1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to higher education; creating a citizen's
1.3 	council; specifying duties of the council;
1.4 	appropriating money.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. UNIVERSITY CENTER ROCHESTER CITIZEN'S
1.7 	COUNCIL.
 1.8 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. The University Center
1.9 	Rochester Citizen's Council is established to make
1.10 	recommendations for the creation of a mission-driven educational
1.11 	entity that focuses on state and regional opportunities and
1.12 	needs in the areas of science, technology, agribusiness, and
1.13 	management.
1.14 		Subd. 2.Membership. The nine-member council will
1.15 	consist of:
1.16 	(1) one Minnesota State Colleges and Universities trustee
1.17 	or designee;
1.18 	(2) one University of Minnesota regent or designee;
1.19 	(3) five citizens from the Rochester area representing
1.20 	health sciences, agribusiness, technology, bioinformatics, and
1.21 	medical device industries; and 
1.22 	(4) two citizens from the Rochester area representing
1.23 	students.
1.24 		Subd. 3.Duties. The council is directed to develop a
1.25 	long-range detailed strategic plan for the delivery of
2.1 	postsecondary education in the Rochester area that address the
2.2 	following:
2.3 	(1) the mission and focus of the entity created to deliver
2.4 	postsecondary education in the area;
2.5 	(2) the governance structure of the entity;
2.6 	(3) preferred institutional alignments;
2.7 	(4) projected student capacity and enrollment;
2.8 	(5) projected facility needs on the University Center
2.9 	Rochester campus to provide space and an identity for upper
2.10 	division and graduate programming;
2.11 	(6) opportunities for public-private partnership;
2.12 	(7) opportunities for maximizing collaboration and
2.13 	alignment with regional and state economic interests;
2.14 	(8) opportunities for collaborative agreements between the
2.15 	University of Minnesota, the Minnesota State Colleges and
2.16 	Universities, and private institutions; and 
2.17 	(9) opportunities for the utilization of distance education
2.18 	and technology-enhanced learning.
2.19 	The council will report its findings and recommendations to
2.20 	the legislature by January 13, 2006.

2.21 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATIONS.
 2.22 	(a) $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the
2.23 	University of Minnesota for development of upper division and
2.24 	program offerings in Rochester in science, technology,
2.25 	bioinformatics, and management.
2.26 	(b) $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the
2.27 	Higher Education Services Office for activities associated with
2.28 	the council's duties.
2.29 	(c) The appropriations in paragraphs (a) and (b) are
2.30 	available for the biennium ending June 30, 2007.