Section 115D-3 - Community Colleges System Office; staff; reorganization authority(a) The Community Colleges System Office shall be a principal administrative department of State government under the direction of the State Board of Community Colleges, and shall be separate from the free public school system of the State, the State Board of Education, and the Department of Public Instruction. The State Board has authority to adopt and administer all policies, regulations, and standards which it deems necessary for the operation of the System Office.(a1) Subject to confirmation by the General Assembly in accordance with G.S. 115D-3.1, the State Board shall elect a President of the North Carolina Community Colleges System who shall serve as chief administrative officer of the Community Colleges System Office. The State Board shall use the following process to elect a President:(1) At least three final candidates shall be submitted to the full State Board from which the full State Board shall make its election.(2) The State Board shall conduct a vote on the election of the President, and the candidate who receives a majority of votes of the entire State Board shall be elected President.(a2) The compensation of this position shall be fixed by the State Board from funds provided by the General Assembly in the Current Operations Appropriations Act.(a3) The President shall be assisted by such professional staff members as may be deemed necessary to carry out the provisions of this Chapter, who shall be elected by the State Board on nomination of the President. The compensation of the staff members elected by the Board shall be fixed by the State Board of Community Colleges, upon recommendation of the President of the Community Colleges System, from funds provided in the Current Operations Appropriations Act. These staff members shall include such officers as may be deemed desirable by the President and State Board. Provision shall be made for persons of high competence and strong professional experience in such areas as academic affairs, public service programs, business and financial affairs, institutional studies and long-range planning, student affairs, research, legal affairs, health affairs and institutional development, and for State and federal programs administered by the State Board. In addition, the President shall be assisted by such other employees as may be needed to carry out the provisions of this Chapter, who shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter 126 of the General Statutes. The staff complement shall be established by the State Board on recommendation of the President to insure that there are persons on the staff who have the professional competence and experience to carry out the duties assigned and to insure that there are persons on the staff who are familiar with the problems and capabilities of all of the principal types of institutions represented in the system. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the President may reorganize the System Office in accordance with recommendations and plans submitted to and approved by the State Board of Community Colleges. If a reorganization is implemented pursuant to this subsection, including any movement of positions and funds between fund codes on a recurring basis, the President shall report by June 30 of the fiscal year in which the reorganization occurred to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the Fiscal Research Division of the General Assembly.Amended by 2023 N.C. Sess. Laws 134,s. 6.10-a, eff. 9/22/2023.Amended by 2019 N.C. Sess. Laws 235, s. 3.1, eff. 7/1/2019. 1963 , c. 448, s. 23; 1971 , c. 1244, s. 14; 1975 , c. 699, s. 5; 1979 , c. 462, s. 2; c. 896, s. 3; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1130, ss. 1, 2; 1981 , c. 859, s. 35.2; 1983 , c. 479, s. 4; c. 717, s. 26; 1983 (Reg. Sess., 1984), c. 1034, s. 164; 1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 955, ss. 19, 20; 1987 , c. 564, s. 2; 1993, c. 522, s. 6; 1999-84, s. 8.