(a) In the exercise of its leadership role, the state board of regents shall be an advocate for the provision of adequate resources and sufficient authority for all postsecondary educational institutions so that each postsecondary educational institution can realize, within its prescribed mission, role and scope, its full potential to the benefit of the students who attend such postsecondary educational institution and to the benefit of all Kansas residents in terms of receiving the benefits of a highly educated and vocationally trained populace.

(b) In addition to other duties and functions prescribed by law, the state board of regents shall:

(1) Serve as the representative of the public postsecondary educational system before the governor and the Kansas legislature;

(2) provide statewide planning for higher education and adopt, from time to time amend, revise or modify, and administer a comprehensive plan for coordination of higher education within this state;

(3) determine institutional roles and review institutional missions and goals for each postsecondary educational institution taking into account both institutional needs and the needs of the state’s system of higher education as a whole;

(4) develop articulation procedures so that maximum freedom of transfer among and between postsecondary educational institutions is ensured;

(5) develop and implement, in conjunction with the postsecondary educational institutions, a comprehensive plan for coordinating all program offerings by postsecondary educational institutions. The board shall not coordinate program offerings that are specifically developed and entirely paid for by an entity which limits enrollment to a class of individuals who are employees, members or business customers of the entity;

(6) develop a unified budget for state funding of postsecondary educational institutions and present such budget to the governor and the legislature each year and receive and allocate the state funds appropriated for funding of postsecondary educational institutions in accordance with legislative directives, except as provided in subsection (e) of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 74-3202d, and amendments thereto;

(7) approve core indicators of quality performance for postsecondary educational institutions after considering core indicators recommended by each such postsecondary educational institution;

(8) resolve conflicts among and between postsecondary educational institutions;

(9) develop and implement a comprehensive plan for the utilization of distance learning technologies;

(10) develop each year and recommend to the governor and the legislature a policy agenda for higher education, which policy agenda shall assess priorities among proposals for policy change, programatic recommendations, and state funding requests;

(11) conduct continuous studies of ways to maximize the utilization of resources available for higher education in Kansas and initiate action for improvement;

(12) conduct continuous studies of how state policies affect higher education and how Kansas economic and demographic trends impact upon accessibility and affordability of postsecondary education to Kansas residents, and initiate ways to improve such accessibility and affordability;

(13) receive and consider reports, proposals and recommendations of the commissions and take such actions thereon as are deemed necessary and appropriate;

(14) report annually on the performance of its functions and duties to the governor and the legislature; and

(15) exercise such other powers and perform such other functions and duties as are deemed necessary and appropriate to the fulfillment of its constitutional and statutory responsibilities.

(c) Notwithstanding any of the powers, duties and functions conferred and imposed upon the state board of regents under the Kansas higher education coordination act, the boards of trustees of the community colleges shall continue to have custody of and be responsible for the property of their respective community colleges and shall be responsible for the operation, management and control of such community colleges, except as otherwise expressly provided by law.