(1) The Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges shall have the power:

(a) To appoint a president and such other persons as may be required for each state college;

(b) To fix their compensation and prescribe their duties;

(c) To remove all persons appointed, but the affirmative votes of four members of the board shall be necessary to remove a president or an assistant during the time for which such persons were appointed;

(d) Through an extension division, to provide for holding of classes at various localities throughout the state, avoiding unnecessary duplication of courses offered by other educational institutions in such localities;

(e) To acquire real and personal property and dispose of the same whenever any of the state colleges will be benefited thereby, but no grounds upon which any buildings of any of the state colleges are located shall be disposed of without the consent of the Legislature;

(f) To pay expenses for recruitment of academic, administrative, professional, and managerial personnel; and

(g) To provide benefits for all present and future employees, including group life insurance, group hospital-medical insurance, and group long-term disability income insurance.

(2) The board shall have the duty:

(a) To institute a continuing program of preventive maintenance and a program of deferred maintenance consistent with the provisions of the Deferred Building Renewal Act; and

(b) To consult with the Nebraska Arts Council and acquire works of art for the original construction of any public building under its supervision consistent with sections 82-317 to 82-329 and 85-304 to 85-304.03.