Section 32-39t - Higher Education Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee. Membership. Applications. Recommendation of approval(a) The commissioner may establish a Higher Education Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee within the department. If established, such committee shall consist of members appointed by the commissioner, including, but not limited to: (1) An equal number of representatives of public and private institutions of higher education; (2) one baccalaureate student representative; (3) one graduate student representative; (4) one high school student who shall be a nonvoting member; and (5) three serial entrepreneurs having experience as an entrepreneur in residence at an institution of higher education. Such members shall be subject to term limits prescribed by the commissioner. Each member appointed by the commissioner shall hold office until a successor is appointed. For the purposes of this section, "serial entrepreneur" means an entrepreneur having brought one or more startup businesses to venture capital funding by an institutional investor.(b) The advisory group shall select chairpersons of the advisory group during its initial meeting. The advisory committee shall meet not less than quarterly after its initial meeting and at such other times as the chairperson deems necessary.(c) No member of the advisory committee shall receive compensation for such member's service, except that each member shall be entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred during the performance of such member's official duties.(d) A majority of members of the advisory committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business or the exercise of any power of the advisory committee. The advisory committee may act by a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is in attendance, for the transaction of any business or the exercise of any power of the advisory committee, except as otherwise provided in this section.(e) Every member of the advisory committee shall be deemed a member of an advisory board for purposes of chapter 10.(f) Any institution of higher education, or partnership of one or more institutions of higher education, may submit an application for a higher education entrepreneurship grant-in-aid to the advisory committee, on a form prescribed by the advisory committee.(g) The advisory committee may review applications for grants-in-aid submitted to it pursuant to this section. The advisory committee may recommend approval of any such application to the commissioner. For any such application reviewed by the advisory committee, the advisory committee shall give priority for grants-in-aid to applications (1) including collaborative initiatives between institutions of higher education, and (2) supporting individual institutions of higher education to develop alumni mentor networks, entrepreneurs-in-residence programs, university proof of concept funds and student business start-up accelerators, when such individual institutions demonstrate that such networks, programs, funds and accelerators are not feasible for operation across multiple institutions of higher education.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 32-39t
( May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3 , S. 28 ; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 , S. 134 .)
Amended by P.A. 24-0149,S. 12 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2024 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2024.Amended by P.A. 19-0154, S. 4 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2019 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2019.Amended by P.A. 17-0002, S. 134 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2017 Special Session, eff. 10/31/2017.Added by P.A. 16-0003, S. 28 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2016 Special Session, eff. 10/1/2016.