Wyo. Code R. 057 | Wyoming Administrative Rules 057 — Community College Commission, Wyoming

325 General Agency, Board or Commission Rules

Chapter 1 Definitions

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.1.04102025 § 1 Authority

These rules are promulgated pursuant to Wyoming Statutes 21-16-1901 through 21-16-1907, 21- 18-201 through 21-18-226 and 21-18-402.

History

Effective 2025-04-10

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.1.04102025 § 2 Definitions - Community College Commission

(a) "Academic year" means a period of time that begins with the summer semester and ends with the spring semester in the following year. The year referred to is the calendar year in which the spring semester falls (AY19 means summer and fall semesters 2018 and spring semester 2019).

(b) "Accreditation" means the process by a national or regional organization to grant public recognition of a program or college, indicating that it meets established standards of quality, as determined through initial and periodic self-study and peer evaluation.

(c) "Administrative Computing System" (ACS) means the system that the Commission has purchased for the community colleges and itself, allowing for the following electronic processes to occur at each institution: student services, human resources, financial services, and data reporting.

(d) "Adult Education" (AE) means all instructional and instructional-related activities provided to anyone above the age of compulsory attendance as defined by W.S. 21-4-102, to assist adults in obtaining the knowledge and skills necessary for employment, self-sufficiency, parenting, and improved quality of life. This includes, but is not limited to, basic literacy, English literacy, citizenship and high school equivalency.

(e) "AICPA standards" means the generally accepted auditing standards promulgated by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

(f) "Annual report" means the report required by W.S. 9-2-1014(a).

(g) "Applied Baccalaureate" (AB) A technical, career, and workforce development bachelor's degree that is designed for applied associate degree holders and is based on a curriculum that incorporates applied knowledge and skills in a specific technical field.

(h) "Associate of Applied Science" (AAS) means a terminal, two-year degree designed for students planning to enter the workforce upon degree completion. This degree enables a completer to transfer to a baccalaureate of applied science degree program and includes occupation-specific technical coursework.

(j) "Associate of Arts" (AA) means a two-year degree designed for students majoring in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and related disciplines. This degree prepares the student for transfer to a baccalaureate degree program and includes substantial coursework in the humanities, social sciences, arts and liberal arts.

(k) "Associate of Science" (AS) means a two-year degree designed for students majoring in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, business and other related disciplines. This degree prepares the student for transfer to a baccalaureate degree program and includes substantial coursework in mathematics, natural sciences, engineering, business and/or other related disciplines.

(m) "Auxiliary enterprises" means those entities that furnish goods or services to students, faculty or staff and charge a fee directly related, although not necessarily equal, to the cost of goods or services. Colleges will strive to operate their auxiliary enterprises in a self- supporting manner.

(n) "Board of Cooperative Educational Services" (BOCES) means an entity as described in W.S. 21-20-101 through 111.

(o) "Capital Construction" means:

(i) Capital Improvements and Capital Assets

(A) Acquisition of land, or a legal interest in land, in conjunction with the construction of a structure.

(B) Acquisition of existing structures, or legal interests in structures, in conjunction with an approved construction project.

(ii) Pre-Construction

(A) Activities related to designing a structure, including planning; architectural design; authorizing, issuing, carrying or repaying interim or permanent financing; research; land use and environmental impact studies; energy analyses; life-cycle cost studies; acquisition of permits or licenses; printing and publishing legal notices; and other required services.

(B) Activities related to grounds development.

(iii) Construction

(A) Acquisition and assembly of required building materials.

(B) Acquisition and installation of machinery or equipment (mechanical systems), including utilities, cabling, wiring, racks and furnishings or materials that will become an integral part of a structure, and any instructional or scientific equipment.

(C) Purchase of services of contractors, architects, engineers, construction managers, and other consultants to manage and/or supervise the execution of a construction project.

(D) Procurement and placement of authorized Fixtures, Furniture and

Equipment.

(E) Procurement and placement of authorized technology, computer, audio-visual and communication equipment and services.

(iv) Post-Construction

(A) Commissioning, grand opening, and issuance of certificate of

occupancy.

(p) "Capital Renewal" means component or infrastructure projects that are necessary for maintenance and continued functionality of academic buildings that cannot be funded solely with major maintenance funds.

(q) "Census date" means the official date for reporting enrollment data and shall be the date immediately following the twelve percent (12%) completion date of the instructional period.

(r) "CIP code" means the National Center for Education Statistics' Classification of Instructional Programs.

(s) "Class" means a specific college course section which is identified by the time, place, faculty member, and/or modality of the college course offered for student enrollment.

(t) "Concurrent enrollment course" means a college course taught by high school faculty who have been approved as community college adjunct faculty and who are teaching said course as part of their duties as a school district employee. As such, these college courses simultaneously satisfy high school graduation requirements. These courses have been approved by the community college as having equivalent course content, learning objectives and work assignments as an existing college course. Course content and learning objectives are equivalent to the related community college course as determined and defined by community college faculty.

(u) "Cost of attendance" means an estimate of the student's educational expenses for the period of enrollment and includes tuition and fees, room and board, books, supplies, transportation, loan fees, and if applicable, dependant care and costs related to disability.

(w) "Credit completion" means a credit hour, weighted by the applicable level of instruction, and earned with a grade of C or better, or more specifically, a grade of A, B, C, S or

P. Credit hours with grades of D, F, U and W, as well as credit hours designated as incomplete are not considered completed credit hours. This definition of credit completion is consistent with the National Community College Benchmark Project's definition of enrollee success.

(y) "Credit certificate" means recognition by the community college district that a student has completed a coherent list of academic or career technical education credit courses, which is less than the requirement for an associate degree.

(z) "Credit courses" means those courses that recognize the attendance and/or performance in an instructional activity (course or program) that can be applied by a student to requirements for a degree, diploma, or certificate.

(aa) "Credit hour" (consistent with current federal regulations) means an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally-established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than:

(i) One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or

(ii) At least an equivalent amount of work as required in (i) above for other activities as established by an institution, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

(bb) "Current annual weighted credit hours" means one-half of the current biennial weighted credit hours.

(cc) "Current biennial weighted credit hours" means the sum of the weighted credit hours for the two most recent academic years completed before preparation of the biennium budget request.

(dd) "Current period system-wide credit-hour revenue" means the quotient of dividing the variable costs portion of the system-wide annual base funding amount by the current annual system- wide weighted credit hours.

(ee) "Degree" means recognition by the community college district that a student has completed a defined academic or career technical education program of study.

(ff) "Discontinued program" means an instructional program that a community college has officially closed to new students and is unable to offer again until the Commission reapproves it.

(gg) "Distance learning" means the student and faculty member are separated by time or

space.

(hh) "Dual enrollment credit" means credit given to qualified high school students who complete college level courses for which the community college hires and pays the instructor and in which the school district agrees to allow high school graduation credit.

(jj) "Duplicated headcount" means that within a survey or polling exercise of numerous programs or courses, a student may be counted more than once. See also "Unduplicated headcount."

(kk) "FAFSA" means Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

(mm) "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act" (FERPA), (20 U.S.C. 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99 and any future amendments) means the federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

(nn) "Federal financial assistance" means aid provided to students by the federal government in the form of grants, loans, or work-study programs.

(oo) "Fees" means the amount charged by an individual college to cover costs including, but not limited to, specific courses and/or programs and general services. The fee assessments must be approved by the respective college prior to being published and charged.

(pp) "Financial aid officer" means the employee of the University of Wyoming or of the community colleges designated as such.

(qq) "Financial institution" means any banking corporation or institution engaged primarily in lending or investing funds and authorized to do business in the state.

(rr) "High School Equivalency" means attainment of the knowledge and skills or level of academic proficiency comparable to that which would be attained in a high school program of study and yields significantly the same outcome or capability.

(ss) "Hybrid course" means a course which integrates distance learning and face-to- face modes to provide student access to instruction and learning.

(tt) "Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System" (IPEDS) means the web- based data collection system used for annual institution-level data collections, as required by the

U.S. Department of Education.

(uu) "Level four class" means the same as the definition of "distance education class" found in W.S. 21-18-102(xvii). Level one, two and three classes are reassigned to level four by recognition of specific instructional modalities identified by schedule types in the administrative computing system.

(ww)"Long-term program" means programs that are anticipated to be continually offered.

These long-term programs have gone through rigorous multi-level approval processes.

(yy) "Management Information System" (MIS) means an organized method of providing information related to past, present, and projected operations. MIS supports the planning and operational functions of an organization by furnishing uniform, timely information to assist in the decision-making process.

(zz) "National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) standards" means the generally accepted accounting standards promulgated by the National Association of College and University Business Officers and adopted by the community colleges.

(aaa) "Non-credit course" means all courses that are not defined as a credit course.

(bbb) "Official Custodian" of public records for the Commission means the executive

director.

(ccc) "One-year certificate" means a credit certificate that requires 24 or more semester credit hours to complete.

(ddd) "Optional Mills" means a board-approved levy of up to one (1) additional mill for the regular support and operation of the college permitted by W.S. 21-18-303(b), a voter-approved levy of up to five (5) mills for specific purpose expenditures permitted by W.S. 21-18-311(f), or a board-approved levy of up to one-half (1/2) mill to maintain programs offered by a participating Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) permitted by W.S. 21-20-109(a).

(eee) "Persistence" means a student has enrolled for a subsequent term in any institution that leads to graduation.

(fff) "Pilot programs" means programs that have an abbreviated implementation process to meet the immediate educational needs of the community, business sector, or academic mission of the college.

(ggg) "Program" means an ordered sequence of instructional coursework that upon completion leads to a community college district conferring an applied baccalaureate, associate degree, conferring a credit certificate, or granting any non-credit title.

(hhh) "Program completion" means a degree, one-year certificate, transfer preparation certificate, short-term certificate, or special need certificate awarded to a student during an academic year. Certificates eligible to be counted as program completions shall be established by the Academic Affairs Council, and subordinate awards made by an institution to the same student in the same academic year shall not be counted as program completions. Degree completions shall have a weighting factor of 2.0. Eligible certificate completions of 24 credit hours or more shall have a weighting factor of 1.75. Eligible certificate completions of less than 24 hours shall have a weighting factor of 1.5.

(jjj) "Retention" means a student has enrolled for a subsequent term at the same institution as the previous term.

(kkk) "Short-term certificate" means a credit certificate that requires less than 24 semester credit hours to complete.

(mmm) "Special need certificate" means a credit certificate that prepares students needing either a unique skill set or the ability to serve a unique community need.

(nnn) "Total and permanent disability" means the inability to work and earn money because of an injury or illness that is expected to continue indefinitely or result in death.

(ooo) "Transfer preparation certificate" means a credit certificate comprised of 24 or more semester credit hours sanctioned to transfer as a block of courses to a specific higher education institution by an articulation agreement with a Wyoming community college.

(ppp) "Tuition" means the rate established by the Commission to be charged by a college for enrollment in credit courses.

(qqq) "Tuition cap" means a policy to limit the number of credits for which tuition is assessed within a given semester.

(rrr) "Unduplicated headcount" means that within a survey or polling exercise of numerous programs and/or courses, a student shall be counted only once. See "Duplicated headcount."

(sss)"Unmet need" means the student's total cost of attendance minus the expected family contribution (as determined by the FAFSA process) and all aid available to the student including grants, work study programs, scholarships, or any other public or private financial aid provided to the student.

(ttt) "Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education" (WICHE) is a regional, nonprofit organization. Membership includes 15 western states that work to improve access to higher education and ensure student success.

(uuu) "Western Undergraduate Exchange" (WUE) is a regional tuition-reciprocity agreement that enables students from WICHE states to enroll in participating two- and four-year public institutions at 150 percent of the enrolling institution's resident tuition rate.

History

Effective 2025-04-10

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.1.04102025 § 3 Definitions - Wyoming Investment in Nursing Program (WYIN)

(a) "ADN" means a nurse who has completed an Associate's (2-year) Degree and is eligible to take the licensure exam for registered nursing.

(b) "Approved higher education institution" means one of the seven Wyoming community colleges, the University of Wyoming, an institution included in the WICHE, or a distance nursing education program at a university that is regionally accredited.

(d) "Certified Nurse Aide (CNA)" means a nurse aide, certified by the WY State Board of Nursing.

(e) "Licensure examination" means the test required for the WY State Board of Nursing to grant an individual a license to practice nursing.

(f) "Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)" means a Practical Nurse who has completed a certificate program and passed the practical nurse licensure exam as required by the WY State Board of Nursing.

(g) "Nursing program" means a series of courses leading to an LPN certificate or an ADN degree provided through a Wyoming community college; or a BSN degree or a Master's degree provided through the University of Wyoming; or, in the case of a candidate for a doctoral degree, provided through an institution offering the required nursing education courses under contract with the WICHE, or in a distance nursing education program provided through a university that is regionally accredited.

(h) "Practical Nurse" (PN) means a nurse who has completed a certificate program.

(j) "Qualified work" means employment in Wyoming as an LPN or RN who practices nursing or a nurse educator who teaches at a nurse education program at a Wyoming community college or the University of Wyoming.

(k) "Registered Nurse (RN)" means a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program at a regionally accredited university or college, has passed the state examination for licensure, and has been registered and licensed to practice by the WY State Board of Nursing.

(m) "Unencumbered license" means a permit to practice nursing without restrictions imposed by the WY State Board of Nursing.

History

Effective 2025-04-10

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.1.04102025 § 4 Definitions - Wyoming Teacher Shortage Loan Repayment Program (TSLRP)

(a) "Qualified work" means teaching at least fifty percent (50%) of working hours as a teacher in a Wyoming public school in a qualified area as designated in W.S. 21-7-601.

History

Effective 2025-04-10

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.1.04102025 § 5 Definitions - Wyoming Adjunct Professor Loan Repayment Program (WAPLR)

(a) "Adjunct instructor" means a person employed by a Wyoming public school district who is qualified to teach a course that results in the award of college credits by an accredited post- secondary institution.

(b) "Education program" means a course(s) necessary to qualify an individual, after successful completion, to teach a concurrent course(s) that result(s) in the award of college credits by an accredited post-secondary institution.

(c) "Qualified work" means teaching, or being available to teach should the curriculum be skipped for a semester, concurrent courses for which college credit is awarded.

(d) "Resident" means a person whose primary residence lies within the borders of the State of Wyoming pursuant to W.S. 22-1-102(a)(xxx).

History

Effective 2025-04-10

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.1.04102025 § 6 Definitions - High School Equivalency Certificate Program

(a) "Accredited" means the process by a national or regional organization to grant public recognition of a program or college, indicating that it meets established standards of quality, as determined through initial and periodic self-study and peer evaluation.

(b) "Assessment" means a commercially available instrument for measurement of academic capability or achievement.

(c) "Certificate" means recognition by the HSEC program that a student has successfully completed an equivalency assessment instrument approved by the HSEC committee and the Commission.

(d) "Committee" means the group of individuals and representatives of stakeholder entities directly affected by changes to the HSEC program, who convene to make selections and decisions concerning authorized instruments and pathways for the HSEC program.

(e) "Equivalency" means the knowledge and skills or level of academic proficiency demonstrated by a student is comparable to that which would be attained in a high school program of study and yields significantly the same outcome or capability.

(f) "Pathway" means any method or combination of measurements used to determine that a student has successfully met the state-approved criteria for completion and award of the HSEC.

History

Effective 2025-04-10

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.1.04102025 § 7 Definitions - Wyoming Works Program

(a) "Academic term" as defined in W.S. 21-18-402, shall include "payment period" as having the same meaning as "term" and "semester."

(b) "Academic year" means a period of time that begins with the summer semester and ends with the spring semester in the following year.

(c) "CFR" means the Code of Federal Regulations, and is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the departments and agencies of the federal government.

(d) "Consortium" as defined in W.S. 21-18-402, shall be established through contractual or written agreements, or memoranda of understanding.

(e) "Cost of attendance" as referenced in Chapter 5, Section 13 of these rules may be

denoted as "COA."

(f) "Direct costs" means the enrollment expenses a student is responsible for paying directly to the community college, such as tuition and fees, mandatory fees, room and board, and books and supplies. Direct costs are included in the COA calculation.

(g) "EFC" means the Expected Family Contribution - the measure of a family's financial strength calculated according to a formula established by federal law.

(h) "FAFSA" means the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It is the student aid application provided for under section 483 of the HEA, which is used to determine an applicant's eligibility for federal student aid programs.

(j) "Gift aid" means federal, public or private financial assistance, such as grants and scholarships received by a student in conjunction with their enrollment in an approved program at a community college, and that do not need to be repaid. Gift aid excludes federal and private student loans, work-study, and all other types of student employment affiliated with enrollment in an approved program at a community college.

(k) "HEA" means the Higher Education Act, federal legislation passed in 1965 with amendments and reauthorizations subsequently passed, authorizing federal postsecondary student financial aid programs and mandating that the programs be regulated and administered by the U.S. Department of Education.

(m) "Indirect Costs" means the expenses a student incurs due to enrollment in a community college, as determined annually by the college in accordance with W.S. 21-18-404 (b), that are not paid to the community college. Indirect expenses are limited to travel and personal expenses, and are included in COA calculation.

(n) "Payment Period" means the academic period or period of enrollment established by an institution for which a student grant may be disbursed. Payments for all student grants under

W.S. 21-18-401 through W.S. 21-18-409 must be made on a payment period basis.

(o) "SAP" means Satisfactory Academic Progress. SAP determinations are qualitative and/or quantitative evidence or markers that signify a student is completing requirements toward finishing an approved for-credit or non-credit program in a timely fashion.

History

Effective 2025-04-10

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.1.04102025 § 8 Definitions - Wyoming's Tomorrow Scholarship Program

(a) "Certify" means the confirmation by the Commission of Wyoming's Tomorrow Scholarship recipients and scholarship award amounts to be paid to the colleges and the University based on the institutions' attestation of final scholarship recipient for each academic term.

(b) "Home institution" means the Wyoming community college or University of Wyoming higher education institution at which a prospective student initially applies to and enrolls in credit or non-credit course specific to a declared program of study leading to a degree or certificate offered at that institution, or for continuing higher education students, means the institution at which the student most recently enrolled for credit or non-credit courses specific to a program of study leading to a degree or certificate offered at that institution.

(c) "Sponsorship" A formalized relationship between a student and employer that provides for additional financial support or commitment to hiring or advancement after completion.

History

Effective 2025-04-10

Chapter 2 Commission Operations

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.2.11212017 Commission Operations

21-18-101

CHAPTER 2

COMMISSION OPERATIONS

Section 1. Authority.

The State Commission is created by W.S. 21-18-201 and derives its authority from W.S. 21-18-202 through 21-18-226.

Section 2. Purpose.

