(a) The Governor shall appoint an Arkansas Cooperative Education Advisory Committee to advise and consult with the state personnel administrator in carrying out the administration of this subchapter.
(b) The state personnel administrator shall serve as chair ex officio of the committee, which shall consist of the following:
(1) Four (4) representatives of the state government system, who shall be appointed for terms of four (4) years, except when a member is appointed to complete an unexpired term; and
(2)
(A) Five (5) representatives of institutions of higher education appointed from educational institutions with cooperative education or internship programs with the five (5) members selected from the five (5) institutions with the greatest number participating in this program.
(B) Until such time as experience reveals the number of students in the program, three (3) of the five (5) members shall be appointed from public institutions and two (2) from private institutions.
(c)
(1) The committee shall meet as frequently as the state personnel administrator deems necessary but not less than semiannually.
(2) Upon request by five (5) or more members of the committee, the state personnel administrator shall immediately call a meeting of the committee.
(d)
(1) The committee shall meet to consider and approve by a favorable vote of five (5) or more members present at such meeting the eligibility of educational institutions having students desirous of applying for the cooperative education program with the state personnel administrator.
(2) Approval shall be considered necessary no more than one (1) time every three (3) years and shall be based upon the criteria established in § 21-3-508.
(e) The committee shall further consider, evaluate, and promote cooperative education within the entire system of state government and on the campuses of all eligible institutions of higher education as the committee sees fit.