office of the governor, the legislature, the University of
Wyoming, public education agencies, the business sector and
other appropriate entities;
(ii) Establish tuition rates for the community
colleges;
(iii) Establish residency requirements, which shall
include provisions for military veterans, eligible individuals
and covered individuals as described in 38 U.S.C. 3679(c)(2)
consistent with the requirements of W.S. 21-17-105(e). The
commission shall provide that students receiving a Hathaway
expand Wyoming scholarship in any amount shall qualify for
resident tuition each semester the student receives the
scholarship;
(iv) Maintain an administrative computing system
contract and Internet or similar proprietary or common carrier
electronic system access for members of the system;
(v) Develop and maintain a statewide college system
strategic plan for the delivery of educational programs in
Wyoming by each college pursuant to subsection (h) of this
section;
(vi) In cooperation with the community colleges and
the University of Wyoming, develop and maintain a common
transcript and transfer process system that uses common course
numbering for all undergraduate courses provided at the
community colleges and the University of Wyoming. The
development and ongoing maintenance of the statewide course
numbering system, including determining course equivalencies,
shall be accomplished with the assistance of appropriate
committees that shall include faculty members and staff of the
community colleges and the University of Wyoming. The system
shall:
(A) Facilitate program planning and the transfer
of students and course credits between the community colleges
and the University of Wyoming;
(B) Offer functionality to transmit transcript
information between the community colleges and the University of
Wyoming;
(C) Extend to the community college commission,
the Wyoming department of education, the department of workforce
services and the University of Wyoming a statewide longitudinal
education data system, which shall serve as a statewide exchange
for management and analytical reporting in support of education
and workforce outcomes;
(D) Use a common transcript and transfer process
vendor;
(E) Use electronic course catalog software to
ensure a consistent experience for students between the
community colleges and the University of Wyoming. Each community
college and the University of Wyoming may use different course
catalog software. The software shall provide a search function
for educational programs;
(F) Use course transfer software to support both
in-state and out-of-state transfer students. The software shall
be common across each community college and the University of
Wyoming and shall provide a common database that provides
identification and reconciliation of differences in curricula
elements of courses with the same course number;
(G) Use curriculum process management software
to facilitate and ensure consistency in curricula development
and streamline the transfer process between a Wyoming community
college and the University of Wyoming;
(H) Result in internal college or university
planning and student program planning with required automated
transfer among the community colleges and the University of
Wyoming. The automated transfer shall allow automatic
transcription of course credits among the community colleges and
the University of Wyoming for those credits earned through the
common course catalog system and within programs with
articulation agreements between the community colleges and the
University of Wyoming.
(b) The commission shall perform the following
coordination functions. In performing these coordination
functions all affected colleges and the commission shall be
involved:
(i) Coordinate the submission of data to the
integrated postsecondary education data systems;
(ii) Coordinate and maintain the common course
numbering system;
(iii) Repealed By Laws 2003, Ch. 202, § 2.
(iv) Coordinate academic and vocational–technical
programs offered by any community college in another community
college service area when a physical presence will be
established;
(v) Coordinate the provision by means of electronic
internet or similar proprietary or common carrier electronic
system technology, by a community college or several community
colleges, the general education courses necessary for completion
of an educational program in the field of nursing at a community
college or a baccalaureate degree program in nursing at the
University of Wyoming;
(vi) In addition to paragraph (iv) of this subsection
and for any program requested by the board of county
commissioners representing a community within the existing
service area of any community college and that college has
determined not to provide the requested program within the
community, coordinate a response to the requesting board. Any
community college shall refer the requested community program to
the commission if it cannot provide the requested program. Upon
referral, the commission shall provide a response under this
paragraph;
(vii) Repealed by Laws 2009, Ch. 211, § 3.
(c) The commission shall perform the following
administrative functions:
(i) Create and maintain a funding allocation model by
rule;
(ii) In accordance with W.S. 21-18-203(a), prepare
budget requests for the operation and support of the colleges
and the commission, and pursuant to W.S. 21-18-225, prepare
budget requests for capital construction and major maintenance;
(iii) Disburse to the colleges state funds in
accordance with W.S. 9-4-601(b)(iv)(A) and 21-18-205 and other
funds under commission auspices;
(iv) Administer those functions explicitly assigned
to the commission by statute;
(v) Appoint a director who shall perform duties as
prescribed by the commission. In addition to duties assigned
under this act, the director shall serve as an ex officio member
of the University of Wyoming board of trustees and the state
board of education. The director shall receive an annual salary
as determined by the commission and approved by the governor.
The director shall hire staff as required to carry out this act
and as approved by the commission. Subject to legislative budget
authorization staff salaries shall be established by the
director with the approval of the commission;
(vi) Establish and promote accomplishment of
statewide priorities for the college system in consultation with
the colleges;
(vii) Subject to appropriation by the legislature,
the commission shall fully fund a teaching faculty position
whenever a community college commits to expanding its college-
funded nursing program capacity by eight (8) students. A
community college shall be eligible to apply for the funding
under this paragraph only if enrollment in the nursing program
of the applicant institution was not less than ninety-five
percent (95%) of the total college-funded nursing program
capacity at the beginning of the most recent fall academic
semester. Funding provided under this paragraph for the specific
purpose of expanding a nursing program capacity shall be reduced
by an amount equal to that provided to fund one (1) teaching
faculty position for every reduction of eight (8) full-time
equivalent students in the college-funded nursing program, as
determined by comparing the beginning enrollments of the two (2)
most recent fall academic semesters. Funding reductions shall
not exceed the total amount of funding provided to a community
college under this paragraph. Any appropriation made for
purposes of this paragraph shall, in accordance with W.S.
21-18-205(e), be accounted for and distributed separately from
the funding allocation model for community colleges;
(viii) Following public hearing, review and modify or
maintain community college service areas provided all counties
to be annexed to a college service area are contiguous to that
service area. Determinations made under this paragraph shall be
subject to review in accordance with the Wyoming Administrative
Procedure Act;
(ix) Administer the state authorization reciprocity
agreement and admit authorized post secondary institutions to
participate under the agreement in accordance with W.S.