This chapter governs the Commission's structure and procedures.

Section 3. Commission Structure.

(a) The commissioners biennially shall elect a chair and vice chair from its members.

(b) The commissioners may elect other officers and define their duties by rule or resolution.

(c) The election of officers shall be held at the Commission's first meeting after March 1 during odd-numbered years. Officer vacancies shall be filled by action of the commissioners.

(d) The chair shall preside over Commission meetings. The vice-chair shall act in the absence of the chair. In the absence of both the chair and vice-chair at a meeting, commissioners present shall elect a temporary presiding officer to preside over that meeting.

Section 4. Commission Meetings.

(a) Meetings with simplified agendas may be conducted by teleconference or videoconference methods as long as all interested parties have access to the proceedings. Commission meetings shall be conducted according to the Wyoming Open Meetings Act W.S. 16-4-401 through 16-4-408.

(b) The chair may change, as necessary, the meeting date, time, place, or agenda in advance of the meeting, providing notice of the change through Commission staff to all who received notice of the meeting.

(c) The chair may call special meetings, as necessary, with the concurrence of a majority of commissioners, following the Wyoming Open Meetings Act.

(d) The chair may call special telephone meetings of an emergency nature, with the concurrence of a majority of commissioners. Such meetings shall be in accordance with the Wyoming Open Meetings Act. All college presidents, the trustees' association, and the media as specified in (e)(iii) of this section shall be notified and invited to participate.

(e) Approximately two weeks prior to the meeting date, the executive director shall mail or provide electronically the meeting notices and/or tentative agendas. The official agendas shall be distributed at least one week prior to the meeting. Distribution of meeting notices and/or agendas shall be done in the following manner:

(i) Mail or provide electronically the meeting agendas to commissioners, community college presidents, board chairs and other appropriate parties as the agenda may dictate;

(ii) Post the meeting notices on the Commission website; and

(iii) Mail or provide electronically meeting notices and/or agendas to a newspaper with statewide circulation and to a general circulation newspaper in the community where the meeting will be held.

(f) The meeting agendas shall be developed in the following manner:

(i) Tentative agendas shall be developed by the executive director to include items necessary to carry out the Commission's business;

(ii) Any person may request that items be removed from or added to tentative agendas. Requests should be made to the chair or executive director;

(iii) Official agendas shall include items labeled "Other Business." During the designated time, any commissioner or person appearing before the Commission may request that items be added to the agenda and considered by the commissioners. Only those supplemental agenda items approved by majority vote of commissioners present shall be considered at that meeting.

(g) Except as otherwise provided by law or in Commission Rules, a quorum for the Commission to conduct business shall be four (4) or more commissioners. A simple majority of those present shall be needed to pass an item. The chair shall have the right to vote on all matters.

Section 5. Commission Ethics.

The Commission shall comply with the Executive Branch Code of Ethics, Executive Order 1997-4.

Section 6. Commission Responsibility.

(a) The Commission coordinates the community college system for and in the State of Wyoming. The Commission is responsible for making system recommendations to the governor and the legislature. The Commission normally serves as the state representative on community college matters for state, regional, and national postsecondary education organizations or activities.

(b) All documents received by, prepared by, or presented by the Commission or its staff shall be documents that are available for review (during normal business hours) and handled in compliance with the Wyoming Public Records Act W.S. 16-4-201 through 16-4-205.

(c) Commission members shall observe full media disclosure of public business, while providing for fair presentation of issues and recognition of concerned party dignity.

Section 7. Commission Executive Director.

(a) The executive director is the full-time professional advisor and executive officer of the Commission pursuant to W.S. 21-18-202(c)(v).

(b) The Commission shall delegate to the executive director the responsibility for administering the rules and policies adopted by the Commission and executing all decisions of the Commission requiring administrative action. In the initiation and formulation of Commission rules and policies, the executive director shall act as the professional advisor to the Commission and present to the Commission drafts of proposed rules and policies for the consideration of the Commission.

(c) The executive director shall be responsible for hiring and supervising other staff members to carry out the duties of the Commission pursuant to W.S. 21-18-202(c)(v).

(d) The executive director shall ensure the completion of the following tasks:

(i) Implement the role and mission of the Commission and as reflected in statutes, the WY Community College Commission Statewide Strategic Plan, rules, and policies;

(ii) Ensure the use of the WCCC Policy on Consultation adheres to the requirements identified in the WY Community College Commission Statewide Strategic Plan, applicable rules and statutes:

(iii) Prepare an agenda for each Commission meeting;

(iv) Record all proceedings/minutes of the Commission;

(v) Mail or provide electronically agendas of each meeting to commissioners, community college presidents, board chairs, and other appropriate parties, as the agenda dictates, so that recipients receive a copy one week prior to the next meeting; and

(vi) Post all meeting agendas to the commissions' website;

(vii) Post all approved Commission meeting minutes to the Commissions' website;

(viii) Attend all Commission meetings unless excused by the chair;

(ix) Sign documents that affect the operations of the Commission and which would otherwise require the signature of the chair; and

(x) Perform other duties as assigned by the Commission.

(e) The Executive Council is composed of the executive director and the presidents of the community colleges and chaired by the executive director. The Executive Council is the primary body by which the Commission accomplishes consultation. Agenda items scheduled for Commission action and reports shall be discussed at regularly scheduled meetings of the Executive Council. The Executive Council is advisory to the executive director and the executive director shall provide written proceedings of all meetings. These procedures assume that the collegepresidents, as members of the Executive Council, unless otherwise noted, speak for their respective institutions in making recommendations to the executive director of the Commission. Community college presidents, on approval of their boards, may represent the views of their local governing boards at Commission meetings on agenda items that have been considered in Executive Council or added to the agenda during a Commission meeting.

(f) Councils and committees further defined in the WCCC Policy on Consultation shall be utilized by the Executive Council to address the ongoing business of the community colleges with the Commission and chaired by Commission staff designated by the executive director. Issues raised by these councils and committees may be advanced through college presidents or Commission staff to be proposed for the Executive Council agenda.

(g) The executive director may create ad hoc committees of the Executive Council to consider such matters as may be delegated to the council and the ad hoc committee shall provide reports to the Executive Council.

Section 8. Communications Within the System.

(a) The Commission shall support broad involvement and consultation in the planning process for the Wyoming community colleges with the intent of assuring effective communication between the Commission, the college trustees, and the community colleges. Consultation seeks to achieve consensus, but does not require consensus.

(b) At its discretion, the Commission may convene open meetings with representatives of college boards of trustees. The principal function of these meetings is to maintain open communication between the policy making entities.

Section 9. Information Practices.

(a) The community colleges shall comply with the Wyoming Public Records Act W.S. 16-4-201 through 16-4-205 and the Wyoming Open Meetings Act W.S. 16-4-401 through 16-4-408.

(b) Persons with a valid interest may request that the official custodian correct any erroneous, inaccurate or misleading information that is contained in a public record relating to them by supplementing the record with corrective material. No public records shall be physically altered, destroyed or removed except by order of the Commission.

(c) No commissioner or Commission employee shall release originals of public records from Commission files except by order of the Commission or a court of law, or as recommended by the WY Attorney General.

(d) For all public records for which the Commission is custodian, the Commission incorporates into these rules the Department of Administration & Information's chapter 2, section 4 rules for electronic public records and section 5 rules for non-electronic public records. The Commission makes the following findings:

(i) Incorporating the full text in the Commission's rules would be inefficient given the nature of the rules;

(ii) This rule does not include any later amendments or additions to the incorporated matter; and

(iii) Copies of the incorporated matter are available for inspection at the Commission's offices or at http://www.communitycolleges.wy.edu/rules-and-statutes.aspx.

(e) The official custodian shall not release mailing lists unless approved by the Commission.

(f) All public records maintained by the Commission shall be stored and retained according to retention schedules and policies of the Commission and the State Archives section of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources.

(g) All public records for which public inspection may be denied under the Wyoming Public Records Act shall be identified, stored and maintained by an appropriate means that indicates and preserves their confidentiality. An index sufficient to indicate their existence, general content, and confidential nature shall be maintained and available to the public.

(h) Pursuant to notification by the U.S. Department of Education's Family Policy Compliance Office on August 23, 1999, the Commission is identified as a state educational authority engaged in the audit or evaluation of federal and state supported education programs. As such, the community colleges may disclose personally identifiable, non-directory information to the Commission's MIS on a non-consensual basis as long as the Commission complies with FERPA requirements. The Commission shall maintain secure physical and electronic storage for personally identifiable information.

(j) The requirements of the U.S. Department of Education for security of data shall be followed under the restricted use data license for research involving the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.

(k) The official custodian annually shall inform the appropriate state office of any new public records maintained by the Commission for which inspection may be denied under the Wyoming Public Records Act W.S. 16-4-201 through 16-4-205.

(m) The Commission shall also collect data from non-community college entities to support the data requirements of the AE and High School Equivalency Certification programs.

Section 10. Hearings.

(a) Prior to formal proceedings, the Commission shall assist in the informal resolution of disputes between community colleges when requested and shall act as a board of appeal for disputes between community colleges that cannot be resolved informally.

(b) In matters involving the modification or maintenance of community college service areas, the Commission shall make determinations in accordance with W.S. 21-18-202(c)(viii).

(c) Contested cases for matters other than those referenced in (b) above shall be conducted pursuant to the Office of Administrative Hearings rules, Chapter 2, Uniform Rules for Contested Case Practice and Procedure ("Uniform Rules"), which are incorporated into this chapter by reference. In doing so, the Commission find as follows:

(i) Incorporating the full text of the Uniform Rules would be cumbersome and inefficient given the length and nature of the rules;

(ii) The incorporation is limited to the Uniform Rules adopted by the Office of Administrative Hearings and effective October 17, 2014, and shall not include any later editions of or amendments to the Uniform Rules;

(iii) Copies of the Uniform Rules are available to the public at the Wyoming Community College Commission offices at 2300 Capitol Ave., Hathaway Bldg. 5th Floor, Suite B, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002.

(iv) An electronic copy of the Uniform Rules is available at the following web address: http://soswy.state.wy.us/Rules/RULES/9644.pdf.

(d) Where a contested case hearing is required by law, an aggrieved person may file a request according to the Uniform Rules § 5(a) with the Commission within thirty (30) days of the date of the administrative decision at issue or of the date of mailing of the administrative decision as evidenced by a postmark, whichever is later.

(e) The request for a hearing shall be served on the Commission and other necessary parties. Service shall be made to the Wyoming Community College Commission, 2300 Capitol Avenue, Hathaway Building, 5th Floor, Suite B, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002-0206. Service may be made in person or by mail.

(f) A request for a contested case hearing shall include the following:

(i) The name, telephone number, and mailing address of the petitioner and the same information for the representing attorney;

(ii) A statement in ordinary and concise language of the facts and of the errors alleged to have been committed and issues that the petition is based on, including particular reference to statutory sections, contract provisions, or rules, regulations, and orders involved;

(iii) A copy of the decision or relevant material that relates to the decision at issue;

(iv) The specific relief sought; and

(v) The signature of the petitioner and the representing attorney.

(g) The notice of hearing required under the Uniform Rules § 6(b) shall be served on each party at least thirty (30) days before the hearing date unless an expedited hearing is otherwise required by law. In that event, parties shall be served the notice of hearing as soon as practicable.

(h) The Commission Chair may appoint a hearing officer to conduct the contested case and may request that the hearing officer issue a recommended decision.

(j) If a recommended decision is requested, the recommended decision and proposed order shall be submitted to the Commission no later than thirty (30) days after the end of the contested case hearing.

(k) The Commission shall make and enter a written decision and order containing findings of fact and conclusions of law stated separately.

(m) The written decision issued by the Commission shall be the final agency action and be subject to judicial review under Wyo. Stat. § 16-3-114.

Section 11. General Provisions.

The Commission's rules apply to the Wyoming Community College Commission, Wyoming community colleges, outreach centers, and programs of the Commission. Matters not covered by statutes and Commission Rules, or reasonably incident to them, shall be governed by the individual community college district boards, following all applicable laws.

History

Effective 2017-11-21

Chapter 3 General Functions

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.3.04182023 § 1 Authority

Wyoming Statute 21-18-202(a) and 21-18-202(h).

History

Effective 2023-04-18

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.3.04182023 § 2 Purpose

This chapter defines the Commission's general functions.

History

Effective 2023-04-18

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.3.04182023 § 3 Advocating Community College Education

(a) The Commission shall be the primary voice for matters relating to community college education affecting two or more of the community colleges.

(b) The community colleges shall provide to the Commission in either hard copy or electronically:

(i) All data referenced in Chapter 7 of Commission Rules,

(ii) A current community college catalog,

(iii) Minutes of all college trustees meetings to be delivered in a timely manner, or posted to the college website in a timely manner.

(iv) Names of new trustees to be delivered in a timely manner,

(v) Other materials necessary to support advocating community college education activities.

(c) The Commission shall encourage community colleges and school districts to utilize the procedures provided by W.S. 21-20-101 through 21-20-111.

History

Effective 2023-04-18

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.3.04182023 § 4 Establishing Tuition Rates

(a) The Commission shall establish tuition rates for the community colleges.

(b) The Commission shall establish a long-range tuition policy (four to six years) and renew or alter it as needed.

(c) The Commission may review tuition rates at any time and may address tuition rate changes on a short-term or emergency basis. At a minimum, tuition rates will be reviewed once every two years.

(d) The tuition rates may include recognition of differential program delivery costs.

(e) In the event a commission-approved tuition rate results in an amount other than even dollars, the colleges will round down to the nearest whole dollar amount. This provision applies to in-state, out-of-state, and WUE enrollees.

History

Effective 2023-04-18

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.3.04182023 § 5 Establishing Residency Requirements

(a) This residency policy shall be published in course catalogs of the community colleges.

(b) Residence classification shall be determined for each student at the time the application for admission is accepted or upon student petition for tuition reclassification. Residency is defined in W.S. 22-1-102(a)(xxx) and further clarified below:

(i) A registered student who is correctly classified as a resident by any Wyoming community college or by the University of Wyoming shall be classified a resident at all Wyoming community colleges.

(ii) A legal dependent of a Wyoming community college graduate may be classified as a Wyoming resident for tuition purposes at any Wyoming community college.

(iii) An individual who is a spouse or legal dependent of an individual who lives in the State of Wyoming and is considered to be a Wyoming resident pursuant to section 5 rules.

(iv) Graduates of a Wyoming high school or a recipient of a high school equivalency certificate who also qualifies for a Hathaway Scholarship.

(v) Active Wyoming National Guard members and U.S. Armed Forces members stationed in Wyoming, and their dependents.

(vi) Wyoming residents temporarily absent from the State due to military service, attendance at an education institution, or other type of documented temporary sojourn.

(vii) Individuals with a permanent home in Wyoming. To determine if a permanent Wyoming home has been established, individuals must show evidence of living in Wyoming continuously for a minimum of six months. At least two of the following criteria must be met:

(A) Evidence that any former out-of-state home has been abandoned,

(B) Full-time employment in Wyoming for a minimum of six months prior to residency determination,

(D) Six months of continual presence in Wyoming prior to residency determination,

(E) Former Wyoming residency and maintaining state ties,

(F) Reliance on Wyoming resources for full financial support,

(G) Wyoming vehicle registration dated a minimum of six months prior to residency determination,

(H) Wyoming address on most recent federal income tax return,

(I) A valid Wyoming driver's license issued a minimum of six months prior to residency determination, and

(J) Wyoming voter registration dated a minimum of six months prior to residency determination.

(viii) A veteran or eligible individual, as described in 38 U.S. C. 3679 (c)(2), shall qualify as a resident for purposes of tuition if the applicant provides:

(A) A certificate or other evidence of the veteran's qualifying service in the uniformed services of the United States:

(B) Documented evidence at the time of enrollment that:

(I) The veteran intends to live in Wyoming during the term of enrollment;

(II) The veteran is enrolling in a Wyoming community college within three years of discharge or release from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more;

(III) If the applicant is a spouse or a child of the veteran, the applicant is a transferee pursuant to 38 U.S. C. 3311(b)(9) or 3319 of the veteran's eligibility for education benefits.

(I) Incorporation of the full text of the Code in this chapter would be cumbersome and inefficient given the length and nature of the Code.

(II) This incorporation does not include any later amendments to or editions of the Code.

(III) Copies of the Code are available at the Commission main office at 2300 Capitol Ave., Hathaway Building Fifth Floor Suite B, Cheyenne, WY 82002.

(IV) Copies of the Code are also available at the following website: www.communitycolleges.wy.edu/Data/Sites/1/commissionFiles/Commission/rules/US-code- veterans.pdf.

(ix) The following students are considered non-residents:

(A) Individuals who do not qualify under section (b)(i through viii above); and

(B) Individuals who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents except as provided by section (b)(iv) above.

History

Effective 2023-04-18

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.3.04182023 § 6 Maintaining Administrative Computing System Contracts and Common Carrier Electronic System Access

(a) The Commission shall be responsible for system wide contracts, including related training and support, that allows for the necessary infrastructure to run an ACS at the community colleges.

(b) Final decision authority in operating the ACS shall be made by the Commission upon approval by the Executive Council with the guidance and recommendation of the Chief Information Officers Council.

(c) The Commission shall be responsible for administering agreements or contracts to provide the necessary internet connectivity to the community colleges for the ACS.

History

Effective 2023-04-18

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.3.04182023 § 7 Coordinating Development and Maintenance of the Community College Commission Statewide Strategic Plan

In accordance with W.S. 21-18-202(h), the Commission and the community colleges shall follow the processes described in the WCCC Policy on Consultation with regard to communication and consultative activities associated with developing and periodically updating the strategic plan.

History

Effective 2023-04-18

Chapter 4 Coordination Functions

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.4.11212017 Coordination Functions

21-18-101

CHAPTER 4

COORDINATION FUNCTIONS

Section 1. Authority.

Wyoming Statutes 21-18-105 and 21-18-202.

Section 2. Purpose.

This chapter defines the Commission's coordination functions.

Section 3. Coordinating Data Submission to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

Community colleges shall submit data to the IPEDS website by the IPEDS deadlines. The Commission IPEDS coordinator shall review data submissions and utilize the coordinator's "locking" authority to finalize the submission process.

Section 4. Coordinating the Common Course Numbering System.

The Commission staff shall coordinate and approve course numbering and substantive course numbering modifications proposed by the community colleges consistent with the numbering system agreed to by the University of Wyoming and the community colleges.

Section 5. Coordinating the State Adult Education (AE) Program.

(a) The Commission shall coordinate the state AE program through a state plan in compliance with state and federal statutes and/or regulations.

