UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS

M.G.L. pt. Part I, tit. Title XII, ch. c. 75

in effect

M.G.L. c. 75, § 1 Status; governing body

c. 75, § 1. Status; governing body [ Text of section effective until November 25, 2025. For text effective November 25, 2025, see below.] Section 1. There shall be a University of Massachusetts, consisting of campuses to be maintained at Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and Worcester, which shall continue as a public institution of higher learning within the system of public higher education and shall be governed by the board of trustees established herein. In addition to the authority, responsibility, powers and duties specifically conferred by this chapter, the board of trustees shall have all authority, responsibility, rights, privileges, powers and duties customarily and traditionally exercised by governing boards of institutions of higher learning. In exercising such authority, responsibility, powers and duties said board shall not in the management of the affairs of the university be subject to, or superseded by, any other state agency, board, bureau, commission, department or officer, except as provided in section 14A of chapter 6A, sections 44 to 58, inclusive, of chapter 7C, chapter fifteen, chapter fifteen A or in this chapter. This chapter shall be liberally construed to effectuate its purposes. Chapter 75: Section 1. Status; governing body [ Text of section as amended by 2025, 73, Sec. 25 effective November 25, 2025. For text effective until November 25, 2025, see above.] Section 1. There shall be a University of Massachusetts, consisting of campuses to be maintained at Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and Worcester, which shall continue as a public institution of higher learning within the system of public higher education and shall be governed by the board of trustees established herein. In addition to the authority, responsibility, powers and duties specifically conferred by this chapter, the board of trustees shall have all authority, responsibility, rights, privileges, powers and duties customarily and traditionally exercised by governing boards of institutions of higher learning. In exercising such authority, responsibility, powers and duties said board shall not in the management of the affairs of the university be subject to, or superseded by, any other state agency, board, bureau, commission, department or officer, except as provided in section 14A of chapter 6A, sections 44 to 57, inclusive, of chapter 7C, chapter fifteen, chapter fifteen A or in this chapter. This chapter shall be liberally construed to effectuate its purposes.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 1A Board of trustees; membership; qualifications; tenure; vacancies; powers and duties; indemnification

