§ 356 — Councils of state-operated institutions; powers and duties

§ 356. Councils of state-operated institutions; powers and duties. 1.\nSubject to the general management, supervision and control of and in\naccordance with rules established by the state university trustees, the\noperations and affairs of each state-operated institution of the state\nuniversity shall be supervised locally by a council consisting of ten\nmembers, nine of whom shall be appointed by the governor and one of whom\nshall be elected by and from among the students of the institution. Such\nvoting members shall be subject to every provision of any general,\nspecial or local law, ordinance, charter, code, rule or regulation\napplying to the voting members of such board with respect to the\ndischarge of their duties including, but not limited to, those\nprovisions setting forth codes of ethics, disclosure requirements and\nprohibiting business and professional activities. The election of the\nstudent member shall be conducted in accordance with rules and\nregulations promulgated by the respective representative campus student\nassociation in accordance with guidelines established by the state\nuniversity trustees. One member shall be designated by the governor as\nchairman. Where an undergraduate state-operated institution of the state\nuniversity is located adjacent to another institution of higher\neducation and students of such undergraduate state-operated institution\nare, under arrangements made by the state university, taking a\nsubstantial portion of their courses at such other institution, the\npresident or other head of such other institution shall be an ex-officio\nmember of the council for such undergraduate state-operated institution.\nInitial appointments, other than the student member and ex-officio\nmembers, shall be for terms expiring July first, nineteen hundred\nfifty-four, July first, nineteen hundred fifty-five, July first,\nnineteen hundred fifty-six, July first, nineteen hundred fifty-seven,\nJuly first, nineteen hundred fifty-eight, July first, nineteen hundred\nfifty-nine, July first, nineteen hundred sixty, July first, nineteen\nhundred sixty-one and, where there is no ex-officio member, July first,\nnineteen hundred sixty-two, respectively, and subsequent appointments,\nother than the student member, shall be for a full term of nine years\nfrom the first day of July of the calendar year in which the appointment\nis made. Vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term in the same\nmanner as original selections. The term of office for each council\nmember appointed on or after April first, nineteen hundred eighty-six\nshall be seven years. The term of office for the student member shall be\none year commencing July first of the calendar year in which the\nelection is conducted, provided, however, that the term of the student\nmember first elected shall be nine months commencing October first,\nnineteen hundred seventy-five and expiring June thirtieth, nineteen\nhundred seventy-six. In the event that the student member ceases to be a\nstudent at the institution, such member shall be required to resign.\nMembers of such councils appointed by the governor may be removed by the\ngovernor. Members of such councils elected by the students of the\ninstitution may be removed by such students in accordance with rules and\nregulations promulgated by the respective representative campus student\nassociation in accordance with guidelines promulgated by the state\nuniversity trustees. Members of such councils shall receive no\ncompensation for their services but shall be reimbursed for the expenses\nactually and necessarily incurred by them in the performance of their\nduties hereunder.\n 2. The councils of state-operated institutions shall provide for\nregular meetings at least four times annually, and the chair, or any\nfive members by petition, may at any time call a special meeting of the\ncouncil and fix the time and place therefor. At least seven days notice\nof every meeting shall be mailed to the usual address of each member,\nunless such notice be waived by a majority of the council. Resolutions\nfor the consideration of the councils must be mailed to the usual\naddress of each council member no less than seven days prior to a\nmeeting, unless the chair shall make available in writing on the day of\nthe meeting the facts which necessitate an immediate vote. The agenda\nfor such meetings shall be available three days prior to the meetings\nand shall be considered public records. Five members attending shall\nconstitute a quorum for the transaction of business and the act of a\nmajority of the members present at any meeting shall be the act of the\ncouncil.\n 3. Subject to the general management, supervision, control and\napproval of, and in accordance with rules established by the state\nuniversity trustees, the council of each state-operated institution\nshall, with respect to the institution or institutions for which it\nserves, exercise the following powers:\n a. recommend to the state university trustees candidates for\nappointment by the state university trustees as head of such\ninstitution;\n b. review all major plans of the head of such institution for its more\neffective operation and make such recommendations with respect thereto\nas it deems appropriate. Such plans shall be submitted for approval by\nthe state university trustees, together with the recommendations of the\ncouncil with respect thereto. The state university trustees shall\ndetermine what constitute such major plans, which are hereby generally\ndefined to include, among others, plans for the appraisal or improvement\nof the faculty and other personnel, expansion or restriction of student\nadmissions, appraisal or improvement of academic programs and of\nstandards for the earning of degrees, expansion of institutional plants\nand appraisal or improvement of student activities and housing;\n c. make regulations governing the care, custody and management of\nlands, grounds, buildings and equipment;\n d. review the proposed budget requests for such institution prepared\nby the head thereof and recommend to the state university trustees a\nbudget for such institution;\n e. foster the development of advisory citizens committees to render\nsuch assistance as the council may request, and to appoint the members\nof such citizens' committees. Members of such citizens' committees shall\nreceive no compensation for their services but shall be reimbursed for\nthe expenses actually and necessarily incurred by them in the\nperformance of their duties;\n f. name buildings and grounds;\n g. make regulations governing the conduct and behavior of students;\n h. prescribe for and exercise supervision over student housing and\nsafety;\n i. make an annual report to the state university trustees on or before\nSeptember first of each year, and report to them from time to time on\nany matter it believes requires their attention;\n j. perform such other powers and duties as may be authorized or\nrequired by the state university trustees by general rules or special\ndirectives; and\n k. make and establish, and from time to time alter and amend, such\nregulations pertaining to the affairs of its institution, not\ninconsistent with law or the rules of the state university trustees, as\nmay be necessary or appropriate to carry out effectively the foregoing\npowers and duties.\n