(b) The Commission is responsible for:

(i) Development, submission, and implementation of the AE portion of the Unified State Plan;

(ii) Consultation with educational entities, agencies, groups, and individuals involved in the development and implementation of activities;

(iii) Coordination with other federal and state education, training, corrections, public housing, and social service programs;

(iv) Awarding of grants and contracts;

(v) Monitoring local grantees; and

(vi) Collection and compilation of data for state and federal reports.

(c) AE centers may be located at the community colleges and other eligible sites, deemed appropriate by pertinent state and federal laws, throughout the state.

(d) To meet the requirements of the AE program, the Commission shall establish policy and procedures for high school equivalency.

Section 6. Coordinating Academic and Vocational-Technical Programs.

(a) The following service areas have been adopted by the Commission pursuant to Session Laws 1991, Ch. 228, Sect. 3(d):

(i) Casper College: Natrona County;

(ii) Central Wyoming College: Fremont, Hot Springs, and Teton Counties, and the Wyoming State Penitentiary;

(iii) Eastern Wyoming College: Goshen, Converse, Crook, Weston, Niobrara, and Platte Counties;

(iv) Laramie County Community College: Laramie and Albany Counties;

(v) Northern Wyoming Community College District: Sheridan, Johnson, and Campbell Counties;

(vi) Northwest College: Park, Big Horn and Washakie Counties and Yellowstone National Park; and

(vii) Western Wyoming Community College: Sweetwater, Sublette, Lincoln, Uinta, and Carbon Counties.

(b) A community college proposing to deliver a program in the service area of another community college when a physical presence will be established shall notify the Commission in sufficient time to allow for the coordination process. If necessary, the Commission shall convene affected parties and determine which community college shall deliver the program.

(c) A community college may provide distance delivered instruction outside its service area. A community college shall not establish a physical presence to provide instruction outside of its service area without the written permission of the community college district serving the area under consideration. This written permission expires at the end of five (5) years and must be renewed to continue.

Section 7. Coordinating a Declination to Provide Program Response

(a) The Commission shall coordinate with all affected community colleges to prepare a response to the requesting board of county commissioners when a community college decides not to provide a requested program, pursuant to W.S. 21-18-202(b)(vi).

(b) Upon referral from a community college, the Commission and all affected community colleges shall collaborate according to the process of the WCCC Policy on Consultation to provide a coordinated response.

History

Effective 2017-11-21

Chapter 5 Administrative Functions

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 1 Authority

These rules are promulgated pursuant to Wyoming Statute 21-16-1901 through 21-16-1907, 21- 18-202(c), (d) and (h), 21-18-203(a), 21-18-205(b), (c) and (e), 21-18-225, 21-18-226, and 21-

18-403 through 21-18-406.

History

Effective 2023-12-06

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 2 Creating and Maintaining a Funding Allocation Model

(a) Wyoming Statute 21-18-205 created a statewide community college system operations funding mechanism based upon a statewide community college system strategic planning process attaching funding to state interests.

(i) The basis for fiscal-year 2019 and fiscal-year 2020 funding shall be the sum

of:

(A) The 2017-2018 biennial budget appropriation for state aid to community colleges, adjusted by:

(I) Subtraction of the portion of the budget appropriation restricted to reimbursement of community college increased retirement contributions (unless appropriated separately by the legislature); and

(II) Recapture and redistribution of state aid as calculated in July

(B) Proportional allocation of the 2017-2018 biennial budget appropriation for enrollment growth funding using Chapter 5, Section 3(a)(i)(A) as the basis.

(D) Community college district revenue, which is defined to include:

(I) Actual 4-mill revenue for fiscal-year 2017, and 99 percent of 4-mill revenue calculated against the 2017 certified assessment;

(II) Two times the amount of actual motor vehicle registration revenue for fiscal-year 2017; and

(III) Two times the amount of actual other revenue for fiscal-year

(ii) For each community college, the sum of the adjusted 2017-2018 biennial

budget appropriation for state aid, the proportionally allocated 2017-2018 biennial budget

appropriation for enrollment growth funding, net Budget Division adjustments to base, and the community college district revenue shall be divided by two to establish annual college-specific base funding amounts.

(iii) The annual college-specific base funding amounts shall be separated into fixed cost and variable cost portions that must be recalculated at least once every four years, based upon the following definitions of these costs, and the following procedures for determining the college-specific costs:

(A) Definitions of fixed and variable costs:

(I) Fixed costs include mandatory transfers and those operating costs that do not vary with enrollment. Such costs include the majority of administrative costs as well as operating costs related to facilities (e.g., utilities, maintenance and small repairs). Fixed costs include all or a substantial portion of costs classified as plant operation and maintenance, institutional support, academic support and student services. Also included in fixed costs is a relatively smaller portion of instructional costs representing costs for academic administrators, faculty (i.e., those with tenure or on continuing contracts) and related operating costs.

(II) Variable costs are those operating costs that vary proportionally with enrollment or represent step-variable costs. Step-variable costs increase or decrease based on enrollment fluctuation but not necessarily proportionally. Instead, step-variable costs remain static for a range of enrollments and increase once the range is exceeded (or decrease when enrollment drops below the range). The step-variable costs remain static above the range until the next level of enrollment is reached (or vice versa in the case of enrollment declines). Variable costs include all or a substantial portion of operating costs classified as instruction, service and student financial aid. Additionally, variable costs include all operating costs for extension (remote) operations that lack permanent full-time administrative staff.

(B) Procedures for determining college-specific fixed and variable costs:

(I) The relevant costs for the calculation of college-specific fixed and variable costs are the Fund 10 costs, after excluding capital costs and non-mandatory transfers. The first step is to sort these costs, by location, into standard functional categories as follows: instruction; service; academic support; student services; institutional support; plant operations and maintenance; student financial aid; mandatory transfers; and extension operations. The definitions for these standard functional categories are provided in section 604.26 of the Financial Accounting and Reporting Manual for Higher Education published by the NACUBO, and they are the same definitions relied on by the U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics for use in the IPEDS.

(II) Once the costs are sorted by location, it is necessary to determine which locations will be treated as campus locations and which will be treated as extension (remote) locations. A campus location is one that incurs the full range of operating costs for academic and related purposes. An extension location is one that utilizes a more streamlined operation consisting almost exclusively of classroom instruction. The distinguishing characteristic

of extension locations is the absence of permanent full-time administrative staff. The operating costs for extension locations are deemed to be fully variable while the operating costs for campuses vary by functional category.

(III) Campus location costs are sorted by function and summed to generate a total, by function, of each community college's campuses. The following standard percentages are applied to the functional cost category totals to determine the portion of each function that is fixed or variable:

Instruction - 35 percent fixed and 65 percent variable; Service - 0 percent fixed and 100 percent variable;

Academic support - 80 percent fixed and 20 percent variable; Student services - 70 percent fixed and 30 percent variable; Institutional support - 90 percent fixed and 10 percent variable;

Plant operations and maintenance - 95 percent fixed and 5 percent variable; Student financial aid - 0 percent fixed and 100 percent variable;

Mandatory transfers - 100 percent fixed and 0 percent variable; and Extension operations - 0 percent fixed and 100 percent variable.

(IV) The fixed amounts for each functional cost category are summed, producing the total fixed costs for the community college. The variable amounts for each functional cost category are summed and added to the total costs for all extension locations. This results in two totals - one for fixed costs and one for variable costs. These costs are summed to produce the total relevant costs for the community college.

(V) The final step is the calculation of the fixed and variable cost percentages. The total for the fixed costs is divided by the total costs for the community college to produce the fixed cost percentage. The total for the variable costs is divided by the total costs for the community college to produce the variable cost percentage.

(iv) For each community college, the current biennial weighted credit hours shall be the sum of the following:

(A) Academic years 2016 and 2017 Level One credit hours multiplied by

a factor of 1.0;

(B) Academic years 2016 and 2017 Level Two credit hours multiplied by

a factor of 1.25; and

by a factor of 1.5.

(v) For each community college, the current biennial weighted credit hours

shall be divided by two to establish the current annual weighted credit hours.

(vi) The variable costs portion of the system-wide annual base funding amount shall be divided by the current annual system-wide weighted credit hours to establish the current period system-wide credit-hour revenue.

(vii) For each community college, a successfully completed, weighted credit hour volume shall be calculated for each academic-year, beginning with academic-year 2015.

(A) Each year upon verification of the most recent successfully completed, weighted credit hour volumes, the college-specific percentages of the system-wide successfully completed, weighted credit hour volume shall be calculated.

(viii) For each community college, a program completion volume shall be calculated for each academic-year, beginning with academic-year 2016.

(A) Each year upon verification of the most recent program completion volumes, the college-specific percentages of the system-wide program completion volume shall be calculated.

(ix) College-specific variable cost state funding shall be calculated as the sum of the following calculations:

(A) Multiplying the current annual, college-specific weighted credit hours by the current period system-wide credit-hour revenue, and then multiplying this product by the percentage of the community college's adjusted 2017-2018 biennial budget appropriation for state aid to the sum of this adjusted appropriation for state aid and its community college district revenue

(I) For fiscal-year 2019, 40 percent of this variable cost state funding shall not be subject to recapture/redistribution, and each community college's allocation of this 40 percent, divided equally into two parts of 20 percent each, shall be calculated as follows:

(1.) Multiplying the community college's proportionate share of system-wide successfully completed, weighted credit hours for academic-year 2017 by the variable cost portion of system-wide annual base funding, then multiplying this product by the percentage of the community college's adjusted 2017-2018 biennial budget appropriation for state aid to the sum of this adjusted appropriation for state aid and its community college district revenue, and then multiplying this product by 20 percent.

(2.) Multiplying the community college's proportionate share of system-wide program completions for academic-year 2017 by the variable cost portion of system-wide annual base funding, then multiplying this product by the percentage of the community college's adjusted 2017-2018 biennial budget appropriation for state aid to the sum of this adjusted appropriation for state aid and its community college district revenue, and then multiplying this product by 20 percent.

(II) For fiscal-year 2020, 50 percent of this variable cost state funding shall not be subject to recapture/redistribution, and each community college's allocation of this 50 percent, divided equally into two parts of 25 percent each, shall be calculated as follows:

(1.) Multiplying the community college's proportionate share of system-wide successfully completed, weighted credit hours for academic-year 2018 by the variable cost portion of system-wide annual base funding, then multiplying this product by the percentage of the community college's adjusted 2017-2018 biennial budget appropriation for state aid to the sum of this adjusted appropriation for state aid and its community college district revenue, and then multiplying this product by 25 percent.

(2.) Multiplying the community college's proportionate share of system-wide program completions for academic-year 2018 by the variable cost portion of system-wide annual base funding, then multiplying this product by the percentage of the community college's adjusted 2017-2018 biennial budget appropriation for state aid to the sum of this adjusted appropriation for state aid and its community college district revenue, and then multiplying this product by 25 percent.

(x) For both fiscal-year 2019 and fiscal-year 2020, college-specific fixed cost state funding shall be calculated by multiplying the fixed cost portion of the college-specific annual base funding by the percentage of the community college's adjusted 2017-2018 biennial budget appropriation for state aid to the sum of this adjusted appropriation for state aid and its community college district revenue.

(xi) Amounts calculated under the funding allocation model which are greater than or less than the system-wide adjusted 2019-2020 biennial budget appropriation shall be distributed proportionately based on variable cost state funding for current annual weighted credit hours.

(xii) For any given fiscal-year, external cost adjustments can be applied to variable cost state funding and/or fixed cost state funding. The external cost adjustment for variable cost state funding shall be based upon the most recent Employment Cost Index for post-secondary institutions available at the time of biennial and/or supplemental budget submission, published by the US Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics. The external cost adjustment for fixed cost state funding shall be based upon the most recent Consumer Price Index available at the time of biennial and/or supplemental budget submission, also published by the US Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics. The application of any external cost adjustment will necessarily increase the demand for state funding, and accordingly, any such increase can only be funded by means of an approved exception budget request.

(A) External cost adjustments can also be applied to state funding of Wyoming Public Television. However, given that enrollment is not a factor in Wyoming Public Television's operations, the external cost adjustment shall be based solely upon the most recent Consumer Price Index available at the time of biennial and/or supplemental budget submission.

(xiii) For fiscal-year 2019 and fiscal-year 2020, annual recapture and redistribution of state aid due to changes in local 4-mill revenue resulting from changes in assessed valuation identified in July or August of each year shall be distributed to the community colleges based on their proportionate share of the sum of the adjusted 2017-2018 biennial budget appropriation for state aid and the community college district revenue, as calculated in support of the 2019-2020 biennial budget request.

(xiv) A spreadsheet depicting the operation of the funding allocation model for 2019-2020 shall be included in the Fiscal Handbook.

(b) If it is determined that the funding allocation model established by rule and in accordance with W.S. 21-18-205 is no longer the appropriate method for determining the funding request for the community colleges, and no other funding allocation model has been developed, funding requests for specifically identified needs may be submitted in the biennial budget request until a new funding allocation model has been approved and rules have been promulgated.

(i) Annual recapture and redistribution of state aid due to changes in local 4-mill revenue resulting from changes in assessed valuation identified in July or August of each year shall be distributed to the community colleges based on their proportionate share of credit full-time- equivalent (Credit FTE) enrollment as reported in Table 5 of the Wyoming Community College System Annual Enrollment Report for the two most current years available. This process shall be followed until an approved funding allocation model is in place.

(i) Revenues received by the Commission's contingency reserve account, to be used only for facility emergency repairs and/or preventive maintenance, shall be distributed to the community colleges as follows:

(A) Each community college's share of the distribution shall be based on its proportionate share of actual gross square footage as outlined by the computation and dates prescribed in Section 10 of this chapter.

(I) Subsequent changes in eligible gross square footage by any community college shall not alter the respective distribution percentages until such changes are recognized through a Commission-initiated calculation of system-wide gross square footage.

(B) Actual distribution of revenue from the contingency reserve account to the community colleges shall be made as the Commission determines, and shall be dependent on receipt of coal lease bonus funds by the Commission.

(ii) The appropriation for health insurance premium benefits, to be used for reimbursement of community college employee premiums, shall be calculated and distributed as follows:

(A) For the 2007-2008 biennium and beyond, the health insurance premium benefit pool shall be based on plan enrollment numbers as of the month of April in odd- numbered years, as well as the projected premium rates for the month of December in the same odd- numbered years.

(B) Distribution of funds to the community colleges shall be for reimbursement of actual expenses incurred. Each community college shall submit a quarterly reimbursement request on an approved Commission form.

(C) The Commission shall evaluate the sufficiency of funding in the health insurance premium benefit pool on a quarterly basis. If funding is projected to be insufficient, the Commission shall work with the Budget Division of the Department of Administration and Information to identify other possible funding options, and if other options are not available, and if supplemental budget requests can still be submitted, the Commission shall consider such a request.

(I) If funding in the health insurance premium benefit pool is insufficient and other funding options, including supplemental budget requests, are not available, each of the community college's reimbursement shall be reduced in an amount proportionate to its share of system-wide eligible employees as of the month of April in odd-numbered years.

(II) If funding in the health insurance premium benefit pool exceeds reimbursement of actual expenses incurred, the unspent balance shall revert to the general fund at the end of the biennium.

(iii) The appropriation for the retirees' health insurance pool, to be used to cover the community colleges' share of pool funding, shall be calculated and distributed as follows:

(A) Based on payroll data provided by the community colleges, the Budget Division of the Department of Administration and Information shall calculate the system- wide biennial appropriations for the retirees' health insurance assessment.

(B) Distribution of the appropriations by the Commission to the community colleges shall occur at the same time and in the same relative proportions as state aid distributions.

(C) On a monthly basis, each community college shall calculate the amount of the appropriation used for the preceding month, and submit payment of this amount to the State Auditor's Office.

(iv) Appropriations for increased retirement contribution benefits, to be used for reimbursement of the community colleges' share of increased contributions, beginning September 1, 2010, shall be calculated and distributed as follows:

(A) For the 2013-2014 biennium and beyond, the retirement contribution benefit pool shall be based on the cumulative payroll of pension-eligible community college employees as of the month of April in odd-numbered years, adjusted to recognize local funding.

(B) Distribution of funds to the community colleges shall be for reimbursement of actual expenses incurred, adjusted to recognize local funding. Each community college shall submit a quarterly reimbursement request on an approved Commission form.

(C) The Commission shall evaluate the sufficiency of funding in the retirement contribution benefit pool on a quarterly basis. If funding is projected to be insufficient, the Commission shall work with the Budget Division of the Department of Administration and Information to identify other possible funding options, and if other options are not available, and if supplemental budget requests can still be submitted, the Commission shall consider such a request.

(I) If funding in the retirement contribution benefit pool is insufficient and other funding options, including supplemental budget requests, are not available, each of the community college's reimbursement shall be reduced in an amount proportionate to its share of the cumulative payroll of pension-eligible college employees as of the month of April in odd-numbered years.

(v) The funding allocation model and/or its adjuncts may be reviewed by the Commission as necessary, and proposed revisions may be recommended for rules, in accordance with applicable statutes.

History

Effective 2023-12-06

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 3 Preparing Commission and Community College Budget Requests

(a) The Commission shall prepare a consolidated biennial budget request for state assistance, including state funding for Commission programs, the community colleges and Wyoming Public Television in a format determined by the Budget Division of the Department of Administration and Information.

(b) The Commission shall hold at least one public budget hearing for the community colleges, after which the consolidated budget request for state assistance shall be submitted to the governor.

(c) Requests for state appropriations to fund the regular support and operation of the community colleges shall be developed in accordance with Wyoming Statute 21-18-102 and 21-18- 203, and utilize a Commission-adopted funding allocation model.

(d) Wyoming Statute 21-18-205 created a statewide community college system operations funding mechanism based upon a statewide community college system strategic planning process attaching state funding to state interests.

(i) The budget request model shall be derived from that principle, and it may consist of two components: the standard budget request and the exception budget request. The step- by-step procedures for calculation of both types of requests are outlined in Wyoming Statute 21-18- 102 and 21-18-203, and also in Section 2 of the Rules - Creating and Maintaining a Funding Allocation Model.

(A) The biennial standard budget request shall be based on amounts appropriated for state aid by Wyoming Statute 21-18-102 and 21-18-203, including any external cost adjustments for fixed and variable costs, or other Budget Division adjustments to base.

(I) The allocation of the standard budget appropriation among the community colleges shall be adjusted to recognize variations in each community college district's revenue from biennium to biennium. The only exception to this is the variable cost funding subject to allocation in accordance with performance metrics.

(B) The biennial exception budget request may include, but shall not be limited to the following:

(I) External cost adjustments for variable cost state funding based on the Employment Cost Index for post-secondary institutions, published by the US Department of Labor-Bureau of Labor Statistics. The adjustments may be made for either one fiscal-year of a biennium or both fiscal-years of a biennium.