c. 75, § 1A. Board of trustees; membership; qualifications; tenure; vacancies; powers and duties; indemnification Section 1A. There shall be a board of trustees for University of Massachusetts consisting of nineteen voting members. Two members shall be full-time students from said institution, 1 member shall be the secretary of education, ex officio, in this chapter called the secretary, or her designee, and 16 members shall be appointed by the governor, at least five of whom shall be alumni of said institution, and one of whom shall be a representative of organized labor who shall be appointed by the governor from a list of not less than two nor more than five names, representing different unions submitted by the Massachusetts State Labor Council, AFL–CIO. If no such list of names is submitted within sixty days after a vacancy occurs, the governor may appoint any representative of organized labor of his own choosing to the board. Of the alumni appointed to the University board, one shall be a graduate of the Amherst campus; one shall be graduate of the Boston campus; one shall be a graduate of the Dartmouth campus; one shall be a graduate of the Lowell campus; and one shall be a graduate of the Worcester campus. The student members shall be elected annually, and each shall be selected on a rotating basis in order by the student body of the Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and Worcester campuses. In any given year, the elected student representatives of the three campuses without a vote shall be ex officio non-voting members of the board; provided, however, that said members may only participate in open meetings of the full board of trustees. The term of office of each elected student member shall be one year and shall commence on July first following her election and shall terminate on June thirtieth of the following year. If at any time during the elected term of office said student member ceases to be a full-time student or fails to maintain satisfactory academic progress, the membership of said student shall be terminated and the office of the elected student member shall be deemed vacant. A vacancy in the office of an elected student member prior to the expiration of a term shall be filled for the remainder of the term in the same manner as an election to a full term. Appointive members shall be appointed to serve for five year terms, but no member shall serve for more than ten years. A vacancy in the appointed membership prior to the expiration of a term shall be filled for the remainder of the term by the governor. Membership on the board of trustees shall terminate if a member ceases to be qualified for appointment. If any member, either elected or appointed, is absent from four regular meetings in any academic year, exclusive of July and August, his office as member of said board shall be deemed vacant. The chairperson shall forthwith notify the governor when any vacancy exists. Said vacancy shall be filled by the governor according to the provisions of section eighteen B of chapter six. All members of the board shall be elected or appointed for their interests in, and their ability to contribute to, the fulfillment of the purposes of the board. The members appointed by the governor shall include representatives from each region of the commonwealth. All members shall be deemed members-at-large, charged with the responsibility of serving the best interests of the university. No more than one-third of the voting members of the board of trustees shall be principally employed by the commonwealth. Members of the board shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for all expenses reasonably incurred in the performance of their duties. The governor shall appoint the chair of the board of trustees, who shall serve at the governor's pleasure. Members of the board who are employed on a full-time basis by the commonwealth shall be ineligible to serve as chair. The board of trustees shall be responsible for establishing those policies necessary for the administrative management of personnel, staff services and the general business of the university. The board shall: (a) cause to be prepared and submit to the secretary and to the board of higher education, in this chapter called the council, estimates of maintenance and capital outlay budgets for the university; (b) establish all fees at said institution, subject to guidelines established by the council. The board shall submit recommendations for fee guidelines to the council. Said fees shall include fines and penalties collected pursuant to the enforcement of traffic and parking rules and regulations. Said rules and regulations shall be enforced by persons in the employ of the institution who throughout the property of the institution shall have the powers of police officers, except as to the service of civil process. Said fees established under the provisions of this section shall be retained by the board of trustees in a revolving fund or funds, and shall be expended as the board of the institution may direct; provided that the foregoing shall not authorize any action in contravention of the requirements of Section 1 of Article LXIII of the Amendments to the Constitution. Said fund or funds shall be subject to audit by the state auditor, in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards, as often as the state auditor determines is necessary; (c) appoint, transfer, dismiss, promote and award tenure to all personnel of the university; (d) manage and keep in repair all property, real and personal, owned or occupied by the university; (e) seek, accept and administer for faculty research, programmatic and institutional purposes grants, gifts and trusts from private foundations, corporations, federal agencies, alumni and other sources, which shall be administered under the provisions of section two C of chapter twenty-nine and may be disbursed at the direction of the board of trustees pursuant to its authority; (f) implement and evaluate affirmative action policies and programs; (g) establish, implement and evaluate student services and policies; (h) with approval of the board of higher education, establish admission standards and instructional programs for the university, including all major and degree programs; provided, however, that said admission standard shall comply with the provisions of section thirty of chapter fifteen A; (i) have authority to transfer funds within and among subsidiary accounts allocated to the university; (j) establish and operate programs, including summer and evening programs, in accordance with the degree authority conferred under the provisions of this chapter; (k) with the approval of the council, award degrees in fields, either independently or in conjunction with other institutions; and (l) submit a 5–year master plan to the secretary and the council, which plan shall be subject to the secretary's approval, in consultation with the council, and shall be updated annually on or before the first Wednesday of December in each year; (m) submit financial data and an annual institutional spending plan to the secretary and the council for review. Said plan shall include an account of spending from all revenue sources including but not limited to, trust funds; (n) develop and submit to the secretary and the board of higher education, for approval, a mission statement for each campus, as well as a statement for the university, consistent with identified missions of the system of public higher education as a whole. In developing its mission statements for the secretary and the board of higher education, the university shall provide a clear indication of the different missions of its campuses and shall provide national benchmarks that demonstrate each campus' success in competing with peer institutions. The chancellors of institutions with the potential to expand their mission, profile and orientation to a more regional or national focus may develop in consultation with the board of trustees of the university a 5–year plan embracing an entrepreneurial model which leverages that potential in order to achieve higher levels of excellence. Such plans shall include, but not be limited to, budget and enrollment projections for each year, projections for total student charges for each year, projections for in-state and out-of-state enrollments for each year, and plans to ensure continuing access to the institution by residents of the Commonwealth, and affirmative action policies and programs that affirm the need for and a commitment to maintaining and increasing access for economically disadvantaged and minority students. The board of trustees shall vote to approve said plan, or to return it to the chancellor of the campus with recommended changes. Approval shall require a two-thirds vote. If the board recommends changes, the chancellor may submit a redrafted plan, which will be treated as a new plan under the provisions of this clause. As the flagship research campus of the University system, the Amherst campus shall structure any such proposal to demonstrate how its adoption will serve to support the institution's effort to achieve parity with its peer institutions and enhance its ability to compete with them for students, faculty, and research funding. All such plans shall include, but not be limited to, a 3–year retrospective description of performance and a 5–year plan for future goals. Said mission statements shall be forwarded to the secretary and the council for approval. The board of trustees shall, after their approval, make said mission statements available to the public; (o) submit an institutional self-assessment report to the secretary and the council, which the board of trustees shall make public and available at the institution. Said assessment report shall be used to foster improvement at the institution by the board of trustees and shall include information relative to the institution's progress in fulfilling its mission, as approved by the secretary. Said report shall be submitted, initially, by January first, nineteen hundred and ninety-three and every two years thereafter. The board of trustees may delegate to the president of the university any of the powers and responsibilities herein enumerated. The commonwealth shall indemnify a member of the board against loss by reason of the liability to pay damages to a party for any claim arising out of any official judgment, decision, or conduct of said member; provided, however, that said member has acted in good faith and without malice; and provided, further, that the defense or settlement of such claim shall have been made by the attorney general or his designee. If a final judgment or decree is entered in favor of a party other than said member, the clerk of the court where such judgment or decree is entered, shall, within twenty-one days after the final disposition of the claim, provide said member with a certified copy of such judgment or entry of decree, showing the amount due from said member, who shall transmit the same to the comptroller who shall forthwith notify the governor; and the governor shall draw his warrant for such amount on the state treasurer, who shall pay the same from appropriations made for the purpose by the general court. Each elected or appointed member shall complete the comprehensive training program developed by the board of higher education pursuant to section 45 of chapter 15A. Annually, the university shall post on its website a copy of the institution's financial report required pursuant to section 10 of chapter 75, however termed, and a summary of the report that is written in terms that are understandable by the general public.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 1B Student charges for the university; revolving trust fund; tuition credits; annual report

