La. Admin. Code tit. 28 § LXV-109

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section LXV-109 - Agricultural Education Commission

A. Functions. The function of an advisory council is to advise the board, directly or through its committees, in the discharge of policymaking, supervisory control, and budgetary duties and responsibilities. Specific functions of an advisory council are determined by the establishing statute or policy. Advisory councils deal exclusively with matters referred by the board or the LDE. Matters referred to advisory councils include external input regarding funding decisions, policy matters reviewed for local impact, bulletin revisions containing policies or supervisory controls, and matters particular to a council for which it was created. The LDE staff provides the board with a statewide and nationwide perspective on certain issues, while advisory councils respond from a local or community perspective.

B. Composition. Unless otherwise provided by state or federal law, each advisory council of the board is created by board policy. The policy determines the size of the council membership; the appointing authority; the persons, organizations, affiliations, or interest groups to be represented on a council; and the length of term.

C. Agricultural Education Commission (AEC) Established

1. Authority per R.S. 17:185.4 and BESE policy.

2. Function and Responsibilities:

a. Program Evaluation. Assist the state superintendent of education in the ongoing evaluation of agricultural education programs in elementary and secondary schools.

b. State Plan Review. Review the state action plan for agricultural education and provide recommendations to BESE regarding revisions to policy or curricula necessary for state agricultural education programs and initiatives to remain responsive to the needs of students and the agricultural community.

c. Delivery System. Continually review the state agricultural education delivery system to provide guidance and recommendations to the LDE regarding content standards, curricula, agriculture focused IBCs, educator professional development, and strategies to promote agricultural literacy and student awareness of educational and career opportunities in agricultural fields.

d. Facilitate the development of partnerships and collaboration with agriculture-based industries and stakeholders.

e. Provide guidance and support toward the development and establishment of agriculture immersion programs in elementary and secondary schools that allow students to master an understanding of the importance of agriculture, related fields, and occupations to the state, nation, and world.

3. The membership of the AEC shall consist of 17 exofficio representatives from K-12 and postsecondary education, state agencies, and organizations related to agriculture, and agriculture education, or a designee, as follows:

a. state superintendent of education.

b. commissioner of higher education.

c. Louisiana Community and Technical College System, president.

d. LSU College of Agriculture, vice-president.

e. Southern University Agricultural Center, chancellor.

f. Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, director.

g. Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, commissioner.

h. Louisiana Agriscience Teachers Association, president.

i. Louisiana FFA, president.

j. Louisiana FFA, state executive director.

k. Louisiana 4-H Foundation, chairman of the board of trustees.

l. Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, president.

m. Louisiana Department of Economic Development, secretary.

n. Louisiana Workforce Commission, secretary.

o. Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, president.

p. Louisiana Association of Educators, president.

q. Louisiana Federation of Teachers, president.

D. General Membership Information

1. Terms. Unless otherwise provided by state or federal law, persons appointed to the commission shall serve at the pleasure of the recommending authority. A commission member may be removed without cause by the appointing authority at any time. Appointees must maintain employment and qualifications appropriate to the organizational category represented. Upon retirement, employment in a different capacity, or otherwise failure to maintain eligibility requirements, the member shall become ineligible to continue to serve and shall be replaced.

2. Vacancies. A vacancy in an appointed position shall occur if an appointee, for any reason, is unable to serve the full extent the appointed term. Appointments to fill temporary vacancies shall be considered interim appointments. Interim appointments may be made by the superintendent of education or the BESE president.

3. Expenses. Members shall not be entitled to reimbursement for travel expenses.

4. Proxy. Any person serving on an advisory council who cannot attend a scheduled meeting may designate a person to attend as the member proxy, contingent upon the consent of the appointing authority, and the council chair shall be notified.

5. Quorum. Unless otherwise provided, a quorum is a simple majority of the total membership. In the absence of a quorum, the advisory council may take unofficial action, but minutes shall indicate that the recommendations are being presented without the required quorum. When known prior to an agenda being posted that a quorum is unlikely, the council chair shall be so notified and the meeting may be canceled.

6. Action/Quorum. Official commission action requires that matters submitted by motion are duly seconded. The chair states the motion and calls for discussion and public comment. All official actions of the group shall require the favorable vote of a simple majority of the members present. Proxies are not included for the purpose of establishing a quorum.

7. Voting. All voting shall be by voice vote, except when taken by roll call vote or when a member requests that his/her vote be recorded in the official record. A roll call vote shall be taken on any motion if requested by the chair. Roll call votes shall be taken alphabetically, except that the presiding officer or chair shall have the option of voting last or may exercise the right to refrain from voting. Proxies do not retain voting privileges.

8. Attendance Policy

a. Appointed members are expected to attend all scheduled meetings of an advisory body. Unless otherwise provided, if a member is unable to attend a meeting, a request for an excused absence should be submitted to the council chair or the LDE staff liaison one week prior to the meeting. A proxy may be named by the appointed member to serve for a total of three meetings. A commission member shall be removed and the seat declared vacant if the member is no longer a legal resident of Louisiana, fails to remain active in or is no longer employed by the appointing organization or agency represented, or misses more than two meetings, unless excused prior to the meeting by the commission chair.

b. The appointing authority for each member shall be notified immediately following each scheduled meeting indicating the unexcused absence of the appointee. The notification should include:

i. name of commission member and commission on which serving;

ii. date of the meeting; and

iii. board policy on attendance.

E. Chair

1. The AEC shall have one chairperson and one vicechair annually nominated and voted upon by the membership at the first convening meeting of the fiscal year.

2. The appointed chair shall preside at all meetings of the AEC, shall perform such duties as may be required by the commission and shall be a voting member. The vicechair shall serve in the absence of the chair.

F. Meetings

1. Advisory councils shall meet as scheduled in order to consider referrals from the board or the LDE. Special meetings shall be by direction of the board and emergency meetings may be called at the discretion of the executive director and LDE.

2. Regular meeting dates shall be scheduled to convene one year in advance and shall be determined by the executive director, LDE, or a designee of either. The commission shall schedule meetings upon the call of the chairperson, but not less than once quarterly.

3. Agendas of regularly scheduled commission meetings shall be distributed to the members by the LDE staff at least 7 calendar days in advance of a meeting. All meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Louisiana open meetings law R.S. 42:11 et seq. In the event that no items have been referred to an advisory council for consideration, there are no items pending on an advisory council agenda, and the LDE has no items to bring forward to the advisory council at least 10 days prior to a scheduled meeting, the meeting shall be cancelled, and the members shall be notified of the cancellation.

4. In accordance with R.S. 42:19, the agenda may be amended upon unanimous approval of the members present and subject to other provisions of the statute.

5. Except where listed herein, the business in advisory councils shall be conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order.

6. Motions passed by an advisory council shall be made as a main motion and must be duly seconded. All motions must be voted upon and roll call votes may be requested by any of the membership in attendance at a meeting.

7. Requests from advisory councils for data or reports must be made in the form of a motion, requesting that the board direct the LDE or BESE staff to provide such information to the council making the request.

8. All meetings of advisory councils shall be considered official functions of the board to assist in the execution of board responsibilities and duties.

La. Admin. Code tit. 28, § LXV-109

Promulgated by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 482088 (8/1/2022).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:6.