(II) External cost adjustments for fixed cost state funding and state funding of Wyoming Public Television. The adjustments shall be based on the Consumer Price Index published by the US Department of Labor-Bureau of Labor Statistics, and may be made for either one fiscal-year of a biennium or both fiscal-years of a biennium.

(III) An incentive pool (i.e., special purpose funding) intended to provide start-up revenue to one or more community colleges for programs which address unanticipated and emerging statewide needs, but which lack sufficient resources initially. Initial funding for such programs shall be subject to Commission approval, and continued funding shall be subject to satisfaction of established performance benchmarks. Funding provided by the pool shall not be considered long-term, regardless of program success. Any undistributed balance of this pool shall revert at the end of the biennium.

(C) Standard and exception budget requests for other programs assigned to the Commission shall be developed in consultation with the community colleges and the Budget Division.

(I) The Commission may also prepare and submit supplemental

budget requests.

(II) The Commission may also seek additional funding from state or other sources to support incentive and/or performance funds that address statewide priorities.

(e) The executive director shall report to the Commission and the community colleges on action taken by the governor and the legislature on requests for state appropriations.

(f) The Budget Division is not bound by the provisions of this section.

History

Effective 2023-12-06

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 4 Disbursing State and Other Funds

(a) Unless otherwise directed by the legislature, state funding for the assistance of community colleges shall be allocated by the Commission to the community colleges on the basis of the funding allocation model and its adjuncts approved by the Commission, as outlined in Section 3 of these Rules - Creating and Maintaining a Funding Allocation Model.

(b) Distributions of state appropriations shall be made by the Commission to the community colleges in accordance with the funding allocation model or other legislative instructions, and at times and in amounts determined by the Commission.

(i) Unless otherwise specified by the Commission, distributions of state aid to the community colleges and Wyoming Public Television shall be made on or about July 15, September 15, December 15 and March 15 of each fiscal year.

(ii) Unless otherwise specified by the Commission, distributions of state aid to the community colleges and Wyoming Public Television shall be made in the amounts of 15 percent, 15 percent, 10 percent and 10 percent of the total biennial amount of state aid designated for each entity on the respective dates of each fiscal year.

(c) Contingency reserve account funds shall be distributed at times determined by the Commission, subject to receipt of coal lease bonus funds.

(d) Any additional state funding appropriated to the Commission for distribution to the community colleges will be distributed at times and in amounts determined by the Commission.

History

Effective 2023-12-06

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 5 Establishing and Promoting Statewide Priorities

(a) The Commission shall collaborate with college trustees, college administrators, the governor's office, the legislature, and community and business leaders to determine statewide priorities that conform to interests that shall be addressed by the WY Community College Commission Statewide Strategic Plan.

History

Effective 2023-12-06

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 6 Administering Loan Repayment Programs

(a) This Section is promulgated under authority of W.S. 21-18-202 and W.S. 9-2-123 for the Wyoming Investment in Nursing program, W.S. 21-7-601 for the Teacher Shortage Loan Repayment program, and W.S. 21-7-701 for the Wyoming Adjunct Professor Loan Repayment program, as amended.

(i) The purpose of the Wyoming Investment in Nursing Program (WYIN program) is to make funds available to individuals who wish to pursue a career in nursing or nurse education and to alleviate a shortage of nurses within the state.

(ii) The purpose of the Wyoming Teacher Shortage Loan Repayment Program (TSLR program) is to make funds available to students at the University of Wyoming who wish

to pursue a career in education and to alleviate a shortage of teachers in qualified areas of study within the state as designated by W.S. 21-7-601.

(iii) The purpose of the Wyoming Adjunct Professor Loan Repayment Program (WAPLR program) is to make funds available to public school teachers who require additional coursework in order to qualify as adjunct instructors under the concurrent enrollment policies of a Wyoming community college district or the University of Wyoming (UW).

(b) Sections (c) through (g) apply to all loan repayment programs except as otherwise noted. Section (h) applies to the WYIN and TSLR programs except as otherwise noted, and section

(i) applies to the WAPLR program.

(i) The interest rate shall be the average prime interest rate plus four percent (4%) computed by the Commission's financial institution in the same manner as specified under

W.S. 39-16-108(b) for determining the interest rate on delinquent use taxes. The rate shall be approved by the Commission by July 1st of every calendar year.

(ii) Accrual of interest shall begin upon scheduled commencement of cash

repayment.

(d) Loan Terms

(i) Loan origination fees shall be established by the Commission and deducted from the first disbursement of funds for payment to the contracted financial institution.

(ii) The student shall sign a master promissory note as approved by the Commission prior to disbursement to the student of any funds.

(iii) The Commission or the contracted financial institution may disclose any delinquency or default on the student's loan to credit bureaus.

(iv) If the student fails to make a scheduled repayment, or fails to comply with any other term of the note, the Commission or the contracted financial institution may refer the student's loan to a collection agent, initiate legal proceedings against the student, and pursue judicial remedies.

(v) If the student fails to make a scheduled repayment or fails to comply with any other term of the promissory note, the entire unpaid balance of the loan, including interest due and accrued, and any applicable penalty charges and collection fees, including attorney fees, will, at the option of the Commission, become immediately due and payable.

(vi) The student may prepay all or any part of the principal and accrued interest of the loan at any time without penalty.

(vii) The student will promptly inform the Commission or the contracted financial institution of any change in name or address.

(e) Default of a Loan.

(i) A loan shall be in default when an installment is due and not paid in full within 90 days after the time period provided by these rules.

(ii) The process for collection of a loan in default shall be determined by the Commission through its designated financial institution.

(iii) The student in default shall pay any charges related to offsetting the note or any charges incurred should the note(s) be referred to an outside collection agency and any other collection charges, including attorney's fees allowed by state law.

(iv) Loan repayment options under this section may be deferred for:

(A) A period not to exceed five (5) years while the student is serving on full time active duty with any branch of the military services of the United States; or

(B) The length of a graduate program that qualifies under the WYIN program or the TSLR program if the student begins the graduate program while still paying the WYIN or TSLR loan by cash or employment; or

(C) The length of the undergraduate program for a WYIN or TSLR student who did not complete the program, but who is readmitted. Interest will not accrue while the student is enrolled in the program. Upon completion of the program, the current loan balance will be repaid as specified in section (h)(v) for WYIN and TSLR loans and section (j)(v) for WAPLR loans.

(v) Students may be granted a delay from having to repay loans and interest, including interest accrual thereon, in whole or in part or complete cancellation, including interest accrual thereon, when the requirement to repay would cause undue hardship, economic or otherwise. The financial institution responsible for servicing the loans will use its best judgment in applying the economic hardship deferment criteria used for the Federal Family Education Loan Program. The Commission reserves the right to consider and make the final decision as to any request on the basis of undue hardship, economic or otherwise.

(vi) Complete cancellation of a student's debt will be granted only in limited circumstances. These circumstances may include a student's total and permanent disability, as determined by a medical or osteopathic physician, or death.

(A) A student who is determined to be totally and permanently disabled will have his/her loan placed in a conditional discharge period for three (3) years from the date the student became totally and permanently disabled.

(B) During this conditional period, the student need not pay principal and interest will not accrue. If the student continues to meet the total and permanent disability conditions during, and at the end of, the three-year conditional period, the student's obligation to repay the loan shall be canceled upon approval by the Commission.

(C) If the student does not continue to meet the cancellation requirements, the student must resume payment within forty-five (45) days of the medical opinion specified in (vi) of this section.

(f) Process for Cash Repayment. The process and schedule for cash repayment under (h)(v) for WYIN and TSLR loans and section (j)(v) for WAPLR loans shall be administered by the Commission through its designated financial institution. Students shall be notified by the Commission through its designated financial institution of the approved payment plan.

(g) Review and Reporting. Any designated financial institution the Commission employs shall prepare a report once a year outlining the services it is providing and the progress made.

(h) WYIN and TSLR programs.

(i) Funding:

(A) Funding for a WYIN student in an undergraduate nursing program at a Wyoming community college or the University of Wyoming will be for a maximum of four semesters between any combination of institutions.

(B) Funding for a WYIN student in a graduate nursing or nurse educator program at the University of Wyoming or at an institution approved by the Commission will be for a maximum of the equivalent of 60 graduate-level credit hours.

(C) Funding for a TSLR student will be for a maximum of the equivalent of two full-time academic years for all qualified areas of study as designated in W.S. 21-7-601, except for students enrolled in a special education program of study, who may receive funding for a maximum of the equivalent of three full-time academic years, assuming funds are appropriated by the legislature.

(ii) Application Form. To be eligible to participate in either of these programs, a student shall submit an application to the Commission or its designee upon a form approved by the Commission according to the deadlines determined by each participating educational institution.

(iii) Selection Process

(A) The Commission shall designate the financial aid officers at the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming community colleges to administer these programs subject to the following:

(I) Subject to the Commission's approval, nurses pursuing a graduate degree may apply to the University of Wyoming, in which case Section (II) below shall apply. All others shall make application for loan funds to the Commission's designated financial institution. The designated financial institution, acting in the same capacity as an institution financial aid officer, shall apply the same rules as those listed below, except the designated financial institution will not be given an allocation of WYIN funds, rather applicants will be funded on a per applicant basis by the Commission.

(II) The financial aid officer shall require each applicant to apply to the participating educational institution, review each application, and determine whether the applicant is eligible under these rules;

(1.) Nurses with an unencumbered BSN degree in nursing may apply for a loan to pursue a MSN degree in nursing or nurse education, and a nurse with a MSN degree in nursing or nurse education may apply for a loan to pursue a PhD in nursing or nurse education.

(III) The financial aid officer shall authorize loans from appropriated funds in an amount sufficient to avoid over-commitment and to ensure sufficient funds remain available to allow students to complete the program in which they enrolled;

(1.) When determining the amount of a loan in either program for which an applicant may be eligible, the unmet need of the applicant shall be considered.

(IV) The funds appropriated by the legislature will be allocated by the Commission to the University of Wyoming and Wyoming's community colleges for students in these programs.

(V) The financial aid officers shall report to the Commission and the designated financial institution responsible for servicing the loans, the names of all students enrolled in the WYIN and TSLR programs in their respective schools, including students enrolled in WICHE schools or distance learning programs, within 30 days of initial enrollment. Thereafter, the financial aid officers shall report to the Commission and the financial institution on a semester basis regarding participants in the program.

(iv) Upon completion of the academic program, the student must provide the following information every two months, until all the following requirements are reported to the contracted financial institution:

(A) WYIN program:

(I) Date of appropriate certification or licensure examination;

(II) Successful passing score and certification or licensure and employment information; or unsuccessful passing score and date of next examination; and

(III) Outcome of second examination and, if successful,

employment information.

(B) TSLR program:

(I) Verification by the Professional Teaching Standards Board of appropriate teacher certification in qualified areas of study as designated by W.S. 21-7-601; and

(II) Verification by a Wyoming public school principal of successful employment in a public school in Wyoming teaching in a qualified area of study as designated by W.S. 21-7-601 at least 50 percent of the working hours.

(v) Terms of Repayment

(A) Repayment of loans shall continue as specified under the loan agreement, until all loan obligations have been satisfied.

(B) Qualified work shall be verified annually by the Commission's designated financial institution by having received a letter from the student's employer stating the person is currently or has been employed as follows:

(I) As a nurse, if the WYIN loan was for an undergraduate nursing degree, or nurse educator, if the loan was for a graduate nursing degree.

(II) As a certified teacher in any qualified area of study as designated by W.S. 21-7-601 for a TSLR loan.

(C) Subject to the cash repayment provision as detailed in W.S. 9-2-123 for a WYIN loan and W.S. 21-7-601 for a TSLR loan, the loan is repayable in equal or graduated period installments, with the right of the Commission to accelerate repayment, over a period not to exceed ten (10) years that begins nine (9) months after the student ceases to be a student in the nursing program.

(j) WAPLR program:

(i) Application Process. To be eligible to participate in this program, a public school teacher (applicant) shall secure from the school district a signed agreement using a form approved by the Commission.

(A) The agreement form shall include:

(I) Verification by the school district that the applicant is a resident of Wyoming as defined in Chapter 1 of these rules;

(II) Verification by the school district that the applicant is employed as a teacher within the school district;

(III) Verification by the school district that the applicant is in good standing with the Professional Teacher Standards Board;

(IV) Verification by the school district and the post-secondary institution that the schedule of proposed coursework is correct and necessary for the applicant to teach concurrent courses in the high school;

(V) A list and schedule of concurrent courses the applicant is expected to teach after completion of the educational program; and

(VI) Signatures of the school district superintendent or designee and the president of the post-secondary institution or designee.

(B) The agreement described in (A) of this section shall constitute a nomination for the program and be submitted by the school district to the partner post-secondary institution in accordance with the deadline prescribed by the Commission. In the event the school district nominates more than one applicant, the school district shall prioritize nominations prior to submitting all applications to the partner post-secondary institution.

(ii) Submission to the Commission:

(A) The post-secondary institution shall submit the nomination(s) to the Commission no later than the second Friday of March or the third Friday in October of the school year in which the educational program is planned.

(B) In the event that the post-secondary institution receives more than one nomination, the post-secondary institution shall prioritize nominations prior to submitting all applications to the Commission.

(iii) Selection Process:

(A) The Commission shall review all applications and select recipients based on the following criteria:

(I) Amount of coursework and length of time necessary to qualify the applicant to teach concurrent courses;

(II) Estimated number of students enrolled in concurrent classes to the eligible student population expressed as a percentage impacted when the concurrent courses are offered by the community college in cooperation with the school district;

(III) How the post-secondary institution has prioritized the

nominations; and

(IV) The scope and access of concurrent courses currently offered by the community college in cooperation with the school district.

(B) The Commission shall notify successful applicants no later than the third Friday of April or the third Friday in November of the school year in which the educational program is planned, and shall specify the terms and conditions of the loan.

(iv) Payment Process:

(A) Payment for reimbursement of tuition and fees shall be made by the Commission on a semester-by-semester basis to the applicant.

(I) The school district shall verify successful completion for each course and shall report completion to the Commission. This report shall include:

(1.) An official transcript provided by the applicant from the post-secondary institution showing the course or courses were completed with a passing grade of A, B, C, S or P; and

(2.) The total cost of tuition and fees to be reimbursed.

(II) If an applicant fails to meet the standard established in (1.) of this section, the applicant will begin cash repayment as described in (d)(v) of this section.

(B) Terms and conditions of loans awarded under this section shall be approved by the Commission.

(v) Terms of Repayment

(A) A recipient of a loan under this section may repay the loan without cash payment by teaching at least one concurrent class in a Wyoming public school. To qualify as repayment under this subsection, work shall be performed for a minimum of two (2) years, which shall begin the fall semester of the academic year following completion of the educational program. Annually, the Wyoming public school district shall provide verification that the applicant is teaching a concurrent college-level credit-bearing course or courses in one or more high schools.

(B) Repayment of loans shall continue as specified under the loan agreement until all loan obligations have been satisfied.

(C) Qualified work shall be verified by the Commission by having received a letter from the applicant's employer stating the applicant is currently or has been employed as a teacher in a qualifying area of study. This letter must be submitted at the end of the spring semester for the two (2) years immediately following completion of the academic program.

(D) Subject to the cash repayment provision as detailed by W.S. 21-7- 601, the loan is repayable in equal or graduated installments with the right of the Commission to accelerate payment over a period not to exceed two (2) years that begins forty-five (45) days after the applicant ceases to be a student in the academic program. The Commission may approve a longer period for repayment in extenuating circumstances.

(E) Applicants shall not be considered in default when the school district or post-secondary institution does not offer a previously agreed upon concurrent course or courses and such action does not extend the repayment period.

History

Effective 2023-12-06

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 7 Administering the Tuition Benefit for Vietnam Veterans, Overseas Combat Veterans and Surviving Spouses and Dependants

(a) This section is promulgated under authority of W.S. 19-14-106.

(b) The purpose of the benefit is to provide free tuition and fees, if authorized, for Vietnam veterans, overseas combat veterans and surviving spouses and dependants.

(c) Application Process. Vietnam veterans, overseas combat veterans and surviving spouses and dependants shall apply for the educational benefit under this section with an eligible institution and will provide the appropriate documentation to establish eligibility.

(i) The application form and deadlines shall be determined by each participating educational institution.

(d) Selection Process. The Commission shall designate the financial aid officers at the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming community colleges to administer this program subject to the following:

(i) The financial aid officer shall require each applicant to apply to the participating educational institution, review each application, and determine whether the applicant is eligible under W.S. 19-14-106.

(ii) The financial aid officer shall authorize free tuition and fees, if authorized, from appropriated funds in an amount sufficient to avoid over-commitment.

(e) Reimbursement. The funds appropriated by the legislature will be reimbursed by the Commission to the University of Wyoming and Wyoming's community colleges upon submission of a Certificate of Eligibility.

(i) Certificates of Eligibility will be processed for payment on a semester basis by the Commission; and

(ii) The financial aid director of the University of Wyoming or community college will certify as correct, with an original signature, all Certificates of Eligibility and mail them to the Commission using the United States Postal Service.

(f) Tracking of total semesters. Tuition benefit usage shall be updated and verified each semester (fall, summer, spring) by Commission staff based on the information submitted on the Certificate of Eligibility by the financial aid director at the University of Wyoming or the community colleges. A report shall be run by Commission staff to determine that the benefit is used within eight (8) academic years after the first receipt of the benefit. If the eight (8) academic year time limit has been reached, the financial aid office shall be notified by the Commission that the student is no longer eligible. The financial aid office shall be responsible for notifying the student of such.

(g) Initial use of benefits. Initial eligibility shall be determined by the financial aid office at the University of Wyoming or the community college in which the veteran is applying for the benefit. The financial aid office shall be responsible for determining that a dependant is under the age of twenty-two (22) when initially applying to use the benefit.

(h) Transfer between public state education institutions. Commission staff shall track how many semesters have been used by each student and an updated listing of number of semesters used shall be sent to the financial aid offices each semester so the financial aid office can determine if a student has received the benefit at another public education institution. The Commission shall verify that each student has not exceeded his or her total benefit of eight (8) academic years before payment is made to the University of Wyoming or the community colleges for that semester.

(j) Continuation of eligibility. The University of Wyoming or community college financial aid office where the student is attending and receiving the benefit shall be responsible for tracking the GPA of the student once he or she has started using the benefit. The respective office shall run a report determining if those students receiving the benefit have met the requirements for continued eligibility. If a student loses eligibility because they fell below a 2.0 GPA or failed to meet other institutional standards of progress, he or she can earn the benefit back by completing course work at their own cost until such time as the GPA has risen back to the minimum requirement of 2.0 and also meets other institutional standards of progress.

