(A) As used in this section:

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(1) “Community college” has the same meaning as in section 3333.168 of the Revised Code.

(2) “County board” means the board of county commissioners of Fairfield county.

(3) “Degree or program” means any of the following:

(a) An academic program that grants a student college credit;

(b) A certificate program that grants a student college credit;

(c) An associate’s degree issued pursuant to section 3333.04 of the Revised Code;

(d) A bachelor’s degree issued pursuant to section 3333.051 of the Revised Code.

(4) “Qualifying university” means a state university, as defined in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code, that operates a branch campus in Fairfield county;

(5) “Workforce advisory board” means an advisory board established by the county board to address workforce issues in Fairfield county. The advisory board shall consist of the following members:

(a) An individual appointed by the county board, who shall serve as chairperson of the advisory board;

(b) A representative of the local board of the local area that includes Fairfield county, who shall be appointed by the county board. As used in this division, “local area” and “local board” have the same meanings as in section 6301.01 of the Revised Code.

(c) A representative of a technical college established under this chapter that is not co-located with an institution of higher education, who shall be appointed by the county board;

(d) A representative of the educational service center that has a majority of the territory of Fairfield county, who shall be appointed by the county board;

(e) The vice provost for regional higher education and partnerships of a qualifying university.

A member of the advisory board appointed by the county board serves at the pleasure of the county board.

A member of the workforce advisory board may designate an individual to serve in the member’s place on the advisory board.

(B) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this chapter, subject to the approval of the chancellor of higher education, a community college that is not co-located with an institution of higher education may develop and offer a degree or program in Fairfield county if all of the following apply:

(1) The college creates a document that demonstrates there is a workforce need in the county, which shall include a request for a degree or program.

(2) The college submits the document to the workforce advisory board. The workforce advisory board shall review the document and vote on all of the following:

(a) Whether the document demonstrates a legitimate workforce need in Fairfield county;

(b) Whether to support an institution of higher education offering the degree or program in Fairfield county;

(c) Which institution of higher education to recommend to the chancellor to offer the degree or program in Fairfield county.

(3) If the advisory board unanimously votes that the document demonstrates a legitimate workforce need in Fairfield county and to support an institution of higher education offering the degree or program in the county, it shall transmit that fact and its recommended institution to the chancellor.

(C) Nothing in this section precludes a qualifying university from developing or expanding degrees or programs at the university’s branch campus in Fairfield county.

Nothing in this section replaces or supersedes existing processes for the development and approval of degrees or programs.