Sec. 54.5062.  STUDENT FEES ADVISORY COMMITTEE;  THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM.  (a)  A student fees advisory committee is established at each component institution of the University of Houston System to advise the board of regents, presidents, and administration of the University of Houston System on the type, level, and expenditure of compulsory fees for student services collected at each component institution of the system under Section 54.5061 of this code.  Each committee is composed of nine members.
(b)  Five of the members of each student fees advisory committee shall be student members.  The student members shall be generally representative of the student body and be enrolled in not less than six semester hours at the university.  If a student government exists, the student members shall be selected by the student government of the university.  The student members shall be selected and designated as appropriate so that three members of the committee are serving terms of two years, and two members are serving terms of one year.  If a student government does not exist, the students shall be elected by the students enrolled in the university.  At each election, the appropriate number of students shall be elected for terms of appropriate length so that three are serving terms of two years, and two are serving terms of one year.  Candidates shall file for either a one-year or a two-year position.
(c)  The four remaining members of the student fees advisory committee shall be appointed by the president of the university and shall be generally representative of the total university community.  Each member appointed by the president serves for a term of one year but may be reappointed.
(d)  A student member who ceases to be a student may not continue to hold a student membership position.  If a student vacancy occurs, the student government shall appoint a new member to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term.  In the absence of student government or if the vacancy is in a position appointed by the president, the president of the university shall appoint a new member to serve for the remainder of the term.
(e)  The committee shall conduct appropriate inquiry into the type, level, and expenditure of any compulsory fees to be charged under Section 54.5061 of this code and into the expenditure of money generated from those fees.  The committee shall then meet with appropriate members of the university administration to submit a report recommending the type, level, and expenditure of compulsory fees to be charged to students in the academic year beginning with the following fall semester.
(f)  The president shall duly consider the recommendations of the student fees advisory committee during the annual budgetary process.  If the president's recommendations to the board of regents are substantially different from those of the student fees advisory committee, the administration shall so notify the student fees advisory committee.  Such notification shall be in sufficient time for the committee to request an appearance at the board of regents meeting during which the president's recommendations will be considered.  The administration shall provide to a student member designated by the student members of the committee, on that student member's request, the most recent and complete recommendations of the president to the board.
Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 848, Sec. 3, eff. Aug. 26, 1991.