Kansas Board of Regents

This week Governor Mark Parkinson appointed two new members to the Kansas Board of Regents and renewed the appointment of a current member.

So what does the Kansas Board of Regents do? What educational institutions are affiliated with it? Who makes up the Board? Are all the board members appointed by the governor? Below is a short summary of Board duties as well as links to information on the Board:

The Kansas Board of Regents governs six state universities with over 79,000 full-time equivalent students. It also supervises and coordinates 19 community colleges, five technical colleges, six technical schools with over 45,227 full-time equivalent students as well as a municipal university.

The Board administers the state’s student financial aid, adult education, GED, and career and technical education programs. It authorizes private proprietary schools and out-of state institutions to operate in Kansas, and administers the Kan-ed network, a statewide network that provides broadband Internet access and distance learning capabilities for schools, hospitals, and libraries.

Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR)
http://www.kansasregents.org/
(The website for the Board of Regents)

KBOR Board Members
http://www.kansasregents.org/the_board_of_regents
(Not pictured are the new appointees, Mildred Edwards of Wichita and Tim Emert of Independence. The two departing members are Jill Docking of Wichita and Donna Shank of Liberal. Board members are appointed by the Governor for four year terms. The appointment must be approved by the Kansas Senate. More information on laws governing the Board of Regents can be found in the Kansas Statutes)

Kansas Public Higher Education Quick Facts
http://www.kansasregents.org/resources/PDF/774-KBORFactSheet_2010_FINAL.pdf
(Two page document summarizing higher education statistics and Board activities)

KBOR Policy Manual
http://www.kansasregents.org/resources/PDF/811-041510PolicyManualrevisedlinks_2_.pdf
(The Board's Policy Manual spells out the duties and actions of the Board. It also includes a short history timeline of the Board's development through the years)

KBOR News and News Releases
---View KBOR News Releases
---Governmental Related Information
---Subscribe to the Regents Newsletter

Public Institutions
http://www.kansasregents.org/interactive_map_listing
(Links to the state’s 32 public higher education institutions governed by the Kansas Board of Regents: six state universities, a municipal university, nineteen community colleges, and six technical colleges)

KAN-ED
http://www.kansasregents.org/kan_ed
(KAN-ED Network is a broadband technology-based network to which school, libraries and hospitals may connect for broadband internet access and intranet access for distance learning)

Adult Education
http://www.kansasregents.org/academic_affairs_adult_education
("The Board is responsible for administering the state’s Adult Basic Education programs. These programs serve adults, age 16 and over, who need basic skills for the workforce, community participation and family life")

Kansas GED Information
http://www.kansasregents.org/ged_introduction
(General Educational Development (or GED) tests are a group of subject tests which, when passed, certify that the taker has American or Canadian high school-level academic skills. The GED is sometimes referred to as a General Equivalency Diploma or General Education Diploma)

Workforce Development, Technical/Career Education
http://www.kansasregents.org/workforce_development
(The Workforce Development unit focuses efforts and resources to prepare workers for careers in Kansas’ highest-priority fields, like health care, advanced manufacturing/aviation, energy, and health sciences)

Private and Out-of-State Institutions
http://www.kansasregents.org/private_institutions
(The Board authorizes private and out-of-state postsecondary institutions to operate in Kansas. These institutions offer associate, bachelor, master, and professional degrees, along with certificates and diploma)

Article contact: Bill Sowers
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