§3138.7. Advisory Council on Historically Black Colleges and Universities

            A. The Advisory Council on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) is hereby established under the jurisdiction of the Board of Regents for the purpose of focusing on ways to strengthen the capacity of HBCUs to provide the highest quality education, increase opportunities for HBCUs to participate in and benefit from state programs, and ensure that Louisiana has the highest proportion of college graduates from HBCUs in the country. In consultation with the Southern University System and Grambling State University, the council shall provide guidance and advice to the commissioner of higher education and the Board of Regents regarding best practices to strengthen the capacity of Louisiana's HBCUs.

            B. The council shall be composed of twenty-four members as follows:

            (1) The commissioner of higher education, or his designee.

            (2) The president of the Southern University System, or his designee.

            (3) The president of the University of Louisiana System, or his designee.

            (4) The president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, or his designee.

            (5) The chancellor of Southern University at New Orleans, or his designee.

            (6) The chancellor of Southern University at Shreveport, or his designee.

            (7) The chancellor of the Southern University Law Center, or his designee.

            (8) The chancellor of the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, or his designee.

            (9) The president of Grambling State University, or his designee.

            (10) The president of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, or his designee.

            (11) The secretary of the Department of Economic Development, or his designee.

            (12) The secretary of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, or his designee.

            (13) The president of the Louisiana State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or his designee.

            (14) The president of the Urban League of Louisiana, or his designee.

            (15) The president of the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, or his designee.

            (16) The president of the Senate, or his designee.

            (17) The speaker of the House of Representatives, or his designee.

            (18) The chairman of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, or his designee.

            (19) A member of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, appointed by the chairman of the caucus. If the chairman of the caucus is a member of the House of Representatives, the appointed member shall be a member of the Senate. If the chairman of the caucus is a member of the Senate, the appointed member shall be a member of the House of Representatives.

            (20) The president of Xavier University of Louisiana, or his designee.

            (21) The president of Dillard University, or his designee.

            (22) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, or his designee.

            (23) The chairman of the House Committee on Education, or his designee.

            (24) A student serving as student body president of a public or private HBCU in Louisiana, selected annually by the HBCU student body presidents.

            C. Members of the council shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority and vacancies shall be filled in the manner of the original appointment.

            D. Members shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for expenses as provided by the appointing authority.

            E.(1) The commissioner of higher education shall call the first meeting of the council no later than September 1, 2018, and a chairman and a vice chairman shall be elected from among the council's membership at this meeting.

            (2) The council shall meet upon the call of the chairman, but not less than twice annually.

            F. The Board of Regents shall provide staff support to assist the council in performing its duties and responsibilities.

            G. The council shall:

            (1) Advise the commissioner of higher education regarding methods to enhance the capabilities of HBCUs to serve the needs of their students and the state and methods whereby the state can better serve HBCUs. The council shall also help identify methods to:

            (a) Improve the identity, visibility, distinctive capabilities, and overall competitiveness of HBCUs.

            (b) Provide the highest quality education to the greatest number of students.

            (c) Promote centers of academic research and programmatic excellence.

            (d) Strengthen the fiscal stability of HBCUs.

            (e) Increase HBCUs' contribution to the state's educational and workforce goals.

            (f) Elevate public awareness of the contributions and value of HBCUs.

            (g) Encourage public-private investments in HBCUs.

            (h) Engage the philanthropic, business, government, and education communities in a dialogue regarding current and future HBCU programs and initiatives.

            (i) Foster enduring private-sector initiatives and public-private partnerships.

            (j) Inform public policy discussions and practices by improving the availability and dissemination of high-quality information concerning HBCUs to elected officials and the public.

            (k) Share best practices regarding administrative and programmatic processes.

            (2) Strengthen the capacity of HBCUs to participate in federal and state programs by:

            (a) Working with state and federal departments, agencies, and offices to:

            (i) Identify programs and initiatives in which HBCUs may be either underserved or underused as a resource.

            (ii) Encourage HBCUs to participate in state and federal programs and initiatives.

            (iii) Establish methods to increase the capacity of HBCUs to effectively compete for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements.

            (b) Encouraging public-sector and private-sector involvement with HBCUs on such initiatives.

            (3) Strengthen the capacity of HBCUs to fully participate in Louisiana's workforce and economic development activities by:

            (a) Working with the Department of Economic Development to ensure full participation and inclusion of HBCUs at the inception stage and throughout implementation of economic development activities.

            (b) Working with the Louisiana Workforce Commission to help identify educational programs to address workforce gaps. 

            (c) Requesting the Department of Economic Development and the Louisiana Workforce Commission to provide periodic updates to the council on their activities and initiatives.

            (4) Submit an annual written report to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education, not later than sixty days prior to the Regular Session of the Legislature, detailing its findings and recommendations on all aspects of its work pursuant to this Subsection.

            Acts 2018, No. 236, §1, eff. May 15, 2018; Acts 2021, No. 417, §1.