History

Effective 2023-12-06

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 8 Administering the High School Equivalency Certificate Program

(a) This section is promulgated under authority of Laws 2013 ch. 25 and W.S. 21-16- 1308(b)(iv)(C).

(b) This section describes the procedures for administration of the Wyoming High School Equivalency Certificate (HSEC) program. The HSEC program provides a certificate to adults and out-of-school youth who did not graduate from an accredited high school, are unable to receive a high school diploma from their school district of residence, or were home-schooled and did not receive a diploma, but are able to demonstrate attainment of knowledge and skills that are equivalent to those which would be attained in a high school program of study through passing any of the state-authorized equivalency certification assessments.

(c) The HSEC program applies to all citizens, naturalized immigrants, resident alien non-citizens and foreign exchange students according to state and federal immigration policy. Candidates must prove their identity with current, unmodified, original government- or accredited institution of higher learning-issued photo identification.

(d) The HSEC program office shall maintain an official HSEC Policy and Procedures Manual for each authorized assessment instrument or pathway used to certify candidate attainment of high school equivalency.

(e) The HSEC program or the Commission Executive Director's designated representative shall convene a review committee to select the state-authorized assessment instrument(s) or pathway(s) used to certify candidate attainment of high school equivalency when appropriate as such instruments or pathways become available. No particular instrument may be considered the state standard.

(i) The process for forming the review committee shall be as follows:

(A) The HSEC program office shall monitor the marketplace for viable products, and may also participate in applicable national or regional committees which investigate equivalency assessments. When new assessment instruments become available, or when review of an instrument or pathway is requested, the HSEC program office shall call a meeting composed of the individuals and the representatives of the entities listed below, however, there is no quorum necessary to proceed with approval or rejection:

(I) Community College Academic Affairs Council, Community College Admissions/Financial Aid Officers, Department of Education, Department of Workforce Services, University of Wyoming, the Adult Education Program Manager, an English as a Second Language (ESL) expert, a Wyoming Board of Cooperative Education Services (B.O.C.E.S.) representative and a Community College Commission-appointed test center administration expert.

(B) The HSEC program office or the Commission Executive Director's designated representative shall convene, chair and support the committee and consult with the available committee members, either in person or via electronic meeting, to evaluate and/or develop new proposed instruments or pathways.

(I) Final committee decisions concerning approval or rejection of proposed instruments or pathways shall be via an official vote recorded by electronic mail and promulgated by a summary posting on the Commission website HSEC webpage. The Commission shall consider the actions of the committee at their next regularly scheduled meeting and may override all other approvals or rejections for a proposed instrument or pathway. Appeals shall be handled in accordance with the Wyoming Community College Commission Chapter 2 rules.

(C) Effective dates for approved instruments or pathways and necessary policy and procedural information shall be maintained by the HSEC Program Manager with official copies available on the Commission website HSEC webpage.

(D) If for any reason, the state should revoke approval for an instrument or pathway, the applicable announcements shall be posted on the Commission website HSEC webpage, communicated publicly by official press release and through the HSEC committee by electronic media.

(f) Qualifying scores for the different Hathaway scholarship levels shall be determined through consultation with the vendor. Any changes made to the Wyoming Hathaway Scholarship program by the Wyoming Department of Education or the Wyoming Legislature, which may affect qualification scores, may be incorporated in this program within sixty (60) days of notification from the Wyoming Department of Education.

(i) If otherwise eligible, HSEC candidates shall be eligible for a Hathaway scholarship if they achieve an average score on a selected, approved HSEC assessment instrument corresponding to the scores below, verified by the vendor-supplied concordance:

(A) Score a 17 on the ACT or a 12 on the WorkKeys test and a minimum standard score of 157 on the GED® 2014 series test, or a score of 12 on the HiSet® test, to be eligible for a scholarship at the same level and to the same extent as a Hathaway provisional opportunity scholarship;

(B) Score a 19 on the ACT and a minimum standard score of 157 on the GED® 2014 series test, or a score of 12 on the HiSet® test, to be eligible for a scholarship at the same level and to the same extent as a Hathaway opportunity scholarship;

(C) Score a 21 on the ACT and a minimum standard score of 164 on the GED® 2014 series test, or a score of 14 on the HiSet® test, to be eligible for a scholarship at the same level and to the same extent as a Hathaway performance scholarship; or

(D) Score a 25 on the ACT and a minimum standard score of 170 on the GED® 2014 series test, or a score of 16 on the HiSet® test, to be eligible for a scholarship at the same level and to the same extent as a Hathaway honor scholarship.

(ii) Minimum standard scores from all approved instruments shall represent the same proficiency skills as those represented by the scores listed above and shall be available on the HSEC webpage, Hathaway Scholarships section.

(iii) Application for a Hathaway scholarship in conjunction with a HSEC certificate must be initiated within two years of natural graduation date, but not prior to that date, except for instances specifically allowed by the Wyoming Department of Education. The applicant must have received the HSEC while residing in Wyoming, and must have attended a Wyoming high school.

History

Effective 2023-12-06

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 9 Major Maintenance Funding and Distribution

(a) The Commission shall, no later than June 1 of each odd-numbered year, and in accordance with W.S. 21-18-225(f) and any additional provisions enacted in current session law, calculate actual gross square footage of college facilities eligible for state-supported major maintenance funding. The square footage data contained in the capital construction database provided by the Commission to the colleges under W.S. 21-18-225(b)(i), and current as of May 1 of each odd-numbered year, shall be the data used to support the request sent to the State Construction Department, with the following exceptions:

(i) Gross square footage data for an otherwise eligible building scheduled for demolition within two years of December 1 of each odd-numbered year shall not be included in the calculation.

(b) Once funding is appropriated, and to the extent funds are available, the distribution shall take place in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the State Construction Department.

History

Effective 2023-12-06

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 10 Capital Construction Requests

(a) Under authority of W.S. 21-18-225, this section addresses the development of a prioritized list of community college capital construction projects, and the submission of this list to the State Construction Department.

(b) The prioritized list of community college capital construction projects shall include only necessary building square footage required for provision of those education programs serving the state's interests as described in Chapter 4 of the WY Community College Commission Statewide Strategic Plan developed and maintained under the authority of W.S. 21-18-202(a)(v).

(c) The Commission's Facilities Handbook shall be referenced for specifications regarding automated programs and databases, forms, formats, timelines, documentation, guidelines, facility classification systems, forecasting models, indices and/or other factors.

(i) The Commission shall provide guidelines and formats for community colleges to use in developing its prioritized capital construction lists which are correlated to the WY Community College Commission Statewide Strategic Plan.

(ii) The Commission shall provide access to a statewide community college building database (otherwise referred to as the capital construction database), a component of which shall be a facilities inventory database.

(A) Community colleges shall provide updates to the facilities inventory database in a timely fashion, thereby facilitating both current and comprehensive descriptions of colleges' built environments. Deadlines for all outstanding updates may be established by the Commission in order to ensure the validity of computations inherent to, and reports generated by, the capital construction database.

(B) Database information shall be used to develop the long-range plans for building space needs.

(iii) The Commission shall identify and implement a forecasting model to assist community colleges in computing future student enrollments and related building needs. Model reports will be available to the colleges upon completion of Commission-related database updates including, but not limited to, population projections, enrollment projections, student demographics, participation rates, distance education, utilization hours, library volumes and student study stations.

(d) By June 1 of every year, the colleges shall be authorized to submit for funding consideration capital construction projects. Each submission must be supported by a Level I study, and shall use the capital construction database described in the Facilities Handbook. The proposed project must have an identified educational use and must also be described and prioritized within the college's published 5-year master plan.

(i) No later than June 1 of each year, Commission staff shall forward the prioritized list, supported by Level I design documents, to the State Construction Department in accordance with W.S. 21-18-225(g).

(ii) An informational report will be created related to the prioritized list given to the State Construction Department, and will be provided to the commissioners at their summer meeting.

(e) Community colleges may submit requests for authorization to construct without state funding, as provided for in W.S. 21-18-202(d)(v). Such requests shall be sent to Commission staff no later than 30 days prior to any scheduled commission meeting for consideration at that meeting. Commission-authorized projects of $1.5 million or more also require authorization by the State Building Commission and the legislature, and therefore will not move forward until the following October.

(f) Community colleges shall submit requests for modification of capital construction priorities through resubmission of their respective college master plans. Re-writes and updates to college master plans must be submitted to the Commission within 30 days of college board approval.

History

Effective 2023-12-06

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 11 National Council State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA)

(a) In accordance with W.S. 21-18-226, accredited institutions of higher education legally domiciled in Wyoming with the accrediting agency designating Wyoming as its main location may apply for membership in NC-SARA, as administered by our regional compact (WICHE), by making application to the Commission (portal agency) using the form provided by the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA).

(b) Applicant institutions shall comply with the provisions of the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC) guidelines, and more specifically, its inter-regional guidelines

for the evaluation of distance education programs (online learning) for best practices in postsecondary distance education developed by leading practitioners of distance education.

(c) Each applicant institution shall provide the portal agency and all students enrolled in courses under NC-SARA provisions, its written complaint resolution policies and procedures, including assurances it will comply with the consumer protection standards, as described below:

(i) Initial responsibility for the investigation and resolution of complaints resides with the institution against which the complaint was made.

(A) Complaints against an institution operating under NC-SARA shall first be processed through the institution's own procedures for resolution of grievances.

(B) Complaints regarding student grades or student conduct violations are governed entirely by institutional policy and laws of the NC-SARA institution's home state.

(C) If a person bringing a complaint is not satisfied with the outcome of the institutional process for handling complaints, the complaint (except for complaints about grades or student conduct violations) may be appealed within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, by requesting in writing, a review by the portal agency. The resolution of the complaint by the portal agency with consultation with the Attorney General shall be final, except for complaints that fall under the provisions of (g) below.

(D) The portal entity will develop policies and procedures for reporting the number and disposition of complaints that are not resolved at the institution level to NC-SARA. Since appeals of decisions made at the institution level are made to the portal agency, these data will be used to report to NC-SARA.

(d) Eligible institutions may make initial application to the portal agency. The designated portal entity's representative shall conduct the review of initial and renewal applications.

(i) If the portal entity representative determines an initial or renewal application should not be approved, the portal representative shall review the determination with the portal entity's representative from the Attorney General's office prior to providing the applicant institution a written reason for denial. A denial shall not be issued unless the Attorney General concurs with the determination. If the applicant institution believes an eligibility provision has been misinterpreted or misapplied, the institution may appeal the denial of its initial application within 30 calendar days to the Wyoming Community College Commission Executive Director. The appeal must be submitted in writing. The Wyoming Community College Executive Director determination will be final and will be communicated in writing to the applicant institution within 30 days of receipt of appeal.

(ii) If approved, the portal agency will notify NC-SARA of the acceptance. NC-SARA will then contact the institution regarding payment of fees, which are based on annual FTE as reported to IPEDS for the previous year. Contingent upon the satisfactory review of eligibility by the portal agency, institutions will pay annual renewal fees directly to NC-SARA. Failure to pay renewal fees shall result in a loss of eligibility to participate in NC-SARA.

(e) Annually, at the time of renewal, the portal agency shall review institutional eligibility and notify WICHE of its findings. Any institution that is disqualified from participating in NC-SARA, either during its annual review or when circumstances dictate, shall not receive a refund if eligibility is revoked partway through an annual period. Institutions must meet all eligibility requirements laid out in the current version of the NC-SARA Manual and the institutional application for participation and renewal in order to maintain eligibility for participation.

(f) Programs Leading to Licensure - Any Institution approved to participate in NC-SARA that offers courses or programs designed to lead to Professional Licensure or certification or advertised as leading to Licensure must satisfy all federal requirements for disclosures regarding such programs under 34 §C.F.R. 668.43. For NC-SARA purposes, these requirements will also apply to non-Title IV institutions.

(i) For NC-SARA purposes, institutions that are unable, after all reasonable efforts, to determine whether a program will meet state professional licensure requirements shall provide the student or application with current contact information for any applicable licensing boards, and advise the student or application to determine whether the program meets requirements for Licensure in the State where the student is located.

(ii) The institution may notify the applicant or student in writing that the institution cannot confirm whether a course or program meets the requirements for professional licensure in the student's state, provide the student with the current contact information for any applicable licensing boards, and advise the student to determine whether the program meets requirements for licensure in the state where the student lives.

(A) Failure to provide proper notice in one of these two ways invalidates the NC-SARA eligibility of any course or program offered without the proper notice.

(B) NC-SARA covers class field trips that do not involve multi-night residency across State lines among member States.

(C) Short Courses and Seminars - Physical presence under NC-SARA is not triggered if the instruction provided for a short course or seminar takes no more than 20 classroom hours. Class meetings during a full-term course do not trigger physical presence if the instructor and students physically meet together for no more than two meetings, totaling less than six hours. Apparent abuses of these provisions may be brought to the attention of the home state portal agency.

(D) Third Party Providers - Contracts between a third-party provider of educational services and any NC-SARA office or state must be made via the degree-granting institution that operates under NC-SARA. A third-party provider may not represent an institution regarding any subject under NC-SARA operating policies to any NC-SARA office or any state operating under NC-SARA. The institution that transcripts a course is considered the degree-granting institution for purposes of this section.

(g) Data Submission Requirements - Participating institutions shall annually submit the following data to NC-SARA using the protocols established by NC-SARA:

(i) The number of students enrolled in the institution via distance education delivered outside the state, reported by state, territory or district in which the students reside.

(h) The institution shall have a plan that assures a student will receive services for which they have paid or reasonable financial compensation for those not received in the event of an unanticipated closure of the institution. Such assurances may include tuition assurance funds, surety bonds, teach-out provisions or other practices deemed sufficient to protect consumers.

(j) Participating institutions shall make available their disaster recovery plans, particularly with respect to the protection of student records, to the portal agency, WICHE or NC- SARA upon request.

History

Effective 2023-12-06

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 12 Administering the Wyoming Works Program

(a) Allocation and reconciliation of academic-year student grant funding amounts.

(i) The allocation of academic-year student grant funding amounts shall be based on each community college service area proportionate share of the state's population aged 18 to 64 years. Albany County's population shall be reduced by the number of University of Wyoming undergraduate students claiming residency in any of the other 22 counties.

(A) Before each academic-year, the Commission shall obtain the following information:

(I) From the Economic Analysis Division of the Wyoming Department of Administration and Information, county-specific population counts for individuals aged 18 to 64 years. These population counts shall reflect the calendar-year two years before the allocation.

(II) From the University of Wyoming, undergraduate counts for students claiming residency in any Wyoming county other than Albany.

(B) Each college's proportionate share of the state's adjusted population aged 18 to 64 years shall be multiplied by the academic-year student grant funding amount up to two million dollars ($2,000,000). The product of this calculation is each college's allocation of the academic-year student grant funding amount.

(ii) The Commission shall reimburse each college following each semester's certification to the Commission's Executive Director, up to the maximum amount each college is allocated per academic year.

(b) Notice of Availability. Each college shall develop means for informing potential and current students of the availability of the grants under this article. Published grant information must be readily available in an electronic or paper form, and shall include:

(i) A summary of approved programs at that institution;

(ii) A summary of student eligibility requirements;

(iii) A summary of student application procedures; and

(iv) A summary of award amounts.

(v) Items (i) through (iv) need not be listed in their entirety in all communications, but must be readily available to all interested parties.

(i) School responsibilities for student grant application:

(A) Each college shall make available to all prospective and current students an application for student grants applicable to approved programs covered under Wyoming Works.

(B) The application shall be presented to students at the time of applying for admission and made available to all students within the registrar's or financial aid offices before beginning the applicable approved program.

(I) An explanation of purpose for student grants available under

Wyoming Works statutes;

(II) Disclosure of:

(1.) All student eligibility requirements for grant

consideration and receipt;

(2.) All approved programs eligible for student grants at

that institution;

(3.) Summary of award calculation and maximum annual

grant eligibility; under consortium agreement;

(4.) A summary of proration for approved programs;

(5.) An acknowledgement that a student may transfer from one approved program to another while maintaining continuous enrollment at the college, or transfer to another Wyoming community college and enroll in an approved program at the transfer institution immediately after transfer;

(6.) A notice that annual grant availability (for approved programs that span more than one year) is subject to the Wyoming legislature's appropriation process, and is contingent on the Commission issuing a grant allocation for approved programs at the college;

(III) A student's information section that records a student's identifying information, approved program enrollment intent, and anticipated program start date;

(IV) A student's attestation checklist to record acknowledgement of all student grant eligibility requirements;

(V) A student's authorization for the college to collect and share, at a minimum, the student's personally identifying information, collected through the college's admissions or state grant application, the FAFSA, or other method, enrollment information, and all other information necessary to determine their eligibility for a student grant (including past receipt of student grants or other state financial aid receipts) with other Wyoming community colleges and the Commission;

(VI) A student's compliance certification and signature.

(D) Electronic or paper application formats shall be developed by each

respective college.

(ii) Student responsibilities for student grant application:

(A) A prospective student shall apply for grants under this section with the college at the time of applying for admission or in any event before beginning the applicable approved program at the college.

(B) An existing student at the community college shall apply for grants under this section with the college's financial aid office before beginning the applicable approved program at the college.

(I) A prospective student shall apply for grants under this section with the college, at the time of applying for admission to the college or in any event before the beginning of the applicable approved program, at all locations covered under the consortium agreement.

(II) An existing student at the community college shall apply for grants under this section with the college's financial aid office before the beginning of the applicable approved program, at all locations covered under the consortium agreement.

(d) Student Eligibility

(i) The community college's financial aid office shall determine the student's initial and continued grant eligibility.

(ii) In addition to those requirements in W.S. 21-18-403, to be initially eligible, a student must:

(A) File, and fully complete, a FAFSA (and change of EGC/income form, if necessary) applicable to all payment periods for which a student grant is considered, including complying with all financial aid office directives to provide data, documents and information needed to complete any data authenticity review necessary to generate a valid EFC. Any unresolved data authenticity review necessary to generate a valid EFC shall render the student ineligible for student grant receipt for all applicable payment periods spanned by the FAFSA. For approved programs offered under a consortium agreement between two colleges, the student shall submit a FAFSA, applicable to all payment period(s) for which a student grant is considered, to the financial aid office in all locations listed under the consortium agreement.

(I) The student shall comply with any and all financial aid office directives, from any and all locations listed under the consortium agreement, to provide data, documents, and information needed to complete any data authenticity review necessary to generate a valid EFC.

