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A.  The program shall be governed by a director whose appointment, term, powers, duties, and compensation shall be as provided in this Section.

B.(1)  The person serving as director on June 30, 1999, shall continue to serve as director through August 30, 2004, absent his resignation or death.  The governor may, however, remove the director at an earlier date by certifying in writing, giving reasons satisfactory to the superintendent of education and the president or equivalent official of the university at which the program is located, that the director is physically or mentally unable to carry out his statutory duties or is guilty of serious official or ethical misconduct.

(2)  All subsequent directors shall be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.  In the selection of subsequent directors, the governor shall give serious consideration to any recommendations of the governing authority of any organization which exists primarily to provide financial support and advisory guidance to the program, including but not limited to the board of directors of the Friends of the Governor’s Program for Gifted Children, Inc.

C.(1)  The terms of subsequent directors shall expire on the thirtieth of August of each year in which regular elections are held for president of the United States.  The terms of all directors shall expire on the prescribed date, irrespective of the date on which the director assumes office.

(2)  A director may succeed himself for an indefinite number of terms.  If, by the expiration of a director’s term, the governor has not appointed a successor, the director shall be deemed to have been appointed and confirmed for an additional term.

(3)  A person appointed as director by the governor but not yet confirmed by the legislature may serve as acting director pending his confirmation.

(4)  If the governor deems it necessary to fill a vacancy in the office of director on an emergency basis, he may appoint an interim director to serve for a period of no greater than ninety days.

D.(1)  The director shall exercise full executive, academic, administrative, functional, and fiscal control over all aspects of the program.  Without limitation to the foregoing, he shall be authorized to:

(a)  Make all decisions pertaining to admission of students to the program, including without limitation the formulation of admissions criteria and student eligibility guidelines, recruiting students, and ruling on the admission of individual students to the program.  The director shall be authorized to waive admissions criteria in individual cases or to exclude individual students who meet admission criteria if the director reasonably believes such action to be in the best interests of the applicant or of the program.

(b)  Subject to any applicable civil service rules, make all decisions with regard to employment of faculty, administrative personnel, and staff, including determinations pertaining to compensation, terms of employment, and duties.  The director shall have the sole authority to make offers of employment on behalf of the program, to terminate employment, and directly or through supervisory personnel appointed by him to control and direct all activities on behalf of the program.

(c)  Formulate and implement a budget for the program, direct the deposit and disbursement of funds, and otherwise control the program’s fiscal and financial affairs except as may be otherwise provided by law.

(d)  Devise and implement the program’s curriculum, set academic standards, and select course materials.

(e)  Determine the dates of the program’s sessions, provided that there shall be at least one session per year of at least six weeks’ duration.

(f)  Take any other action, not inconsistent with law, reasonable and necessary to carry out the purposes of the program as provided in this Part.

(2)  By the first day of October of each year, the director shall report to the governor and the superintendent of education with respect to the following:

(a)  The program’s detailed budget.

(b)  The number of students enrolled, their ages, and the parishes of their residence.

(c)  The number of students graduated.

(d)  Any other information which the director may see fit to report concerning the program.

(3)  Except where prohibited by this Part or otherwise prohibited by law, the director may delegate any of his powers to faculty, staff, or other persons employed by the program.

E.  The director shall be compensated for his services in an amount to be determined annually as a part of the program’s regular budget formulation procedure.

Acts 1999, No. 595, §1, eff. June 30, 1999.