Coordinating Board Review Published

The Sunset Advisory Commission has published its review of the Coordinating Board, including a summary of 2013 legislative action on its recommendations. State agencies must undergo Sunset review every 12 years. If the Legislature doesn't act, the agency dies.
The Board was granted another 12 years by lawmakers, but the report contains some interesting criticisms, some of which resulted in statutory change in the recent Regular Session. Here's the link, in pdf format. The report is also a good overview of what the Coordinating Board does. Sometimes teachers are only vaguely aware of its scope and function.
It's a long document that is worth perusal. One of the Commission's chief recommendations (number one in fact) is particularly interesting. Below is the recommendation, followed by a summary of legislative action in response.

Issue 1
The Governing Board’s Limited Stakeholder Input and Experience Hinder Its Ability to Coordinate Texas’ Higher Education Community.
Despite the agency’s large overall effort to obtain stakeholder feedback, the governing board itself receives little direct stakeholder and public input. Together with the agency’s isolated approach to decision making, stakeholders lack clear means to provide direct feedback or offer varying perspectives related to major decisions before the Board. Clear mechanisms to provide direct public comment to the Board, and having advisory committees report their recommendation directly to the Board would improve stakeholder buy-in and make the agency’s coordination efforts more effective.
The Board’s structure would also benefit from requirements for higher education experience to aid in navigating the complexities of, and to independently direct, state higher education policy. Improvements in the oversight and use of advisory committees, along with increased transparency and controls in funding allocation methodologies, would also improve the Coordinating Board’s ability to effectively coordinate Texas’ higher education community.

Key Recommendations

• Require one-third of the members of the Board to have experience in the field of higher education. l Require the Coordinating Board to provide opportunities for public comment at each board meeting.
• Require the Coordinating Board to ensure its advisory committees report recommendations directly to the Board and to consider restructuring the use of its advisory committees.
• Require the Coordinating Board to strengthen its internal controls for allocating financial aid funding and ensure stakeholder input by adopting allocation methodologies in rule.

Final Results on Issue 1 (July 2013)
Legislative Action — S.B. 215
Recommendation 1.1 — The Legislature did not adopt the provision to require one-third of the members of the Board to have experience in the field of higher education governance or administration.
Recommendation 1.2 — Senate Bill 215 requires the Coordinating Board to provide opportunities for public comment as an agenda item for each board meeting.
Recommendation 1.3 — The bill requires the Coordinating Board to adopt rules for its use of advisory committees, ensuring the committees meet standard structure and operating criteria, and report recommendations directly to the Board.
Recommendation 1.4 — The Legislature modified the provision to require the Coordinating Board to strengthen its internal controls for allocating funds and ensure stakeholder input by requiring the Coordinating Board to adopt allocation methodologies in rule for both financial aid and other trusteed funds.

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