(a) Subject to state-wide policy and guidelines established by the Board of Regents for Higher Education, the board of trustees shall provide for the administration of the Connecticut State University System, plan for the expansion and development of the institutions within its jurisdiction, and submit such plans to the Commissioner of Administrative Services for review and recommendations. The Commissioner of Administrative Services upon request of the board of trustees shall, in accordance with § 4b-30, negotiate and execute leases on such physical facilities as the board of trustees may deem necessary for proper operation of such institutions, and the board of trustees may, with the permission of the Commissioner of Administrative Services and the State Properties Review Board, expend capital funds therefor if such leasing is required during the planning and construction phases of institutions within its jurisdiction for which such capital funds were authorized. Subject to such policies as may be established by the board of trustees, the chief executive officer of each institution within the jurisdiction of the board may make buildings and other facilities under its control available to nonprofit and other organizations or to individuals for temporary uses not inconsistent with the educational purpose of the institution. The board of trustees may appoint or remove the chief executive officer of each institution within its jurisdiction, and with respect to its own operation the board of trustees may appoint and remove executive staff. The board of trustees may employ faculty and other personnel needed to maintain and operate the institutions within its jurisdiction. Within the limitation of appropriations, the board of trustees shall fix the compensation of such personnel, establish terms and conditions of employment and prescribe their duties and qualifications. The board of trustees shall determine who constitutes its professional staff and establish compensation and classification schedules for its professional staff. The board of trustees shall annually submit to the Commissioner of Administrative Services a list of the positions which it has included within the professional staff. The board of trustees may appoint one or more physicians for the Connecticut State University System and shall provide such physicians with suitable facilities for the performance of such duties as it prescribes. Subject to state-wide policy and guidelines established by the Board of Regents for Higher Education, the board of trustees shall: (1) Make rules for the government of the Connecticut State University System and shall determine the general policies of the university system, including those concerning the admission of students and the expenditure of the funds of institutions under its jurisdiction within the amounts available; (2) develop the mission statement for the university system which shall include, but not be limited to the following elements: (A) The educational needs of and constituencies served by the institutions within its jurisdiction; (B) the degrees offered by such institutions; and (C) the role and scope of each institution within the university system, which shall include each institution’s particular strengths and specialties; (3) establish policies for the university system and for the individual institutions under its jurisdiction; (4) make institutional mergers or closures; (5) coordinate the programs and services of the institutions under its jurisdiction; (6) be authorized to enter into agreements, consistent with the provisions of § 5-141d, to save harmless and indemnify sponsors of research grants to institutions under its jurisdiction, provided such an agreement is required to receive the grant and limits liability to damages or injury resulting from acts or omissions related to such research by employees of such institutions; (7) promote fund-raising by the institutions under its jurisdiction in order to assist such institutions and report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education by January 1, 1994, and biennially thereafter, on all such fund-raising; and (8) charge the direct costs for a building project under its jurisdiction to the bond fund account for such project, provided (A) such costs are charged in accordance with a procedure approved by the Treasurer; and (B) nothing in this subdivision shall permit the charging of working capital, as defined in the applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as from time to time amended, or costs originally paid from sources other than the bond fund account.

(b) The board of trustees shall: (1) Review and approve institutional budget requests and prepare and submit to the Board of Governors of Higher Education, in accordance with the provisions of § 10a-8, the budget request for the Connecticut State University System; and (2) propose facility planning and capital expenditure budget priorities for the institutions under its jurisdiction. The board may request authority from the Treasurer to issue payment for claims against the state university system, other than a payment for payroll, debt service payable on state bonds to bondholders, paying agents, or trustees, or any payment the source of which includes the proceeds of a state bond issue.