(II) Any unresolved data authenticity review necessary to generate a valid EFC at any or all locations listed under the Consortium Agreement shall render the student ineligible for student grant receipt for all applicable payment periods spanned by the FAFSA at all locations listed under the consortium agreement;

(B) Not be currently receiving (or expected to receive in any payment period within the length of the approved program) a scholarship under the Hathaway scholarship program established in W.S. 21-16-1301 through 21-16-1311;

(C) Have requested transference of academic transcript and grant usage, if transferring from an approved program at one college to another approved program at a different college, before beginning the approved program at the receiving college; and

(D) Have earned a high school/home school diploma or state equivalency, if admittance into an approved program requires it, and the college provides the student assistance in achieving the diploma or equivalency certificate.

(iii) To maintain continued eligibility for a grant in an approved program more than one semester in length, a student must:

(A) Have maintained continuous enrollment in the approved program;

(B) Have not exceeded the maximum grant amount allowable for the approved program in which the student is enrolled in any one (1) academic year; and

(C) Have not received a Wyoming Works grant for more than three (3) academic years. A student's eligibility for a grant shall permanently terminate once the student has received three (3) academic years of grant disbursement as calculated by the financial aid office for the student's enrollment in an approved program.

(e) Student Awarding and Disbursement.

(i) The financial aid office at each community college that offers an approved program, in whole or in part under a Consortium Agreement, shall determine the eligibility for a student grant for all students who apply for grant consideration. Student grant funds under this article shall be provided for unmet financial need and only after all other gift aid for the student's enrollment in the credential program has been applied. As a student grant recipient may elect to reserve any portion of their annual award for attendance at a subsequent summer school term, which increases the number of disbursements made within an academic year but does not exceed the aggregate amount of grant for which the student is eligible.

(ii) To determine unmet financial need, each college shall calculate an applicant's COA for the approved program in which the student is enrolled, then deduct the student's EFC and all other gift aid expected to be received by the student for the payment period(s) to which a Wyoming Works student grant applies.

(iii) Award calculations shall be subject to the following:

(A) All proration calculations must be rounded up to two (2) decimal

places.

(B) One-half (1/2) of the annual award shall be provided to the student at each fall and spring academic term of qualification unless the credential program or course is for a defined period of less than a full semester or the student elects to reserve any portion of the annual award for attendance at a subsequent summer school term. The financial aid office shall disburse student grants according to these assignment rules:

(I) If an approved program falls between two semesters, but does not cross into either, assign the student grant to a single disbursement within the preceding semester;

(II) If an approved program is contained within a single semester, assign the student grant to a single disbursement within that semester;

(III) If an approved program crosses over two semesters but does not fully span one or both, divide the student grant equally and assign each half to a single disbursement within each semester; and,

(IV) If an approved program fully spans two semesters, divide the student grant equally and assign each half to a single disbursement within each semester.

(C) Colleges shall calculate student eligibility for student grants in all approved programs using standardized award calculations endorsed by all financial aid directors and outlined in Wyoming Works Program policies maintained by the Commission.

(iv) Each community college shall devise processes to confirm a student's continued eligibility for subsequent grant disbursement(s).

(v) Students who graduate from, or otherwise complete, an approved program may be eligible to receive grants if enrolled in a subsequent approved program, as long as:

(A) The student is not reenrolled in, or otherwise re-attempting, the previously completed program;

(B) The student continues to meet all eligibility requirements; and

(C) The college has remaining funds to expend under its annual grant allocation for the approved program in which the student is enrolled.

(f) Repeated Courses/Content. A student required to repeat coursework or program content within an approved program due to failure, withdrawal, or lapse in enrollment may receive additional student grants for future payment periods in future semesters of enrollment for the repeated coursework or program content provided the student has had their eligibility restored as detailed within Section 12(m) of these rules and otherwise remains eligible for a student grant as detailed in Section 12(e) of these rules.

(g) Student Award Confirmation and Data Submission.

(i) The college shall provide to the financial aid office:

(A) An academic calendar that contains the start and end dates within an academic year for all approved for-credit programs; and,

(B) An academic calendar that contains the start/end dates and program lengths within an academic year, and the direct costs, for all approved non-credit programs.

(ii) A student is provisionally eligible until confirmation of student eligibility by the financial aid office.

(iii) The financial aid office shall determine a student's final eligibility based on confirmation of student eligibility in conjunction with the final computation for unmet financial need for students eligible to receive a grant, consistent with each college's schedule for determining actual COA for students at that college.

(h) Grades or Other Measures of Student Academic Performance

(i) For approved for-credit programs that contain graded material or courses, no person shall change, revise, delete, erase, destroy, or modify in any manner any education record for the sole purpose of increasing the possibility of receiving a Wyoming Works student grant or continuing Wyoming Works student grant eligibility.

(ii) For approved non-credit programs that contain student attendance, participation, completion, or other academic performance measurements, no person shall change, revise, delete, erase, destroy, or modify in any manner any education record for the sole purpose

of increasing the possibility of receiving a Wyoming Works student grant or continuing Wyoming Works student grant eligibility.

(j) Transferring Students

(i) Students transferring from one college to another may maintain Wyoming Works student grant awards for continued use in an approved program by meeting all student eligibility requirements at the new college, and by requesting that the college from which they are transferring provide an official transcript to the new college. The transcript or an attachment to the transcript shall include:

(A) A list of all semesters for which the student received a Wyoming

Works student grant;

(B) Grades for all for-credit academic courses completed within an

approved program;

(C) Completions or attempts of all non-credit programs designated as Wyoming Works, which are needed for verification of continued eligibility for grants and SAP for the college that the student is transferring to; and

(D) SAP calculations performed by the financial aid office for all payment periods in all approved programs in which the student received a grant.

(ii) The receiving institution shall calculate a student's eligibility using the criteria detailed in Section 13(e) of these rules; and,

(iii) Transferring students may not receive a student grant if the receiving college has depleted its allocation of grant funds at the time of student transfer.

(k) Satisfactory Academic Progress.

(i) Each community college shall determine qualitative and quantitative measurements to evaluate a student's timely academic progress within each approved program. For non-credit programs, the college must develop appropriate criteria to measure a student's timely academic progress and appropriate academic performance.

(ii) Each student enrolled in an approved program must achieve SAP by the end of each payment period to remain eligible for a student grant in future payment periods.

(iii) Each approved program's SAP criteria shall be disclosed. Disclosure may be passive or may be distributed to each student grant recipient at the time of award.

(iv) SAP shall be calculated at the conclusion of each payment period within the approved program in which the student is enrolled.

(v) Students who fail to meet SAP requirements after any payment period forfeit eligibility for grant awards and disbursements, except as provided for in these rules.

(vi) Students who fail to meet grant eligibility may regain eligibility as detailed

in this Section.

(vii) A student's SAP status for grant eligibility shall be persistent if the student transfers to a different approved program within the college or to any approved program offered at college.

(viii) Approved programs offered through a Consortium agreement must contain criteria for SAP.

(A) The community college within a Consortium agreement that provides the greatest proportion of approved program content shall determine SAP criteria.

(B) Under a Consortium agreement which requires that program content shall be shared equally, the participating colleges shall collaborate to establish the program's SAP criteria, but shall evaluate a student's SAP status independently at the end of each payment period for their respective portions of the program.

(C) Consortium agreements between a college and an entity other than a college shall require the college determine the SAP criteria.

(D) Students who do not meet SAP requirements at one or more college covered under a Consortium agreement, shall remain ineligible, except as provided for in these rules, for future grant awards and disbursements at all colleges covered under the Consortium agreement.

(m) Student Appeal of Ineligibility Decisions

(i) Each community college or consortium shall implement an appeal process that permits an applicant to appeal a grant ineligibility determination for select eligibility criteria. Student appeals are permitted for:

(A) Not applying for grant funding at the time of applying for admission or before the commencement of the applicable credential program;

(B) Not maintaining continuous enrollment in approved program;

(D) Not meeting Wyoming residence requirements; and,

(E) Not being in good standing on repayment of student financial aid.

(ii) The student shall appeal prior to the start of the next period of enrollment in the approved program, and:

(A) Students appealing eligibility at a college for an approved credential program shall follow the college appeal process.

(B) Students appealing eligibility at a college for an approved credential program in a consortium shall follow the HEA appeal process.

(n) Reinstatement of Student Grant Eligibility for student eligibility lost due to not meeting SAP requirements. Community colleges or Consortiums may permit a student, who has forfeited eligibility to reestablish eligibility for a student grant in a future payment period.

(i) Approved programs of one term or less in length shall not permit a student to restore eligibility.

(ii) For approved programs offered at a college that permit a student to reestablish eligibility, the student shall meet college restorative criteria:

(A) Each college may determine different criteria for a student to reestablish eligibility for each approved program offered, and not all approved programs must offer criteria for a student to reestablish eligibility.

(B) Each college shall publish and otherwise make available to students who receive a student grant, any and all restorative criteria determined for their approved programs. Neither paying for one's classes or non-enrollment for a payment period is sufficient to reestablish grant eligibility.

(C) If an ineligible student transfers to another college for an approved program, eligibility shall not be automatically restored and the student must regain eligibility according to any restorative criteria established by the college applicable to the transferred program or as detailed in Section 13 (m) of these rules.

(iii) For approved programs offered through a Consortium agreement that permit a student to reestablish eligibility, the student shall meet restorative criteria as outlined in these rules.

(A) The college within a Consortium agreement which provides the greatest proportion of approved program content shall specify the restorative criteria.

(B) Approved programs within a Consortium agreement whereby the course content is delivered equally, colleges shall collaborate to specify the restorative criteria for the equally distributed portions of the approved program, but shall evaluate the student's accomplishments in their respective restorative criteria independently.

(C) Consortium agreements between a college and any entity other than a Wyoming community college shall have the college specify the restorative criteria.

(D) Students who do not achieve all restorative criteria requirements at one or more consortia members covered under a Consortium agreement shall be considered to have not regained eligibility, and shall remain ineligible for future grant awards and disbursements covered under the Consortium agreement.

(iv) Students who successfully have their eligibility restored for either a college or consortium approved program may receive a student grant for the next payment period if the college or consortium has remaining student grant funds available the approved program.

(o) Prioritization and funding of new or expanded programs with Wyoming Works eligibility.

(i) Programmatic funding shall only be considered for programs or courses, either credit or non-credit, that have been previously approved by the Commission for Wyoming Works student funding.

(ii) Programmatic funding may be requested in support of new college programs or courses, or expansion of existing programs and courses intended to better serve labor and economic development needs.

(iii) Preference shall be given to those programs characterized by consortia between colleges, and to a lesser degree, partnerships between colleges and other entities, including industries or businesses.

(A) Colleges shall comply with requirements set forth by their accrediting body before beginning instruction under a consortium plan.

(iv) Programmatic funding requests are due to the Commission no later than the second Friday following each regular Commission meeting.

(v) Colleges shall make application for programmatic funding using a two- part form developed and maintained by the Commission.

(A) The first part of the application form shall require the following:

(I) A narrative addressing the college's commitment to fund students who are admitted to the program or course, and who are deemed eligible for Wyoming Works funding.

(II) A description of the programmatic funding request, including the program's or course's support of a high-growth, high-demand industry as evidenced by alignment with the state's Economically Needed Diversification Options for Wyoming (ENDOW) initiative, Next Generation Sector Partnerships, or other documented need as recognized by the Commission, the Wyoming Business Council, the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, and the Governor.

(III) Identification of specific economic indicators addressing both educational and employment needs in the service area.

(IV) A narrative addressing specific questions regarding the workforce impacts of the employment of students who have completed the program or course(s).

(V) A description of the job placement plan for students who have completed the program or course(s).

(B) The second part of the application form shall consist of a funding request budget, as well as a scoring rubric used to objectively quantify competing funding requests, and to assist in establishing priorities among these requests.

(I) As part of the funding request budget, colleges shall identify the total amount of the request, broken down by the amount of Wyoming Works grant funding being requested, and by the amount(s) and source(s) of cash and/or in-kind match contributions totaling no less than one-third of the total request.

(1.) Colleges shall provide explanations and/or evidence of match contribution commitments, including the basis for fair market value of in-kind donations of facilities, equipment or services.

(II) Allowable grant expenditures include instructor salaries and benefits, classroom equipment, and instructional and resource materials.

(1.) Estimates of these expenditures shall be based upon

verifiable documentation.

(2.) The Commission shall develop audit procedures to

ensure that grant awards are only expended as authorized, and that actual salaries and benefits, including health insurance premiums and increased retirement contributions, are reimbursed in the same proportion as for other college employees compensated by unrestricted operating funds. Reimbursement for salaries and benefits shall not exceed the total amount identified in the funding request budget, and such reimbursement shall not be considered in subsequent state aid appropriations without legislative authorization.

(III) The scoring rubric shall consist of points assessed by the college itself while completing the application, as well as points assessed by a review panel, and based upon information provided by the college in response to the first part of the application.

(1.) Points assessed by the college itself shall reflect objective aspects of consortium and partnership plans, contributions to total programmatic funding, program sustainability, and return-on-investment.

(2.) The review panel shall consist of one representative each from the Commission, the Wyoming Business Council, and the Department of Workforce Services. A representative from the Governor's Office may also participate, if requested. Points

assessed by the review panel shall reflect the college's narratives and descriptions addressing workforce placement, and satisfaction of regional/service area needs.

(IV) Prioritized by total points assessed under the scoring rubric, programmatic funding requests shall be fully funded until the balance of the Wyoming Works Program Account is insufficient to fund the next highest prioritized program. The review panel shall then decide between proportional funding of this next highest prioritized program or carryover of the unspent balance of the continuous appropriation until such time as another appropriation is made.

(V) Division of programmatic funding awards among consortium members shall be governed by those policies established by the United States Department of Education with respect to consortium funding processes.

Section 13. Administering the Wyoming's Tomorrow Scholarship Program.

(a) Expenditure Account Scholarship Funding

(i) By February 1 of each calendar year, the Community College Commission, in consultation with the State Treasurer, shall determine available scholarship funding in the Expenditure Account for the academic year beginning with the next fall academic term. The Commission shall notify the colleges and the University of Wyoming no later than February 1 of each academic year after the date in which the Expenditure Account first receives a deposit from the Endowment Fund, of the total amount available. For the first fiscal year in which the Expenditure Account receives a deposit, if the deposit is received after February 1 but before August 1 of the calendar year, the Commission shall notify the colleges and the University of Wyoming of the total scholarship amount available for the upcoming academic year within thirty (30) days of the date on which it becomes known to the Commission that a deposit has been or will be made to the account. The scholarship amount available for this first academic year shall be available no earlier than the beginning of the upcoming fall academic term.

(ii) The Commission may reserve up to ten percent (10%) of the total available scholarship funding provided under paragraph (a)(i) of this section. The Commission shall notify the colleges and University by February 1 each year if this reserve shall be applied and the amount.

(iii) The Commission shall divide the total available scholarship funding into two funding allocation pools under which the colleges and University shall have access to award scholarships. There shall be a base scholarship award pool allocation (base allocation) and a high demand scholarship award pool allocation (high demand allocation). The colleges and University shall be notified of the final base allocation and the high demand allocations not later than February 28. For the first year in which the Expenditure Account receives a deposit, if the deposit is received after February 1 but before August 1 of the calendar year, the Commission shall notify the colleges and the University of Wyoming of the base and high demand allocations within thirty (30) days of the date the Commission determines the total available scholarship funding for the upcoming academic year beginning with the next fall academic term.

(A) The initial amount of each allocation shall be established at fifty percent (50%) of the total available funding less any amount reserved pursuant to paragraph (a)(ii) of this section. The initial base allocation shall be further apportioned into annual academic year allotments for each college and the University based on Commission analysis of the following data reported to or assembled by the Commission:

(I) The number of Wyoming resident students age 24 to 64 years old enrolled in the fall term of the current academic year in non-graduate programs by students' county of residence.

(II) The Commission shall obtain the most current census or related data for county-specific population counts for individuals aged 24 to 64 years old.

(B) The Commission may further adjust the base allocation and colleges' and the University's initial allotments based on the anticipated enrollment of Wyoming Tomorrow's Scholarship recipients from the prior year at each institution. The Commission may also use the following additional criteria to adjust and further increase the base allocation and colleges' and University's allotments. Each of these criteria shall carry equal weight and be calculated based on each colleges' proportion of students that fall within each separate criteria. Students that fall within more than one criteria may be counted once within each criteria calculation:

(I) Students who receive an industry sponsorship;

(II) Students who have yet to complete a post-secondary program certificate or degree;

(III) Students who are enrolled or indicate that they will enroll in programs of study that are in high economic or industry growth areas or areas of significant economic development opportunities, as the Commission determines annually each fall for the following academic year in consultation with the community colleges, University, business and industry stakeholders, and related state agencies.

(C) The final adjusted high demand allocation shall be calculated as the total scholarship funding amount less the amount reserved as determined in paragraph (a)(ii) of this section and less the initial base allocation and all subsequent adjustments to this base allocation. The high demand allocation shall not be less than twenty-five percent (25%) of the total available funding less the amount reserved pursuant to paragraph (a)(ii) of this section. The high demand allocation shall not be further divided into pre-academic year or pre-academic term allotments to each college and University prior to the Commission's determination for any academic term that use of the high demand allocation is necessary to meet all scholarship awards in the state. The Commission may distribute funding from the high demand allocation to an institution that has exhausted its base allocation amount as necessary to meet that institution's unmet scholarship demand.

(D) At the conclusion of each academic year, the colleges and University shall notify the Commission of any unawarded scholarship funds from their base allocation allotment.

(iv) The colleges and University shall report the scholarship commitment status of their adjusted base allocation awards to the Commission no later than August 15 for the following fall academic term, January 15 for the following spring academic term, and May 1 for the following summer academic. The Commission shall determine and notify each institution no later than thirty (30) days after the institutions report their commitment levels the amount of high demand allocation funding available to their institution to fund additional scholarship awards for each academic term.

(v) The Commission shall notify the State Treasurer no later than September 1 for the fall academic term, February 1 for the spring academic term, and June 1 for the summer academic term, of the scholarship prepayment amount of funds to be disbursed to the colleges and the University for anticipated scholarships awards for each academic term. For the first academic term of the first academic year for which scholarship funding is available, the Commission shall report to the State Treasurer not later than the first day of the month following the start of the academic term the amount of all awarded scholarships for that term. Within thirty (30) days of the beginning of each academic term, the community colleges and the University shall submit to the Commission a list of students enrolled in the institutions who have accepted a Wyoming's Tomorrow Scholarship award and the amount for which they qualify.

