An Act to require the Board of Regents to assemble a task force to study the possibility of shared administration among the institutions of higher education under the board's authority.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of South Dakota:

Section 1. The Board of Regents shall assemble a task force consisting of at least eleven members to examine the possible program and administrative efficiencies and cost effectiveness that may be achieved through the shared administration of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Black Hills State University, Dakota State University, Northern State University, South Dakota State University, and the University of South Dakota. The membership of the task force shall include four members of the Joint Committee on Appropriations appointed by the Joint Committee on Appropriations. All expenses incurred in carrying out the work of the task force shall be paid out of funds appropriated or otherwise provided to the board.

The board shall present the findings of the task force to the Governor and to the Executive Board of the Legislative Research Council Joint Committee on Appropriations no later than November 15, 2021.

Section 2. The task force examination shall include the following:

(1) The possible combining of administration at all levels of operation within an institution;

(2) The possible combining of operations and functions across multiple institutions;

(3) The possible combining of the administration of programs across multiple institutions;

(4) A review of the duplication of program offerings;

(5) A review of the academic majors with low enrollments and low numbers of graduates;

(6) A review of functions outside the core missions of teaching, learning, and research;

(7) A review of the operations and functions provided as an efficiency through the central office of the Board of Regents;

(8) A review of the viability of the university centers; and

(9) Any other possible cost-effective measures the task force determines are worthy of examination.