c. 75, § 1B. Student charges for the university; revolving trust fund; tuition credits; annual report Section 1B. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following words shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise: ''Student charges'', in-state and out-of-state tuition and fees that are charged to students for general attendance at the university; provided, however, that ''student charges'' shall not include any fee or other charge established by the university that is specific to a particular course, program or activity or any charges for room, board or student health insurance. ''Student tuition credit'', a reduction in student charges for an eligible student. (b) The board of trustees shall fix and establish student charges for the university. In-state tuition and mandatory student charges shall preserve affordability for residents of the commonwealth. Out-of-state student charges shall appropriately balance the financial needs of the university with the need to be competitive with peer institutions and, to the extent possible, cover, at a minimum, the actual cost of a student's education. Tuition shall comprise the majority portion of student charges. In establishing student charges, the board of trustees shall consider factors including: (i) the Consumer Price Index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the United States Department of Labor; (ii) the Higher Education Price Index calculated by Commonfund; (iii) tuition and fee rates at peer institutions; (iv) collective bargaining costs; (v) total support from the commonwealth, including direct appropriations and support for capital construction and maintenance; and (vi) other relevant data and measures. The board shall increase in-state student charges by not more than is necessary to adequately fund the university. (c) All student charges received by the university under this section shall be retained by the university in a revolving trust fund and shall be expended as the board of trustees directs for the operation and support of the university. Any balance remaining in the trust fund at the close of a fiscal year shall continue to be held in the trust fund, shall remain available for expenditure in subsequent fiscal years and shall not revert to the General Fund. The trust fund shall be subject to audit by the state auditor. (d) The university shall provide to each student a detailed statement of all student charges. The statement shall be in a form approved by the board of trustees and shall include a breakdown of the student charges and show the discount rate for in-state students and the discount for a student who is eligible for a tuition credit. (e) For employees of the university whose salaries are paid from tuition retained under subsection (c), fringe benefits and collective bargaining shall be funded as if those employees' salaries were supported by state appropriations and the funds shall not be assessed as fringe. This subsection shall apply only to fringe benefits and collective bargaining costs associated with salaries paid from retained tuition. (f) All tuition waivers, grants and scholarships identified in chapter 15A or any other general or special law and reductions collectively bargained for that are in the form of tuition or fee waivers shall be student tuition credits. Students that are eligible for a tuition credit shall have their student charges reduced by the amount of the tuition credit. (g) The board of trustees shall not accept any tuition waivers, grants or scholarships identified in chapter 15A or any other general or special law or reductions collectively bargained for that are in the form of tuition or fee waivers established on or after July 1, 2016 unless the reduction is accompanied with an appropriation that fully supports the reduction or the reduction is approved by the board of trustees. (h) The university shall file a comprehensive report annually not later than March 1 with the senate and house committees on ways and means, the joint committee on higher education, the secretary of administration and finance and the secretary of education on: (i) the status of the percentage of student education costs placed upon the student and subsidized by the commonwealth; and (ii) the efficiencies and effectiveness of initiatives and programs at the university that save the commonwealth and students money and make the 5–campus system more efficient. (i) For the purposes of calculating and funding the fringe benefits for employees whose salaries are paid from retained tuition at the university as provided for in subsection (e), all fringe benefits and collective bargaining costs of employees paid from retained tuition shall not exceed the amount of tuition remitted to the commonwealth as reported in the university's audited financial statements for fiscal year end June 30, 2016 and provided that the amount shall continue to be paid annually under said subsection (e).

M.G.L. c. 75, § 2 Purpose; courses of instruction; standards; powers of trustees

c. 75, § 2. Purpose; courses of instruction; standards; powers of trustees Section 2. (a) The major purpose of the university shall be to provide, without discrimination, public service, research, and education programs, including continuing education services, in the liberal arts and sciences and in the professions, and in those professional areas normally requiring either education beyond four years of undergraduate training or a basic or advanced degree beyond the bachelor's level, with exclusive jurisdiction in agriculture. The university may offer the adult education services of the university extension services. The university shall have the general authority to award an earned doctoral degree, either independently or jointly with any other public institution of higher education operated by the commonwealth in accordance with joint programs approved by the board of higher education and the board of trustees of the university and the board of trustees of such other public institution. The trustees shall maintain high educational standards at the university and shall, subject only to the general authority of the secretary and the board of higher education as set forth in this chapter, chapter 15A, and other applicable provisions of the General Laws, have complete authority to establish, locate, support, consolidate or abolish classes, courses, curricula, departments, divisions, schools or colleges of the university wherever and whenever required in meeting the needs of the commonwealth in the field of public higher education. The trustees shall establish for the university the qualifications and standards for promotion and graduation and shall award academic degrees and diplomas and confer honors as is customary in American universities. The trustees shall establish, for the university, the qualifications and standards for admission subject to approval by the board of higher education. Said standards for admission shall accommodate persons who have been diagnosed as developmentally disabled, including but not limited to, having dyslexia or other specific language disabilities, by an evaluation procedure prescribed by chapter seventy-one B, or equivalent testing. The trustees may confer such honorary degrees as they deem appropriate. (b)(1) The university, acting through the trustees, may borrow money to be applied to working capital expenses in furtherance of the purposes of the university or to refinance such borrowing and such borrowing may include without limitation the ability to pledge or assign or create security interests in funds or revenues of the university to pay or secure such working capital borrowings; provided, that all outstanding amounts borrowed on any line of credit entered into by the university pursuant to this subsection shall be repaid no later than 365 days from the date of closing of said line of credit and said line of credit shall have a principal amount not exceeding 8 per cent of the university's total approved operating budget as adopted by the trustees, excluding adjustments made to such budget during the fiscal year. (2) The university may initiate any borrowing authorized pursuant to this subsection only upon a request made by authority of the trustees and upon written approval from the secretary of administration and finance. Within 10 business days of granting such written approval, the secretary shall forward a copy thereof to the house and senate committees on ways and means. (3) The senior vice president and treasurer for the university, in consultation with the executive director of the University of Massachusetts Building Authority, established pursuant to chapter 773 of the acts of 1960, shall report annually not later than January 15 to the house and senate committees on ways and means, the house and senate committees on bonding, capital expenditures and state assets and the chairs of the joint committee on higher education on the total amount borrowed from any line of credit during the prior year and the dates of repayment authorized pursuant to this subsection as well as any working capital referenced in the first sentence of section 3 of said chapter 773 and authorized pursuant to paragraph (e) of section 4 of said chapter 773.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 2A Branch banks on university grounds authorized