(b) Institutions Initial Declaration for Scholarship Funding

(i) Each college and the University shall submit a declaration for scholarship award funding using a form developed and maintained by the Commission. no later than the scholarship commitment date for each upcoming academic term specified in subsection (a)(iv) of this section. This declaration may be updated to add students determined eligible to the list, prior to the prepayment date for each academic term, as specified in subsection (a)(v) of this section. The declaration and list of students, shall be the basis for the Commission's initial estimate of scholarship award demand for each institution and each academic term. The declaration request shall include student-related information that shall include the following:

(A) Date of student's application;

(B) Identifier if the student's program of study is designated as a local or state priority for workforce or economic development needs, as determined annually each previous fall for the current academic year by the Commission in consultation with the community colleges, University, business and industry stakeholders and related state agencies;

(C) Identifier as to if the student has received a prior Wyoming's Tomorrow Scholarship in the immediately preceding term;

(D) Confirmation that the student has an industry sponsorship;

(E) Identifier that the student has received a prior post-secondary credential, if any;

(F) Confirmation that a student has been notified of or met the requirement to register with the Department of Workforce Services training assistance program;

(G) Confirmation that the student has not reached the maximum scholarship award amount of seven thousand two hundred dollars ($7,200.00);

(H) Confirmation that a student has not exceeded 4 full-time equivalent academic terms.

(I) A provisional funding amount for the student.

(ii) When the Commission determines there is insufficient funding to issue scholarship awards to all eligible student applicants, the Commission shall use the information provided in this subsection to prioritize awards to students as required by W.S. 21-16-1905 and 21-16-1906. The Commission shall apply preferences to student applicants based on the priorities established in this paragraph.

(A) Students shall be awarded a scholarship based on their membership in the following groups and in the following order. Students shall be considered for scholarship awards based on the highest priority group to which they belong.

(I) Students who received a scholarship in the immediately preceding academic term;

(II) Students with an industry sponsorship;

(III) Students entering a program of study determined to be in a high need or economic growth or economic development opportunity area, as determined by the Commission pursuant to subsection (b)(i)(B) of this section;

(IV) Students that have not previously obtained a postsecondary credential.

(V) All remaining students that do not qualify under the preceding preferences.

(B) If sufficient funding is not available to fund all eligible Wyoming's Tomorrow scholarship applicants in a group after fully funding all scholarships for students in higher priority groups, the available remaining funding will be distributed within the group in the order that the applicants submitted applications to the eligible institution. Students with the longest continuous residency in Wyoming shall preferentially receive the scholarship over those who submitted applications on the same date students.

(c) Students shall complete and submit to a college or the University an application for the scholarship to provide information consistent with the requirements under W.S. 21-16-1903.

(i) The application shall contain information to determine, at a minimum, the following:

(A) A student's initial or continued scholarship eligibility by a college's or the University's financial aid office.

(B) A notice and student acknowledgement of the requirement to maintain continuous enrollment to remain eligible for the scholarship.

(C) A notice of and student acknowledgement of the opportunity to seek a waiver of the continuous enrollment requirement.

(D) The student's attestation that the student has registered with the Department of Workforce services for applicable training and educational assistance and services.

(ii) If a community college, the University, or the Commission becomes aware of or determines that a student has misrepresented information on their scholarship application, the Commission may deny or revoke the scholarship. Any student who receives scholarship funds based on a scholarship application in which the student made a knowing material misrepresentation shall be required to repay to the Commission any scholarship funds improperly awarded.

(d) The following requirements apply to an applicant asking the Commission to waive the continuous enrollment requirement according to W.S. 21-16-1904(c)(iv).

(i) An applicant seeking a waiver of the continuous enrollment requirement shall submit to the intended community college or the University:

(A) A new scholarship application pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.

(B) Evidence of military service, religious service, or other good cause for the applicant's failure to maintain continuous enrollment;

(ii) The college or University financial aid office shall recommend that the Commission approve or deny an applicant's waiver. The Commission may request additional documentation from the community college or the University to resolve any outstanding questions before making a final waiver determination.

(iii) Students who successfully receive a waiver of the continuous enrollment requirement may receive a scholarship award in the academic term for which they apply in the same manner and within the same priority group in which they fall based on the date of their new scholarship application.

(e) For each scholarship applicant, the financial aid office of each college and the University shall determine students' eligibility. A student's scholarship award shall be provided for the student's unmet financial need, consistent with W.S. 21-16-1901(a)(xi).

(i) Non-credit program students are to be considered the equivalent of enrolled full time and may not receive more than $1,800 for any period of academic engagement that is substantially equal to or less than an academic semester in length.

(ii) All proration calculations shall be rounded down to the nearest dollar.

(iii) Each institution shall determine a student's continued eligibility for subsequent scholarship disbursement.

(iv) Students who complete a program of study and obtain a post-secondary credential under the scholarship program may continue to receive the scholarship for another program of study and credential if:

(A) The student continues to meet all eligibility requirements;

(B) The student has not previously received the maximum amount of scholarship funds authorized by W.S. 21-16-1904(b).

(f) Students transferring from one eligible institution to another shall request that the college from which they are transferring provide official financial aid and academic transcripts to the new college. The transcripts, or other information that may be attached to the transcript, shall include:

(i) A list of all academic terms for which the student received a Wyoming Tomorrow's Scholarship award;

(ii) Grades or other course completion information, or attempts to complete, on all non-credit and credit academic courses taken during the academic terms in which the student received a Wyoming Tomorrow's Scholarship award;

(iii) Satisfactory academic progress calculations performed by the financial aid office of the original school for all academic terms in which the student received a Wyoming Tomorrow's Scholarship award.

(g) Each student enrolled in a program must achieve SAP by the end of each academic or program term to remain eligible for a student scholarship.

(i) For non-credit programs, each institution shall use the same SAP standards as those used in the evaluation of Wyoming Works non-credit programs.

(ii) Each college and the University shall calculate SAP at the conclusion of each academic or program term within which the student is enrolled.

(iii) A student's SAP status for scholarship eligibility shall not change if the student transfers to a different program within the institution or to any approved program offered at a college or the University.

History

Effective 2023-12-06

Chapter 6 Approval Functions

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.6.04102025 Approval Functions

21-18-101

CHAPTER 6

APPROVAL FUNCTIONS

Section 1. Authority. These rules are promulgated pursuant to W.S. 21-18-202(d), W.S 21-18-202(c)(viii), W.S. 21-18-310, W.S. 21-18-312, and W.S. 21-18-407(b)(ii).

Section 2. Approving New Certificate and Associates Degree Programs.

(a) The Commission reviews and approves or disapproves programs based on the WY Community College Commission Statewide Strategic Plan.

(b) Community colleges shall submit all proposed new long-term programs to the Commission for approval.

(i) The alignment of the program with the WY Community College Commission Statewide Strategic Plan objectives at the time of implementation and in future years;

(ii) Projected labor market demand for graduates in the state and region which includes a five (5) year period from the proposed implementation date;

(iii) Wage projections for program graduates who enter an occupation directly related to their earned academic certificate AAS degree;

(iv) Documented citizen, business and industry input in program design and assessment (AAS or credit certificate);

(v) A list of similar programs at other Wyoming community colleges;

(vi) New course descriptions, which include course content and instructional modes utilized, program student learning outcomes, suggested Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code, and where applicable, any program accreditation process;

(vii) The offering mode(s) for the requested program (face-to-face, online, hybrid or other);

(viii) The credit hours required for a program's degree or certificate attainment;

(ix) Level of instruction code for courses that are new to the Wyoming community colleges;

(x) Additional resources that will be required to start the requested program and how the community college plans to provide those resources; and

(d) The Program Review Committee shall render final approval or denial of a new stackable certificate program request composed of courses in an AAS degree previously offered by the requesting college.

(i) Within 10 business days of receipt of a stackable certificate program application, the Commission and applicable community college shall be informed in writing of the final decision.

(e) The Program Review Committee shall render final approval or denial of a new stackable certificate program request which is comprised solely of a sub-set of courses from a Commission approved AAS degree program that is currently offered by the college making the request.

(f) The Commission shall have final authority to approve, conditionally approve or deny requests for new associate degree programs and certificate programs that are not comprised solely of a sub-set of courses required in a previously Commission approved AAS degree.

(g) The Commission shall have final authority for any stackable workforce preparation certificate program denied by the Program Review Committee through the appeal process initiated by the affected college.

(h) The implementation of a program may begin immediately after the approval. Should conditional approval be granted, implementation shall not start until all identified conditions have been acceptably met and approved by the Program Review Committee.

(i) A community college district may request to change a program at any time. Program modifications that include program completer outcomes change, program intent change, or target audience change require approval by the Academic Affairs Council, Program Review Committee, and the Executive Council.

(j) A community college district that discontinues a program will notify the Commission within 30 calendar days of notifying the accrediting body of the cessation of that program, identifying the program and the date of discontinuation.

Section 3. Authorizing Colleges to Deliver Applied Baccalaureate (AB) Degrees.

(a) To become eligible to offer Applied Baccalaureate (AB) programs, a college shall submit the following:

(i) Board of Trustees resolution supporting the AB programs.

(ii) Memo outlining how the proposed AB program fits the college mission, vision, and goals.

(iii) Letter(s) of Endorsement, or other formal documentation in support of the proposed program from local employers or other parties that will benefit from the new degree. To the fullest extent possible, support letters should include the employer's current and future employment needs and describe the expected involvement from local employers with the proposed program.

(iv) Anticipated program name for the likely first AB degree. An assessment plan showing that student learning outcomes for the AB program are distinct from those at the associate's degree level.

(v) A definition of what constitutes and differentiates lower division from upper division course work.

(vi) A definition of faculty qualifications required for upper-division courses.

(vii) Demonstrated ability and capacity to provide adequate and appropriate support services to students enrolled in AB programs.

(viii) Demonstrated ability and capacity to provide adequate and appropriate academic services to students enrolled in AB programs.

(b) Once the Commission authorizes a college to offer AB degrees that college shall submit program approvals in accordance with Section 4 of this chapter. Colleges shall receive both authorization to offer AB programs and approval of the requested program(s) before submitting to the accrediting body.

Section 4. Approving New Applied Baccalaureate (AB) Degree Programs.

(a) Community Colleges requesting approval of a new Applied Baccalaureate (AB) program shall submit an application containing the following:

(i) Section 2 (a), (b), (c) above.

(ii) Date of a Board of Trustees resolution to offer baccalaureate degrees.

(iii) Date the Commission authorized the college offer Applied Bacclaureate degrees.

(iv) Anticipated program start date.

(v) A 5-year business plan assessing the fiscal sustainability of the new program that includes the following:

(A) Estimated yearly program costs for faculty/staff salaries and benefits necessary to offer the new program.

(B) Estimated initial and ongoing costs for new equipment or facilities necessary to offer the program.

(D) Description of any additional funding sources required and available specific to the program beyond state aid, tuition, and local property tax levies.

(vi) Data that identifies the specific local, regional, or state-wide workforce needs the program will meet or fulfill.

(vii) Explanation of why a Baccalaureate-level program is necessary to meet the workforce needs outlined in Section 3 (a)(iii).

(viii) Assessment of whether the proposed program duplicates programs offered at UW or other Wyoming colleges, and reasons why existing programs are insufficient to meet the identified workforce needs.

(ix) Assessment of whether any proposed upper-level courses duplicate courses offered at UW or other Wyoming colleges, and, if so, reasons why existing coursework is insufficient to meet identified workforce needs.

(x) Adequate evidence to demonstrate faculty have played a significant role in developing and approving of the program.

(xi) List of industry partners involved in new program development and the number of anticipated employment opportunities available for graduates of the proposed program.

(xii) Description of the target student audience for the new program and how the program curriculum addresses this group's needs.

(b) If a college requests approval for a third or more baccalaureate degree, the college shall also include, the appropriate any materials provided by accreditors regarding mission review as well as historical enrollment data on the initial two AB programs offered by the institution. The requirements under this subsection shall be required in addition to the requirements under subsection (a) of this section.

(c) When new AB programs are proposed all Baccalaureate-offering institutions can participate in relevant discussions and shall include, the Academic Affairs Council (AAC), the University of Wyoming Provost or their designee in relevant AAC meetings at which proposed AB programs are discussed. The UW representative will not have voting privileges.

(d) When a new AB program is proposed, the Commission shall request information from the University of Wyoming Provost regarding any active Baccalaureate degree programs at the University of Wyoming that meets the workforce needs addressed by the proposed AB program. The Commission will seek a response if an explanation is not received within 30 days. The request shall be documented.

(e) Applications for a new Applied Baccalaureate program will be submitted to the Commission and made available to the Provost/VPAA of each college and the University of Wyoming, and the public not less than 30 days prior to the next Commission meeting to allow sufficient time for comments. Any comments and feedback from relevant stakeholders will be provided to the Commission's Chief Academic and Student Services Officer (CASSO) and included in the application packet.

Section 5. Approving Wyoming Works Credit and Non-Credit Programs.

(a) Community colleges shall submit approved credit programs and non-credit programs or courses to the commission for consideration for Wyoming Works approval.

(b) Credit programs are programs that lead to an industry-recognized certificate, license or permit, or certificates and degrees awarded by colleges that meet identified qualifications for working in an occupation identified as an economic or workforce need in Wyoming.

(c) Non-credit programs or courses are educational activities that lead to an government- or industry-recognized certificate, license or permit that meet identified qualifications for working in an occupation identified as an economic or workforce need in Wyoming.

(d) Community colleges submitting a program for Wyoming Works student funding shall submit a program approval coversheet addressing:

(i) the alignment of the credit program or non-credit program or courses with an economic and labor need in the community or region to be served as identified by a Next Generation Sector Partnership, ENDOW, or other data that supports a workforce need;

(ii) the proposed student award level;

(iii) projected enrollment numbers in the program or course for the next five (5) years; and projected time to completion of the program or course.

Section 6. Program Modification and Change Approval Process

(a) When programs undergo curricular or programmatic change, the college shall submit information for review and approval as follows:

(i) For minor program changes of less than 25%, colleges shall report those changes and when they will be effective to the AAC.

(ii) For program modifications of 25% but less than 50%, colleges shall report those changes and when they will be effective, to the AAC, the EC, and the Commission to approve these changes.

(iii) If a program is changed by 50% or more it is a new program and shall be subject to the new program approval process, and the requirements under either subsection (ii), subsection (iv), or subsection (b) of this section, based on the type of program being changed.

(iv) Percentage change will be assessed in comparison with the program's original proposal to the Commission on which the Commission granted its initial or last program approval.

(b) For the purposes of this section, the percentage change to a program is based on changes to the curriculum, program title, or the credits and outcomes of the program, as determined by the Commission.

Section 7. Approving the Formation of Community College Districts.

(a) Application for a New Community College District

(i) The Commission shall provide an application for the formation of a new community college district containing the following minimum elements:

(A) A request for a statement of purpose detailing the goals for forming a new community college district, how the new college will have greater benefit to the community than educational services currently provided, and how the new college will compliment and not detract from the current educational opportunities available across Wyoming.

(B) Application questions pertaining to the location of the proposed district, proposed name, submitting agency or entity, contact information for the proposing entity and the primary representative.

(C) A questionnaire focused on the demographic composition and educational needs of the proposed district including but not limited to:

(I) Detailed information regarding district boundaries.

(II) Projected date of district establishment.

(III) Current and expected future district area populations.

(IV) Current and expected future student populations.

(V) Current and future workforce, technical education, academic programs.

(D) A questionnaire focused on the educational programing and student support to be provided in the proposed district including but not limited to:

(I) Certificate and degrees to be offered through the proposed district and their appropriateness for an institution of higher education.

(II) Identity of and justification for academic transfer programs.

(III) Identity of and justification for career-technical education (CTE) programs.

(IV) Identity of and justification for non-credit workforce training and or continuing education programs.

(V) Identity of and justification for community service programs.

(VI) Identification of distance education programs and the proposed institution's capacity to meet student learning and support needs.

(VII) Identify student support services to be established on the campus, their implementation, and continued support for sustaining.

(VIII) Identify academic programs currently offered in the proposed district by other institutions.

(E) A summary or detail identifying the steps to establish institutional accreditation, including but not limited to:

(I) For existing campuses discuss steps and legal operating agreements with existing accredited with an existing Wyoming community college district to provide educational services, including but not limited to curriculum, student support, transfer credits and credential awarding;

(II) Detail the plan and timeline to develop a catalog and institutional information including, but not limited to personnel and provided academic programs;

(III) Detail the plan and timeline to develop clearly articulated learning goals for all programs;

(IV) Provide a timeline for development of the district's general education minimum requirements;

(V) Provide an assurance that meets federal requirements for credit described in the institutional accreditation compliance program.

(F) A questionnaire that explores current and future, facilities and physical resources, including but not limited to:

(I) Identification of existing facilities capable of hosting instructional programs, student support services and administration;

(II) Identification of facilities needed to house future instructional programs, student support services and administration;

(III) For existing campus or facilities, identification of property ownership;

(IV) For existing campuses or facilities that operate under an existing college district, identify the process for transfer of ownership or planned lease agreements for continued campus operation;

(V) Detail a plan and timeline for implementing and administrative computing system including but not limited to administrative and student records system.

(G) A questionnaire that includes a request for a plan and detail for the proposed district to have a financial base to support its operations and sustain operations in the future including, but not limited to, financial operations, administrative capacity, fiscal management, budgeting, and debt management:

(I) Assessed and expected property valuation in five-year increments for ten years from the date of application;

(II) Projected revenue in five-year increments for ten years from Motor Vehicle Tax, Investments, and Other Funds;

(III) Projected tuition and fee revenue;

(IV) Projected state Supplemental Funds.

(V) A plan and detailed timeline for employing faculty and other personnel appropriately;

(VI) Detail a plan and timeline for securing access to learning resources and support services (research labs, supplies, libraries/librarians, online resources, and other).

(H) An application for formation of a new community college district shall be accompanied by a subscription of not less than five hundred (500) or twenty-five percent (25%), whichever is smaller, of qualified electors residing within each county sought to be organized into a community college district.

(ii) The proposed district shall, within sixty days of filing of the application, submit a Statement of Assurances signed by the county commissioners stating that the proposed district will:

(A) Cooperate with other educational institutions and agencies and with all levels and agencies of government in the interest of effective utilization of all resources, programs, and services.

(B) Submit academic and vocational programs to the Commission for approval or termination based upon student demand, cost effectiveness, duplication, and accreditation by an academic accreditor, industry, or professional groups.

(C) If a district is approved by the Commission with no projected requirement for state funds, submit its local budget to the Commission annually as other colleges receiving state funds and in the same format, with detailed revenue, expenditure and program information as required for all colleges.

(D) Cooperate in establishing and maintaining composite data about the community college to promote the collection and analysis of accurate, cost-effective information about the community colleges system including an analysis of space utilization at each college.

(E) File the community college budget with the Commission for public review as described in W.S. 16-4-111(d).

(F) Operate within a Commission approved and standardized tuition structure for resident, nonresident, Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), and Nebraska students.

