Title 16. Community Colleges — Subtitle 1. Organization and Government of Community Colleges

The governing body of any county that does not have a community college may request permission to establish one from the Maryland Higher Education Commission.

On recommendation of the Commission, the Governor shall appoint a board of community college trustees for that county.

Except as provided in Subtitle 4 of this title, each member serves for a term of 6 years from July 1 of the year the appointment is made and until a successor is appointed and qualifies. These terms are staggered, and of the initial appointments to a board, five shall be for terms of 1 to 5 years respectively, and two shall be for terms of 6 years.

A member appointed to fill a vacancy in an unexpired term serves only for the remainder of that term and until a successor is appointed and qualifies.

A member may be reappointed.

Shall elect one of its members as its chair;

Except as provided in § 16–105(g) of this subtitle, shall choose the president of one of the county community colleges to serve as secretary–treasurer of the board; and

May elect any other officer it requires.

Each board of trustees may sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of community college assets or property.

Except as provided in § 16–105(h) of this subtitle, the president of the community college and the chair of the board of trustees may execute a conveyance or other legal document under an appropriate resolution of the board.

With the approval of the Commission, permit the county board of education to use the lands, buildings, or other facilities of the community college; and

With the approval of the county board of education, use any land, buildings, assets, or other facilities of the county board of education.

Transfer programs offering the equivalent of the first 2 years of a bachelor’s degree program;

Career programs offering technical, vocational, and semiprofessional education; and

Continuing education programs.

Shall report directly to the board of trustees;

Shall recommend the appointment by the board of qualified faculty members and other employees necessary for the efficient administration of the community college;

Shall recommend the discharge of employees for good cause; however, any employee with tenure shall be given reasonable notice of the grounds for dismissal and an opportunity to be heard;

Is responsible for the conduct of the community college and for the administration and supervision of its departments; and

Shall attend all meetings of the board, except those involving the president’s personal position as president.

The Catonsville Campus;

The Dundalk Campus; and

The Essex Campus.

Shall report directly to the Board of Trustees;

Shall recommend the appointment by the Board of qualified faculty members and other employees necessary for the efficient administration of the Community College of Baltimore County;

Shall recommend the discharge of employees for good cause; however, any employee with tenure shall be given reasonable notice of the grounds for dismissal and an opportunity to be heard;

Is responsible for the administration and supervision of the administrators, employees, and departments of the campuses of the Community College of Baltimore County in accordance with the policy manual of the Community College of Baltimore County as adopted from time to time by the Board of Trustees; and

Shall attend all meetings of the Board, except those involving the President’s personal position.

Notwithstanding the provisions of § 16-103(f)(2) of this subtitle, the Board of Trustees may, by resolution, authorize the President to sign legal documents on behalf of the Board of Trustees including documents related to the disposition of assets or property of the community college.

The resolution may:

Is exempt from payment of tuition; and

May not be counted in computing full–time equivalent enrollment at the community college under § 16–305 of this title.

Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, any resident of this State who is 60 years old or older and who enrolls in any class, which is eligible under § 16–305 of this title for State support, at the community college:

A community college is required to waive the tuition for a course for senior citizens under this subsection only when course space is available.

This subsection may not be construed to prohibit a community college board of trustees from offering senior citizens other educational opportunities free of charge, provided that the senior citizen is not counted in computing full–time equivalent enrollment for the purpose of receiving State support.

Any resident of this State who is out of the work force by reason of total and permanent disability who enrolls at a community college in a class that has at least 10 regularly enrolled students:

In order to receive this exemption, an individual who meets the requirements of paragraph (1) of this subsection shall provide the community college with certification from the Social Security Administration, the Railroad Retirement Board, or in the case of a former federal employee, from the individual’s federal retirement or pension authority of the individual’s:

Certification from the Social Security Administration of an individual’s receipt of disability or retirement benefits under either Title II or Title XVI of the federal Social Security Act shall satisfy the requirement in paragraph (2)(ii) of this subsection.

A board of trustees may submit to the Commission a request for proposals for the offering of a baccalaureate degree program not currently offered in the region.

The Commission shall distribute the request for proposals to public senior higher education institutions and private nonprofit institutions of higher education.

Seek input from students, workforce development councils, and other civic, educational, community, and business groups when assessing the educational needs of the region;

Determine the regional or statewide need for graduates of each program for which a request for proposals is submitted;

Identify the enrollment patterns, special characteristics of students, and other unique circumstances that would require a program to be offered in a particular manner; and

Determine that the degree program is necessary to meet the academic and economic development needs of the region or State.

The board of trustees may submit the request for proposals to out–of–state senior higher education institutions and for–profit institutions of higher education if none of the senior higher education institutions in the State submit an acceptable response to the request for proposals submitted under subsection (a) of this section.

Notwithstanding § 11–206(b)(2)(ii) of this article, before offering a degree program that is the subject of the request for proposals, an out–of–state senior higher education institution or for–profit institution of higher education shall seek the approval of the Commission under Title 11, Subtitle 2 of this article.

Veterans; or

Spouses of veterans;

Veterans; or

Spouses of veterans; and

Provide access to federal and State veterans and spouses of veterans resources;

Serve as a quiet place for veterans and spouses of veterans to study;

Enable veterans and spouses of veterans to connect to other veterans and spouses of veterans, helping them renew the bonds of service; and

Be the central hub for all activities on campus related to veterans and spouses of veterans.

The board of community college trustees at a community college shall allow a student athlete to modify the athletic or team uniform of the student athlete in a manner that makes the student athlete’s attire more modest to conform to:

A student athlete may not be required to receive approval from a coach, an administrator, or the board of community college trustees before making the uniform modification.

A modification to an athletic or team uniform may include the wearing of:

A modification to an athletic or team uniform may not:

A student athlete may modify the uniform headgear if the modified headgear:

A student athlete is responsible for all costs associated with the modification of the student athlete’s athletic or team uniform under this section.

This subsection may not be construed to prohibit a community college from providing the uniform modification to the student.

On or before August 1, 2025, each community college, in consultation with students and student organizations, shall develop and implement a plan to provide students with access to all methods of over–the–counter contraception.

The plan under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall include access to over–the–counter contraception through:

Developing a plan under this section; and

Consulting and collaborating with organizations with expertise in providing access to over–the–counter contraception through vending machines.