STUDENT FEE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

(a) A student fee advisory committee is established at each institution of higher education except The University of Texas at Austin and the institutions of The Texas A&M University System to advise the governing board and administration of the institution on the type, amount, and expenditure of compulsory fees for student services under Section 54.503 of this code.

(b) Each committee is composed of the following nine members:

(1) five student members who are enrolled for not less than six semester credit hours at the institution and who are representative of all students enrolled at the institution, selected under Subsection (c) of this section; and

(2) four members who are representative of the entire institution, appointed by the president of the institution.

(c) If the institution has a student government, the student government shall appoint three students to serve two-year terms on the committee and two students to serve one-year terms on the committee. If the institution does not have a student government, the students enrolled at the institution shall elect three students to serve two-year terms on the committee and two students to serve one-year terms on the committee. A candidate for a position on the committee must designate whether the position is for a one-year or two-year term.

(d) A student member of the committee who withdraws from the institution must resign from the committee.

(e) A vacancy in an appointive position on the committee shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term in the same manner as the original appointment. A vacancy in an elective position on the committee shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by appointment by the president of the institution.

(f) The committee shall:

(1) study the type, amount, and expenditure of a compulsory fee under Section 54.503 of this code; and

(2) meet with appropriate administrators of the institution, submit a written report on the study under Subdivision (1) of this subsection, and recommend the type, amount, and expenditure of a compulsory fee to be charged for the next academic year.

(g) Before recommending the student fee budget to the governing board of the institution, the president of the institution shall consider the report and recommendations of the committee. If the president's recommendations to the governing board are substantially different from the committee's recommendations to the president, the administration of the institution shall notify the committee not later than the last date on which the committee may request an appearance at the board meeting. On request of a member of the committee, the administration of the institution shall provide the member with a written report of the president's recommendations to the board.