c. 75, § 2A. Branch banks on university grounds authorized Section 2A. Notwithstanding any contrary provisions of law, the board of bank incorporation or the commissioner of banks is hereby authorized to allow a bank, as defined in section one of chapter one hundred and sixty-seven, to establish and maintain a branch on the grounds of the university, all branches individually, provided that the board of trustees of said university shall determine the method and terms of the lease if applicable or rental thereof.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 3 Rules and regulations

c. 75, § 3. Rules and regulations Section 3. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, except as herein provided, the trustees may adopt, amend or repeal such rules and regulations for the government of the university, for the management, control and administration of its affairs, for its faculty, students and employees, and for the regulation of their own body, as they may deem necessary, provided that such rules and regulations shall be subject to the provisions of sections eleven A and eleven A1/2 of chapter thirty A. The trustees shall publish such rules and regulations and shall file copies thereof with the clerk of the senate who shall forward said copies to the governor, the commissioner of administration and finance, and the joint committee on ways and means. The trustees may impose reasonable penalties for the violation of the rules and regulations provided for in this section.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 3A Delegation of powers by trustees

c. 75, § 3A. Delegation of powers by trustees Section 3A. The trustees may, except as to duties imposed or powers granted under sections two, three, four and five, delegate their authority or any portion thereof to the president or other officers of the university whenever in their judgment such delegation may be necessary or desirable.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 4 Meetings of trustees; quorum; executive sessions

c. 75, § 4. Meetings of trustees; quorum; executive sessions Section 4. The trustees shall determine the time and place of their meeting. Nine members shall constitute a quorum. Meetings of the board of trustees shall be subject to the provisions of said sections eleven A and eleven A1/2 of said chapter thirty A; provided, that in addition to the purposes enumerated in said section eleven A1/2, the trustees may hold an executive session for the following purposes:— (1) to consider the award of honorary degrees; (2) to consider the award of tenure to a member of the faculty.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 5 Seal

c. 75, § 5. Seal Section 5. The university may have a common seal, which may be altered by the trustees.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 6 Audit of accounts

c. 75, § 6. Audit of accounts Section 6. All accounts of the university under the direction of the trustees, including the accounts of all property or funds received, held or disbursed by the trustees under any provision of section eleven, shall be audited by the state auditor, in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards, as often as the state auditor determines is necessary.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 7 Budget

c. 75, § 7. Budget Section 7. The trustees shall prepare and submit a detailed budget in such form and manner as the governor, secretary and general court may direct.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 8 Appropriations

c. 75, § 8. Appropriations Section 8. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the general court shall annually appropriate such sums as it deems necessary for the maintenance, operation and support of the university; and such appropriations shall be made available by the appropriate state officials for expenditure through allotment, transfer within and among subsidiary accounts, advances from the state treasury in accordance with the provisions of sections twenty-four, twenty-five and twenty-six of chapter twenty-nine, or for disbursement on certification to the state comptroller in accordance with the provisions of section eighteen of said chapter twenty-nine, as may from time to time be directed by the trustees or an officer of the university designated by the trustees.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 9 Insurance

c. 75, § 9. Insurance Section 9. The trustees may insure the memorial building and its contents in such amount as they deem sufficient.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 10 Receipts and expenditures; annual report; monthly statements; accounting system

c. 75, § 10. Receipts and expenditures; annual report; monthly statements; accounting system Section 10. A complete financial report covering all receipts and expenditures shall be made annually to the governor and the general court. Monthly statements of receipts and expenditures shall be made to the state comptroller. The trustees shall see that there is maintained an accounting system as required by the state comptroller and the trustees may maintain such additional accounts as they deem necessary for the management of the university.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 11 Special trusts, etc.; management

c. 75, § 11. Special trusts, etc.; management Section 11. The trustees shall administer property held in accordance with special trusts, and shall also administer grants or devises of land and gifts or bequests of personal property made to the commonwealth for the use of the university, and execute said trusts, investing the proceeds thereof in notes or bonds secured by sufficient mortgages or other securities. The trustees shall have the authority to assent to federal laws designed to benefit the university and to enter into agreements or contracts with the federal government or agencies thereof, as well as into agreements or contracts with agencies of other governments, other colleges and universities, foundations, corporations, interstate compact agencies and individuals where such agreements or contracts, in the judgment of the trustees, will promote the objectives of the university. The trustees may, from time to time, establish and manage trust funds for self-amortizing projects and student-supported or self-supporting activities including, but not limited to, the operation of the boarding halls, student-supported legal service, student health service, research institutes and foundations, dormitories and student and faculty apartments. All income received from such projects or activities shall be held in trust by the trustees and expended for the purpose for which the trust fund was established. The trustees may, for the purposes of this section, group together several or more projects and activities into one or more funds as is, in their judgment, required to best effectuate the purposes of the projects and activities and the purposes of the university. Any unrestricted balances remaining in a trust fund upon its termination shall be used as directed by the trustees for the general purposes of the university. All receipts from student activities, including the operation of the university stores, student union, student operation of the home economics practice house, dramatics, debating, musical clubs, band, athletics and other like activities, shall be retained by the trustees in a trust fund or trust funds and shall be expended as the trustees shall direct in furthering the activities from which the receipts were derived. The trustees may determine that among the projects and activities for which trust funds may be established as aforesaid shall be (1) the supplying of services and materials incidental or ancillary to classes and courses offered by the university, including special supplies and equipment, lectures, programs and written materials, and (2) the conduct of activities at the university pertaining to regulating the use by members of the professional and nonprofessional staff of the university and persons enrolled in courses and classes thereat of any property on the campus or on other land of the university. Fees and other charges made for any of the foregoing shall be deemed to be trust fund income and the trustees may designate any officer or office of the university or agency or organization of the university or operated by university personnel or students as the person or agency to receive and disburse such trust fund income.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 11A Funds for legislative agents or organizations attempting to influence legislation