(b) Commission responsibilities upon receipt of a completed application:

(i) The Commission shall conduct a survey that includes, but is not limited to, consideration of the need for a community college in the proposed district, the need for the community college in the state, the financial ability of the proposed district to support a college, the education soundness of the proposed community college plan, and any other matters which might assist the commission in the disposition of the application.

(ii) The Commission shall, within 30 days of receipt of an application, gather the following data;

(A) Research from the Economic Analysis Division detailing population by age and economic statistics forecasted for ten years from the date of application.

(B) Research from the Department of Workforce Services detailing job demand by occupation for the state and proposed district projected for ten years from the date of application.

(C) A forecast from the Economic Analysis Division of economic conditions including per capita and state government income which reflects state, individual, and proposed district income projected ten years from the date of application.

(D) A projection from existing community colleges and the University of Wyoming describing the effects on student demand, program demand, potential cost, and income reductions on existing institutions if a new district is established. The projection shall include the number of students from the proposed district presently enrolled in the existing institutions and their courses of study.

(E) A verification from the State Board of Equalization that the assessed property valuation in the proposed district is not less than one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) as of the date of the application.

(F) Verification from the Department of Education that not fewer than fifteen hundred students are enrolled in grades nine (9) through twelve (12) in the proposed district as of the date of the application.

(G) Written and oral testimony from public hearings, conducted within sixty (60) days of the date of application. Hold at least one public hearing in the proposed district and hold at least one public hearing in a non-petitioning county.

(I) All hearings shall be advertised in a major state newspaper by paid display advertising fourteen (14) days prior to the hearings.

(II) The Commission Chair, or a Commission member so designated by the Chair, shall preside over the hearings.

(III) The oral testimony presented at the hearing shall be recorded.

(IV) All Legislators shall receive written notification of the hearings.

(iii) Following the public hearings and the accumulation of all data required in this process, the attorney for the Commission shall submit to the Commission proposed Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, Decision and Order.

(c) Decision on the Application. The Commission shall render its decision within 90 days from the date of receipt of the complete application.

(d) The Commission shall hold a meeting at least seven days prior to the termination of the 90 day review period for the purpose of;

(i) Considering the petition for a new community college district.

(ii) The Commission shall issue its final decision with Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, Decision and Order. The document shall be sent to the party or parties representing the petitioners and to the Legislative Service Office. This decision is the final agency action.

Section 8. Annexation of Additional Counties Into An Existing District.

(a) Process to consider annexation of a county into an existing district that shares, or does not share, a common border.

(i) The Commission shall develop and provide an application for the annexation of an additional county(s) into an existing community college district.

(ii) A complete copy of the petition submitted to the Board of Trustees of the existing community college district shall accompany the application.

(iii) The Commission shall, during a regular meeting, consider the petition for a new county be annexed into an existing community college district.

(iv) The Commission shall issue its final decision with Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, Decision and Order. The document and certificate of service shall be sent to the party or parties representing the petitioning county and the existing community college district board of trustees. This decision is the final agency action.

Section 9. Service Areas and Out-Of-District Instruction.

(a) Pursuant to 1991 Post Secondary Omnibus Act, Wyoming Session Laws Chapter 228, the Commission took official action on December 10, 1991 to establish seven service areas with geographical boundaries in conjunction with Wyoming community colleges. Service areas as established by the Commission on December 10, 1991 may be modified according to the procedures in this section

(b) The Commission may modify community college service areas on its own initiative or if requested by any community college or any Wyoming board of county commissioners.

(c) If the Commission considers modifying service districts on its own initiative, it shall notify each college and board of county commissioners of the public hearing, including the date and location, no less than thirty (30) days before the hearing.

(d) Before applying for a modification, the colleges or counties requesting a service area change, shall consult with each impacted college and county to explore operational changes that may alleviate the need to modify services areas. Colleges or counties requesting a service area change resulting in a county being added to a different college's service area shall seek approval from the potentially receiving district.

(e) Any college or county requesting a service area modification shall submit an application to the Commission. The application shall include:

(i) A statement describing consultation efforts undertaken pursuant to subsection (d) of this section;

(ii) An explanation of how the service area modification illustrating how the requested modification benefits Wyoming community college students; and

(iii) An explanation of how the service area modification aligns with state priorities as expressed in the Wyoming Community College System Statewide Strategic Plan.

(iv) Any county pursuing inclusion into an existing service area must have a contiguous border to a county within that service area or be contiguous with the existing community college district and must encompass an entire county pursuant to 2000 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 73

(f) The Commission shall conduct a public hearing to consider the application and any public comments for or against the service area modification as part of its next regular meeting, but in no event less than 30 days from the date it receives the modification application.

(g) The Commission shall issue its final decision articulating the reasons for that decision within 120 days of the public hearing. The decision shall include an effective date. This decision is final agency action.

Section 10. Approving Capital Construction Projects.

(a) Community colleges shall submit new capital construction project proposals, pursuant to W.S. 21-18-202(d)(v)(A),(B) and (C) and W.S. 21-18-225, to the Commission in accordance with Chapter 5, Section 11 of Commission Rules.

(b) A Level I study shall be completed prior to submission of any capital construction project for authorization or approval.

(c) Each community college shall maintain a 5-year master plan for its campus and other facilities, and it shall be submitted to the Commission whenever an existing plan is updated or amended or when the plan is completely re-written.

(d) Submission of a capital construction project proposal shall be in a format approved by the Commission and shall include:

(i) Specific identification of the proposed project and its priority within the community college's master plan along with assurance that the proposed project supports the WY Community College Commission Statewide Strategic Plan.

(ii) Estimated gross square footage by space use code as recognized by the Postsecondary Education Facilities Inventory and Classification Manual.

(iii) Estimated construction, design and contingency costs, as well as any costs not directly related to construction (demolition, land acquisition, special assessment, required landscaping and furnishings not considered fixtures, furniture and equipment).

(iv) Specific identification and rating of projects that address life safety issues.

(v) Provision of a facilities condition index as described in the Facilities Handbook and the Users' Manual for the capital construction database model.

(e) Community colleges shall provide assurance that the cost of meeting standards for all environmental, health or safety code liabilities associated with the acquisition of previously owned buildings or renovation of acquired facilities would be the responsibility of the community college involved.

(f) The Contingency Reserve Account shall be used to supplement community college budgets for emergency repairs and preventative maintenance as provided in the funding allocation model (Chapter 5, Commission Rules). Contingency Reserve Account funds shall be allocated as approved by the Commission, and as they become available.

History

Effective 2025-04-10

Chapter 7 Review and Report Functions

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.7.11212017 Review and Report Functions

21-18-101

CHAPTER 7

REVIEW AND REPORT FUNCTIONS

Section 1. Authority.

Wyoming Statute 21-18-202(e)(v)(A) and 21-18-225.

Section 2. Purpose.

This chapter defines the Commission's review and report functions.

Section 3. Reporting Accreditation Studies.

(a) Each community college shall provide to the Commission a copy of any institutional or specialized accreditation study and any subsequent college or accrediting agency follow-up reports required as a condition of initial or continuing accreditation within thirty days (30) of receipt from the accrediting body.

(b) The Commission shall review each district as outlined in W.S. 21-18-202 (e)(iii), and the review shall occur at the same time as the accreditation review by the regional accrediting agency.

(c) Community colleges shall report to the Commission any request for a change in statement of affiliation status that would affect off-campus sites.

(d) Community colleges shall report to the Commission any successful program accreditation by industry and professional groups.

(e) The Commission shall prepare summary reports for distribution to the governor, the legislature, and other interested parties.

(i) The Commission's report will include strengths, concerns, accreditation status, required reports/visits, and accreditation agency's action taken from the regional accreditor's final official accreditation reaffirmation report and from the letter of formal notification status of Higher Learning Commission affiliation.

(f) All reports shall be available for inspection by interested parties at the Commission office.

Section 4. Reporting Financial and Enrollment Audits.

(a) Community college audits shall be accomplished in the manner set forth in W.S.16-4-121.

(b) Community college audits shall include a financial and compliance audit that meets recognized industry standards, the audit requirements of any federal agencies participating in a program of the community college, the reporting requirements of the Department of Audit, and the NACUBO reporting requirements of the Commission.

(c) Each community college shall request their independent auditor to provide audit reports to the community college board of trustees, the Commission, and the Budget Division of the Department of Administration and Information by December 31of each year pursuant to W.S. 16-4-122 and 21-18-204.

(d) By October 1 of every even numbered year, the community colleges shall provide a report of expenditures made for emergency repair, preventive maintenance, and renewal projects funded or partially funded by the contingency reserve account. The listing shall cover the previous biennium and shall be provided in a Commission approved format as shown in its Facilities Handbook.

(e) The community colleges shall submit adopted fiscal year budgets to the Commission by July 31 of each year.

(f) The community colleges shall submit a Biennial Funding Report (BFR) to the Commission by September 1 of each year in the format shown in the Fiscal Handbook. Adjustments made by community college boards to annual budgets, and therefore to the BFR, shall be submitted as soon as possible after adoption by a community college board.

(g) Each community college shall provide to the Commission enrollment data per the schedule in the Data Collection & Reporting Requirements Handbook. These data elements shall be used to create Commission approved publications four times yearly. The draft reports shall be reviewed by the community college prior to presentation to the Commission.

(h) Community college data that pertain to the reporting of full time equivalent student headcounts as well as course level of instruction coding shall be audited by the Commission in accordance with W.S. 21-18-202 (e)(ii). Along with these two core audit topics, additional audit components may be added to further validate the student headcounts that relate to full time equivalency headcount reported by the colleges. These additional audit components, referred to as ancillary audit items, shall be presented to the Commission.

Section 5. Reporting Partnership Outcomes.

(a) Each community college shall annually provide to the Commission the number of partnerships it participated in during the preceding year and a list of major partnership projects completed in the previous academic year on a Commission developed template. The report will include a brief summary for each major partnership to be comprised of, but not limited to, the partnership's goals and objectives as well as performance and outcomes.

(b) The Commission shall compile a summary of partnerships and their outcomes for distribution to the governor, the legislature, and other interested parties.

Section 6. Providing Annual Reports.

(a) The Commission shall maintain appropriate storage of data to fulfill its review and reporting functions. The community colleges shall adhere to the administrative computing practices (data input) outlined in the Commission's common data element dictionary, the Data Collection & Reporting Requirements Handbook. Administrative computing data fields in the community college's ACS not required for Commission data collection may be utilized by the community colleges for their own purposes. Should future reporting requirements require the use of these data fields within the college's ACS, the Data Governance/Institutional Research Council and subject-matter expert functional groups will determine the standard data to be entered into this field. If a community college had previously used the proposed data field to store data that does not meet the standard, it will be necessary for that college to change the data to match the agreed upon standard in order to maintain a common data elements dictionary.

(b) The studies and reports endorsed by statutory language necessitate periodic collection of data elements common to educational research. The Commission's Data Collection & Reporting Requirements Handbook shall specify the timelines for submission of periodically collected data elements. These data elements shall be reviewed annually by the Data Governance/Institutional Research Council with regard to contemporary progress in the educational research field as well as to ensure implemented changes have been disseminated to areas affected and recorded properly.

(c) The Commission shall request data from the community colleges and securely maintain this data in compliance with FERPA. Reports shall be structured so that personal identification of students will not be possible.

Section 7. Reporting on the Achievement of Statewide Priorities

(a) The community colleges shall provide annual reports to the Commission on performance of their individual community college along with measures indicating achievement of statewide interests as specified in the WY Community College Commission Statewide Strategic Plan.

(b) In accordance with W.S. 21-18-202 (e)(v)(A)(B)(C), the Commission shall provide individual and college system annual reports to the legislature and governor on the achievement of statewide priorities as specified in the WY Community College Commission Statewide Strategic Plan.

(i) The Commission and community colleges shall collaborate to define the report formats, methodology and data elements required in preparing the reports along with a reasonable timeline for completion of such reports.

Section 8. Reporting on Capital Construction and Major Maintenance

(a) In accordance with W.S. 21-18-225 (c) through (k), the Commission shall report prioritized construction needs, or subsequent modified construction needs to the State Construction Department.

(b) Community colleges shall submit a prioritized 5-year list of construction needs proposals for the square footage that is aligned with the WY Community College Commission Statewide Strategic Plan to the Commission for inclusion in the report to the State Construction Department by October 1 of each year.

(c) Community colleges shall submit modifications to the prioritized construction needs to the Commission, along with justification and changes to the college's master plan.

(d) The Commission shall provide the prioritized construction list to the State Construction Department no later than November 1 of every year.

(e) The commission shall provide to the State Construction Department the actual gross square footage of college facilities eligible for major maintenance in accordance with Chapter 5, Section 10 of these Commission Rules.

History

Effective 2017-11-21

Chapter 8 Implementing Functions

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.8.11212017 § 1 Authority

Wyoming Statute 21-18-202(c), (e), (f), (g), and (h).

History

Effective 2017-11-21

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.8.11212017 § 2 Purpose

This chapter defines the Commission's implementing functions.

History

Effective 2017-11-21

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.8.11212017 § 3 Establishing Reasonable Data Submission Timelines

(a) The Commission shall establish reasonable deadlines for the submission of data. Timelines shall depend on the complexity and the amount of data to be collected.

(b) The collection schedule of survey data for outcome indicators shall be established at the beginning of the year in which data are to be collected or shall be noted in the Data Collection & Reporting Requirements Handbook.

(c) The procedure for collection of data elements from the ACS shall be stated in the Data Collection & Reporting Requirements Handbook.

(d) The collection of information for ad hoc requests such as legislative data requests or those from national organizations shall follow the procedure approved by the Executive Council.

History

Effective 2017-11-21

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.8.11212017 § 4 Assuring Uniform Accounting Practices

(a) The community colleges shall adhere to the NACUBO standards and to the AICPA standards in accounting to insure uniform accounting of financial data.

(b) The fiscal operations of the community colleges shall comply with the Uniform Municipal Fiscal Procedures Act W.S. 16-4-101 through 16-4-125.

(c) Where conflicts exist between the Uniform Municipal Fiscal Procedures Act and NACUBO practices, the Uniform Municipal Fiscal Procedures Act shall take precedence.

(d) The process by which the community colleges' annual budgets are established shall conform to the provisions of the Uniform Municipal Fiscal Procedures Act.

History

Effective 2017-11-21

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.8.11212017 § 5 Withholding State Appropriations

(a) The Commission may withhold up to five percent (5%) of state appropriations from any community college not in compliance with statute or the rules of the Commission pursuant to W.S. 21-18-202 (f)(iii).

(i) Any appropriation amount withheld shall be subject to the following procedural requirements:

(A) Community colleges not in compliance with the Commission Rules shall receive written notice of noncompliance at least sixty (60) days prior to the withholding of any amount of appropriation authorized by the legislature. The written notice shall identify the amounts to be withheld from quarterly funding distributions and the conditions required to resume or restore funding. Community colleges identified as noncompliant may request a hearing before the Commission under the provisions of Chapter 2, Section 10 of Commission Rules.

(B) Community colleges not in compliance with the Commission Rules may have withheld amounts restored, or future reductions eliminated, or both, by demonstrating compliance.

(b) Actions to withhold state appropriations from community colleges are subject to judicial review under the provisions of W.S. 16-3-114.

History

Effective 2017-11-21

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.8.11212017 § 6 Advancing Legislative Proposals

(a) Proposals for legislative action on behalf of the community colleges shall be submitted to the executive director for inclusion on the agenda of the Executive Council to initiate collaborative discussion according to the WCCC Policy on Consultation.

(b) Upon approval of the Executive Council a legislative proposal shall be communicated to the commissioners by the executive director.

History

Effective 2017-11-21

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.8.11212017 § 7 Adopting Rules and Regulations

(a) If any provision of Commission Rules is held invalid, all other rules shall remain valid and effective.

(b) Amendments to Commission Rules shall be promulgated under the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act W.S. 16-3-101 through 16-3-115.

8-1

History

Effective 2017-11-21

Wyoming Administrative Rules 057 — Community College Commission, Wyoming

325 General Agency, Board or Commission Rules

Chapter 1 Definitions

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.1.04102025 § 1 Authority

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.1.04102025 § 2 Definitions - Community College Commission

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.1.04102025 § 3 Definitions - Wyoming Investment in Nursing Program (WYIN)

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.1.04102025 § 4 Definitions - Wyoming Teacher Shortage Loan Repayment Program (TSLRP)

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.1.04102025 § 5 Definitions - Wyoming Adjunct Professor Loan Repayment Program (WAPLR)

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.1.04102025 § 6 Definitions - High School Equivalency Certificate Program

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.1.04102025 § 7 Definitions - Wyoming Works Program

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.1.04102025 § 8 Definitions - Wyoming's Tomorrow Scholarship Program

Chapter 2 Commission Operations

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.2.11212017 Commission Operations

Chapter 3 General Functions

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.3.04182023 § 1 Authority

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.3.04182023 § 2 Purpose

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.3.04182023 § 3 Advocating Community College Education

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.3.04182023 § 4 Establishing Tuition Rates

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.3.04182023 § 5 Establishing Residency Requirements

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.3.04182023 § 6 Maintaining Administrative Computing System Contracts and Common Carrier Electronic System Access

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.3.04182023 § 7 Coordinating Development and Maintenance of the Community College Commission Statewide Strategic Plan

Chapter 4 Coordination Functions

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.4.11212017 Coordination Functions

Chapter 5 Administrative Functions

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 1 Authority

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 2 Creating and Maintaining a Funding Allocation Model

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 3 Preparing Commission and Community College Budget Requests

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 4 Disbursing State and Other Funds

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 5 Establishing and Promoting Statewide Priorities

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 6 Administering Loan Repayment Programs

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 7 Administering the Tuition Benefit for Vietnam Veterans, Overseas Combat Veterans and Surviving Spouses and Dependants

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 8 Administering the High School Equivalency Certificate Program

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 9 Major Maintenance Funding and Distribution

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 10 Capital Construction Requests

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 11 National Council State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA)

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.5.12062023 § 12 Administering the Wyoming Works Program

Chapter 6 Approval Functions

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.6.04102025 Approval Functions

Chapter 7 Review and Report Functions

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.7.11212017 Review and Report Functions

Chapter 8 Implementing Functions

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.8.11212017 § 1 Authority

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.8.11212017 § 2 Purpose

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.8.11212017 § 3 Establishing Reasonable Data Submission Timelines

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.8.11212017 § 4 Assuring Uniform Accounting Practices

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.8.11212017 § 5 Withholding State Appropriations

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.8.11212017 § 6 Advancing Legislative Proposals

Wyo. Code R. 057.0001.8.11212017 § 7 Adopting Rules and Regulations

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