W. Va. Code R. § 133-26-4

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 50, December 13, 2024

Section 133-26-4 - Administration

4.1. The Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholars Program shall be administered by the Vice Chancellor for Administration or her/his designee.

4.2. The Commission, in consultation with the State Superintendent of Schools, shall promulgate reasonable legislative rules for the administration of the program and the Vice Chancellor for Administration, in accordance with such rules, shall establish appropriate guidelines for program operation.

4.3. Recipient awards shall not exceed $10,000.00 per year for a maximum of four academic years for a baccalaureate degree.

4.4. The Vice Chancellor for Administration shall solicit the views of public and private education agencies and institutions and other interested parties in developing the selection criteria and procedures to be used by the selection panel. These views may be solicited by means of written and published selection criteria and procedures in final form for implementation. Views may also be solicited by means of public hearings on the present and projected teacher needs of the state or any other means the Vice Chancellor may deem appropriate to gather information.

4.5. The Commission and the West Virginia Board of Education jointly shall ensure that Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholar award recipients receive additional academic support and training from mentors in their academic field beginning with the freshman year and continuing through degree completion and the teaching obligation.

4.6. Model agreements between public education and higher education will be developed by Commission staff in collaboration with West Virginia Department of Education staff.

4.7. Critical teacher shortage fields will be identified by the West Virginia Department of Education annually and provided to the Commission.

4.8. Only those institutions that are regionally accredited and offer West Virginia Department of Education approved programs that lead to teacher certification and West Virginia licensure are eligible to participate in the Underwood-Smith Teacher Scholars Program.

4.9. An institution otherwise eligible to participate in Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholars Program under Section 4.8 of this rule shall be excluded from participating by the Vice Chancellor for Administration if:

4.9.a. The institution does not have a signed participation agreement in place; or

4.9.b. The institution has been deemed ineligible to participate in federal student financial aid programs by the United States Department of Education; or

4.9.c. The Commission determines, based upon audits and/or administrative site visits by Commission staff, that the institution has seriously mismanaged the Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholars Program or other state financial aid funds or lacks adequate institutional controls to manage such funds properly.

W. Va. Code R. § 133-26-4