c. 75, § 11A. Funds for legislative agents or organizations attempting to influence legislation Section 11A. The board of trustees shall not allow any funds for legislative agents as defined in section thirty-nine of chapter three or organizations attempting to influence legislation as defined in section forty-four of said chapter three to be assessed on student tuition bills; provided, however, that optional fees for nonpartisan student organizations which employ said legislative agents or attempt to influence legislation shall be collected by the boards of trustees whenever students have authorized an optional fee by a majority vote of those students voting in an official student referendum. Said optional fees shall be collected as provided in paragraph (b) of section eighteen of chapter fifteen A. No funds collected as a mandatory student activities fee shall be paid to legislative agents as defined in section thirty-nine of said chapter three or organizations attempting to influence legislation as defined in section forty-four of said chapter three. As used in this section, the term ''legislative agent'' or ''organization attempting to influence legislation'' shall not include any official representative of the student body.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 12 University property; management and administration

c. 75, § 12. University property; management and administration Section 12. The trustees shall, on behalf of the commonwealth, manage and administer the university and all property, real and personal, belonging to the commonwealth and occupied or used by the university, and shall keep in repair houses, buildings and equipment so used or occupied.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 13 Purchases

c. 75, § 13. Purchases Section 13. The board of trustees shall have the authority to make any purchase or purchases in the amount of one hundred thousand dollars or less, and to purchase without limitation of amount library books and periodicals, educational and scientific supplies and equipment, printing and binding, emergency repairs and replacement parts, and perishable items, without recourse to any other state board. Such purchases shall be subject to competitive bids wherever practicable. The board of trustees shall promulgate regulations further defining the process for the purchase of said supplies.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 14 Election of officers; salary of president; employment, status and benefits of personnel

c. 75, § 14. Election of officers; salary of president; employment, status and benefits of personnel Section 14. As used in this section the following words shall have the following meanings, unless the context otherwise requires: ''Professional staff'', all officers of the university and all persons, except those whose duties are clerical, custodial, security, labor, maintenance and the like, employed for teaching, research, administration, extension, enforcement, control laws and regulatory services, technical and specialized academic support staff, and such related activities as shall be determined by the trustees of the university. ''Non-professional staff'', all employees who are not classified as professional personnel, such as clerical, custodial, security, labor, maintenance and the like. The trustees shall have complete authority with respect to the election or appointment of the president of the university and such other officers and members of the professional staff of the university, including terms, conditions and periods of employment, classification and reclassification, salary within such salary schedule and exemptions as the trustees shall determine, compensation, transfer, promotion, and demotion, and shall define the duties and tenure of all officers and members of the professional staff, without limitation of any other provision of law. Said compensation and university salary schedule shall be set without reference to any state salary schedule. Copies of the classification, title, salary range, and descriptive job specifications for each position shall be placed on file with the governor, the council, the budget director, the personnel administrator, and the house and senate committees on ways and means. Annually there shall be filed by the president or other officers of the university designated by him with the governor, budget director and joint committee on ways and means a listing of all positions at the university, including the name of the incumbent, the classification and title, and the rate of pay. The trustees may, without prior approval and within limits of appropriations, engage designers, lecturers, students, other professional personnel, and non-employee services, at such rates and for such periods of time as they may determine necessary for the operation of the university. The non-professional personnel of the university shall continue as state employees under the provisions of chapter thirty and except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, shall be employed in authorized permanent positions in accordance with the provisions of section forty-five of said chapter; provided, however, that the university shall have the authority without prior approval and within the limits of appropriations to establish and fill temporary, part time and seasonal positions within existing titles and rates within available appropriations for the fiscal year. A notice of action taken in filling all such positions shall be filed with the personnel administrator and with the comptroller. All officers and employees, professional and non-professional, of the university shall continue to be employees of the commonwealth irrespective of the source of funds from which their salaries or wages are paid. They shall have the same privileges and benefits of other employees of the commonwealth such as retirement benefits, group insurance, industrial accident coverage, and other coverage enjoyed by all employees of the commonwealth. The trustees shall establish and make public a policy on faculty tenure which provides for removal for just cause, hearing upon dismissal, and judicial review. Any person employed by the University of Massachusetts at Amherst who serves in a call or part-call fire force in the town of Amherst during a tour of duty may be granted a leave of absence with pay for such service; provided, however, that no injury sustained or disability incurred while performing duties as a call or part-call fire fighter shall be considered for any purpose as having been sustained or incurred as a result of, or while in the performance of said person's duties at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 14A Prescription and enforcement of regulations; contracts

