HB679 Alabama 2012 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Dan Williams

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2012

Title

Athens State University, removed from under purview of State Board of Education and State Department of Postsecondary Education, board of trustees created, powers provided, president appointment, nomination committee, police officers, Sec. 16-60-110 am'd

Summary

HB679 would move Athens State University from under the State Board of Education to its own Board of Trustees with a defined mission and governance structure.

What This Bill Does

The bill removes Athens State University from the jurisdiction of the State Board of Education and the Department of Postsecondary Education. It creates a dedicated Athens State University Board of Trustees to govern the university, defines its powers over property, finances, meetings, and capital improvements, and lays out how trustees are appointed and vacancies filled. It appoints a university president, assigns duties for hiring and administering staff and programs, and authorizes campus police officers. It also preserves existing credit programs offered before the act and requires code references to be updated to reflect the new status.

Who It Affects

• Athens State University students, faculty, and staff: governance shifts to a new Board of Trustees, with a defined mission and authority over programs, property, and safety; current credit-bearing programs offered before the effective date can continue without new approvals; new policing powers on campus.
• State and local government and education entities (including the Governor, the Chancellor of Postsecondary Education, the State Board of Education, and residents in the university's service area): oversight of the university moves from SBOE/POSTSECONDARY Education to the new board; trustees are appointed by the Governor with Senate confirmation; a nominating committee helps fill vacancies; code references are updated to reflect the university's new status.

Key Provisions

• Section 3: Athens State University becomes governed by its own Board of Trustees, transferring supervision from the State Board of Education and the Department of Postsecondary Education; the university may continue existing academic programs for credit without new approval if those programs were offered before the act's effective date.
• Section 5: Creates the Athens State University Board of Trustees with specified voting members (district residents, at-large members, a member from local two-year institutions, the Chancellor, and the Governor as ex officio president); outlines appointment terms and interim authority for initial members; includes conflict-of-interest restrictions.
• Section 6: Grants the board broad authority over property, land, and capital projects; requires board approval for capital improvement contracts; authorizes the president to execute related documents with board approval.
• Section 12: Establishes the president’s appointment and duties, including hiring, setting salaries, defining roles, and prescribing courses (subject to board review); preserves certain employment rights for existing university staff.
• Section 13: Authorizes the president to appoint campus police officers with powers to maintain order and collaborate with local authorities.
• Section 14: Changes Code references so Athens State University is no longer classified as a junior college/trade/community/technical college; requires updates to reflect the university's new status.
• Section 15: Becomes effective October 1, 2012.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Athens State University