c. 75, § 14A. Prescription and enforcement of regulations; contracts Section 14A. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the trustees shall prescribe and enforce such regulations as they may deem necessary, and may enter into contracts with corporations, foundations, other entities, and individuals concerning inventions, discoveries, research, or other work product, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and any other intellectual property, developed under the terms of a sponsored agreement entered into by the university or involving the use of university funds, facilities, excluding libraries, equipment, material or time by students, research fellows, staff members, faculty or other university personnel, including the transfer of rights involving such work product, the amount of the respective shares in the proceeds therefrom, and provision for the resolution of any and all disagreements involving the same. The trustees shall also have the authority to prescribe in such regulations the circumstances under which the university, students, research fellows, staff members, faculty, and other university personnel may own equity or hold other financial interests in connection with such work product.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 14B Campus council

c. 75, § 14B. Campus council Section 14B. The trustees shall establish for each campus a council, broadly representative of the community, alumnae and students, and shall, upon recommendation of the campus president, appoint members thereto. The campus council shall advise the campus president and the trustees and make recommendations regarding said campus, and shall undertake such other activities as shall be determined by the campus president.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 14C University of Massachusetts Research Foundation; powers; regulations

c. 75, § 14C. University of Massachusetts Research Foundation; powers; regulations Section 14C. The university may establish and manage, under such regulations as the board of trustees may from time to time prescribe, the University of Massachusetts Research Foundation, for the purpose of promoting research at the university by obtaining, administering or disposing of patents or inventions resulting from such research or otherwise and devoting the income therefrom to further research, beneficial to the university and to the commonwealth. The University of Massachusetts Research Foundation may (1) receive and hold in separate custody gifts, bequests and devises of real or personal property; (2) receive and hold in separate custody compensation or reimbursement resulting from inventions, patents, contractual or other research, the conducting of tests for outside agencies or other funds that may be acceptable to the foundation; (3) disburse funds so acquired for purposes of instruction, research, tests, invention, discovery, development or engineering consistent herewith; (4) obtain, administer and dispose of patents, assignments, grants, licenses or other rights and hold the same in separate custody; (5) make assignments, grants, licenses, or other disposal equitably in the public interest of any rights owned, acquired or controlled by the Foundation in or to inventions, discoveries, patent applications or patents, and to charge therefor and collect and to incorporate in funds in the custody of the Foundation reasonable compensation in such form as the board of trustees may determine; and (6) execute contracts with employees or others for the purpose of carrying out the provisions hereof and permitting such employees or others to share in the net proceeds of such contracts as the board of trustees shall determine. The foregoing shall not authorize any action in contravention of the requirements of Section 1 of Article LXIII of the Amendments to the Constitution. The funds of said Foundation shall be subject to audit by the state auditor, in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards, as often as the state auditor determines is necessary. No activities, specified in the foregoing, shall be undertaken by said Foundation which in the opinion of the board of trustees will be likely to interfere with the regular, efficient and proper exercise of the functions of said university. In conducting contractual or other research, tests or similar activities, said Foundation shall give preference to citizens of and to corporations organized under the laws of the commonwealth. The board of trustees shall prescribe and enforce such regulations as it may deem necessary, with regard to the ownership of inventions developed with the use of facilities of the institute by students, research fellows, staff members, faculty or other persons, the transfer of such inventions, or patent applications or patents resulting therefrom, to the Foundation, the amount of the respective shares of the inventor, the university, and the Foundation in the proceeds therefrom, and the arbitrating of any and all disagreements involving the same.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 14D University of Massachusetts; extension board of public overseers

c. 75, § 14D. University of Massachusetts; extension board of public overseers Section 14D. There shall be within the University of Massachusetts a University of Massachusetts Extension Board of Public Overseers for the purpose of advising and assisting the chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in the mission, budget, operation and management of University of Massachusetts Extension programs. Nothing in this section shall directly affect the employment status of personnel. The board shall consist of a designee of the president of the university, a designee of the chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, the commissioner of food and agriculture or his designee and the following persons to be appointed by the governor: four members of the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation, Inc. chosen from a list of 12 members submitted by said federation; one member of the Massachusetts 4–H Foundation, Inc. chosen from a list of three members submitted by said organization; one member of the State 4–H advisory committee chosen from a list of three members submitted by said committee; one member of the Massachusetts Forestry Association chosen from a list of three members submitted by said association; one member of the Massachusetts Audubon Society chosen from a list of three members submitted by said society; two members of the Massachusetts Arborists Association chosen from a list of five members submitted by said association and one member of the Massachusetts Nutrition Board chosen from a list of three members submitted by said board. The chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst shall appoint the chairperson from among the membership of the board. Members of the board shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed, subject to appropriation, out of any funds available for the purpose, for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties. The appointed members of the board shall serve for terms of five years, except for persons appointed to fill vacancies, who shall serve for the unexpired term. The board shall hold an annual meeting in January and at least three other times during the year. The University of Massachusetts Extension director shall attend all meetings of the board and shall serve as secretary but shall have no vote in its deliberation. Eight members of the board shall constitute a quorum. The board may, by vote of its members then in office, adopt a policy for the conduct of business, including constitution of board membership. Policies may be amended or repealed by a two-thirds vote of its members. The director shall prepare an annual budget for board consideration. Such budget shall be adopted by the board and approved by the chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The director shall annually render a complete and detailed report of the activities, outcomes, revenue and expenditures to the board. The university on behalf of the board may receive, manage and disburse grants and donations from governmental agencies, other colleges and universities, corporations, foundations, associations and individuals for the purpose of funding the University of Massachusetts Extension and agricultural research programs. Further, the university on behalf of the board may establish and administer trust funds to support such programs.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 15 Reports and bulletins

c. 75, § 15. Reports and bulletins Section 15. The trustees shall annually as of the end of the fiscal year cause the president to make and publish a report for the university that shall be available to the public, copies of which shall be filed with the governor, state secretary and the general court. Special reports and bulletins may be issued from time to time as determined by the trustees.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 15A Center for adoption research and policy

c. 75, § 15A. Center for adoption research and policy Section 15A. There is hereby established the center for adoption research and policy, which shall be operated under the direction of the board of trustees of the University of Massachusetts and based at the Worcester campus. The center shall be responsible for conducting research and formulating policy recommendations for the commonwealth, its agencies and any private adoption agency on matters relating to the care and custody of children in foster and substitute care under the care and protection of the commonwealth and all adopted children. The center shall respond to requests from the general court, the judiciary, the department of children and families, the department of early education and care and any other state or private agency involved with the placement of children into foster or substitute care homes as well as pre-adoptive or adoptive homes for consultation, research assistance, research analysis, policy development, and the promotion of educational and training programs on foster and substitute care and adoption. The center shall maintain the confidentiality of any individual whose personal information is made available to the center pursuant to section 7 of chapter 15D, and section 5E of chapter 210, but compliance with individual confidentiality shall not prevent the publication of aggregated research information or case studies wherein personal identifiers have been removed. State or private agencies shall forward to birth parents, foster or adoptive parents, legal guardians and others requests from the center seeking participation in center research studies, but the center shall include in such requests a clear and understandable statement explaining that individuals receiving a request are under no legal obligation to comply with any request. State or private agencies are hereby directed to consult directly with the center for the purpose of applying for public and private grants in conjunction with the center.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 16 Massachusetts agricultural experiment station

c. 75, § 16. Massachusetts agricultural experiment station Section 16. The trustees shall maintain at the university an agricultural experiment station, to be known as the Massachusetts agricultural experiment station, and shall use therefor the land, buildings and equipment heretofore acquired therefor and owned by the commonwealth. Such station shall be a part of the university.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 16A Diagnostic laboratory

c. 75, § 16A. Diagnostic laboratory Section 16A. The trustees shall establish and maintain at said station a diagnostic laboratory for the purpose of the provisions of clause First of section seventeen relative to domestic animals. Experiments may be conducted at said station in co-operation with Massachusetts dairy farmers to control and eliminate the disease of mastitis. For the purpose of the collection and laboratory examination of milk samples to eliminate mastitis, in the conduct of such work, a fee as determined annually by the commissioner of administration under the provision of section three B of chapter seven for each sample tested may be charged. The director shall accept samples of milk for test collected by the department of agriculture and may accept samples from such other qualified persons as he may approve for the collection of such samples.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 17 Experiments and investigations; nature and scope

c. 75, § 17. Experiments and investigations; nature and scope Section 17. The trustees shall cause experiments and investigations to be made at said station in the following subjects: First, The causes, prevention and remedies of diseases of domestic animals, plants and trees; Second, The history and habits of insects destructive to vegetation, and the means of abating them; Third, The manufacture and composition of both foreign and domestic fertilizers, their values and adaptability to different crops and soils; Fourth, The values, under all conditions, of forage, grain and root crops, as food for farm animals, for various purposes; Fifth, The comparative value of green and dry forage, and the cost of producing and preserving them in the best condition; Sixth, The adulteration of any article of food intended for the use of men or animals; Seventh, Testing poultry to eliminate disease; Eighth, Other subjects deemed advantageous to agriculture and horticulture in the commonwealth.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 18 Officers; equipment

c. 75, § 18. Officers; equipment Section 18. The trustees shall appoint a director of said station, a chemist and necessary assistants, and shall provide and maintain suitable and necessary appliances for the purposes specified in the preceding section.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 19 Reports on results of experiments; distribution

c. 75, § 19. Reports on results of experiments; distribution Section 19. The trustees shall publish bulletins containing the results of experiments and investigations by the station, except under the following section, and shall distribute such bulletins to residents and newspapers of the commonwealth applying therefor.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 21 Fee for testing poultry

c. 75, § 21. Fee for testing poultry Section 21. A fee as determined annually by the commissioner of administration under the provision of section three B of chapter seven may be charged for each test of poultry made under section seventeen.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 22 University farm

c. 75, § 22. University farm Section 22. The trustees shall maintain and manage an experimental farm, to be known as the university farm, and shall use therefor the land heretofore acquired therefor. Their rules and by-laws shall make just and reasonable provision for manual labor on said farm by students of the university.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 23 Purposes

c. 75, § 23. Purposes Section 23. The trustees shall maintain the experiment stations heretofore authorized by law for practical demonstrations in market gardening and of experimental work in planting and growing cranberries and tobacco, and shall use therefor the land, buildings and equipment heretofore acquired therefor.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 24 Status

c. 75, § 24. Status Section 24. Employees of the university shall be exempt from civil service laws.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 25 Sale of commonwealth land to university employees

c. 75, § 25. Sale of commonwealth land to university employees Section 25. Subject to section twenty-seven the trustees may sell and convey, in the name of and for the commonwealth, to any professor, instructor, teacher or employee of said university, or to any society, association or fraternity established thereat, land owned by the commonwealth in Amherst or Hadley. Not more than one acre shall be so sold and conveyed to any one such person or organization. Such conveyances shall contain necessary restrictions and conditions.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 26 Leasing of commonwealth land to university employees

c. 75, § 26. Leasing of commonwealth land to university employees Section 26. Subject to section twenty-seven the trustees may, in the name of and for the commonwealth, lease to any professor, instructor, teacher or employee of said university, or to any society, association or fraternity established thereat, land in Amherst or Hadley owned by the commonwealth, for the erection and maintenance of suitable dwellings thereon, at the sole expense of the lessee and for the lessee's use and occupancy. Not more than one half an acre shall be so leased to any one such person or organization. Such leases shall contain such written terms, conditions, restrictions and reservations as the parties agree upon.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 27 Approvals of sales and leases

c. 75, § 27. Approvals of sales and leases Section 27. No sale or conveyance under section twenty-five shall become operative until it is approved by the governor and council, and no lease under section twenty-six shall become operative until the form thereof is approved by the governor and council.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 28 Taxation of leased property

c. 75, § 28. Taxation of leased property Section 28. The lessee and his assignees shall be liable to taxation upon any building erected on land leased under section twenty-six to the extent of its value as determined by the assessors of the town wherein the land lies.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 29 Protection and maintenance of Mount Toby state demonstration forest

c. 75, § 29. Protection and maintenance of Mount Toby state demonstration forest Section 29. The trustees shall protect and maintain the land owned by the commonwealth situated on or about Mount Toby, so called, in Sunderland and Leverett, known as the Mount Toby state demonstration forest.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 30 Use; purposes

c. 75, § 30. Use; purposes Section 30. The trustees shall use so much of such land as they shall determine for instruction in forestry and as a laboratory for research and illustration in economic questions, and for practical work in the conservation and use of forest tracts and farm woodlots.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 32 Travel policy

c. 75, § 32. Travel policy Section 32. The trustees shall have complete authority in determining the university's travel policy provided, however, that said policy shall require coordination with the state purchasing agent to insure cost-effective utilization of the group purchasing power of the commonwealth. Such power shall include the right to determine who among university personnel should travel within and without the commonwealth at state expense and where such personnel shall travel.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 32A Control, movement and parking of motor vehicles; appointment of police officers

c. 75, § 32A. Control, movement and parking of motor vehicles; appointment of police officers Section 32A. The trustees shall make rules and regulations for the control, movement and parking of vehicles on the campus of the university and on other land of the university, and may provide reasonable penalties for the violation of those rules and regulations. The trustees may appoint as police officers persons employed by the university who, in the enforcement of these rules and regulations and throughout university property shall have the powers of police officers, except as to service of civil process. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all fines and penalties recovered for violation of rules and regulations made under the authority of this section shall be accounted for by the clerk of the court and forwarded to the trustees of the university to be deposited in the scholarship trust fund of the university for scholarship purposes. Police officers appointed by the trustees of the University of Massachusetts, in connection with the operation of any part of the university within the limits of the campuses, may perform police duties under the direction of the commanding officer or the person in charge of such campus. While performing such duties within those limits, the police officers shall have the same authority, immunities and privileges as duly appointed and qualified police officers acting elsewhere in the commonwealth. Every officer who receives an appointment to a position on a full-time basis in which that person may exercise police powers for any of the campuses of the University of Massachusetts, shall, prior to exercising those police powers, be certified pursuant to chapter 6E.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 32B David I. Walsh–Leverett Saltonstall visiting lectureship program

c. 75, § 32B. David I. Walsh–Leverett Saltonstall visiting lectureship program [Text of section added by 1972, 160, Sec. 1. See also, Section 32B added by 2014, 172, Sec. 2, below.] Section 32B. There is hereby established the David I. Walsh–Leverett Saltonstall visiting lectureship program in practical politics and public affairs at the university. For such program the university may annually expend such sums, not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars, as may be appropriated therefor. The president of the university and the board of trustees shall select as such visiting lecturers individuals who are both learned and experienced in practical politics and public affairs, and who possess the ability to communicate such knowledge to university students. The duties of the visiting lecturers shall be decided upon by the president of the university and the chairmen of the departments of political science and politics. The visiting lecturers shall be appointed for a period not to exceed one year, and they may be assigned to the university branch at Boston or Amherst for a full year, or may be assigned to either branch for one semester or less. Chapter 75: Section 32B. Mutual aid programs for police departments; agreements between University of Massachusetts campuses and governments and municipalities [Text of section added by 2014, 172, Sec. 2. See also, Section 32B added by 1972, 160, Sec. 1, above.] Section 32B. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, any campus of the University of Massachusetts may enter into an agreement with any subdivision of the federal or state government, town, city or other towns and cities, including towns and cities in states contiguous to the commonwealth, to provide mutual aid programs for police departments to increase the capability of such departments to protect the lives, safety and property of the people in the area designated in the agreement. The agreement may include the furnishing of personal services, supplies, materials, contractual services and equipment when the resources normally available to the University or any municipality in the agreement are not sufficient to cope with a situation which requires police action. When providing such mutual aide, police officers shall have all the immunities and powers granted to them by the University or the municipalities that employ them including, but not limited to, the same duties, authority, immunities and privileges as duly appointed and qualified police officers acting as such in the municipality.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 33 University scholarships

c. 75, § 33. University scholarships Section 33. In addition to the commonwealth scholarships authorized under section thirty-one, the University of Massachusetts may also grant quarter, half and full scholarships to be known as university scholarships to worthy and qualified students who have been residents of the commonwealth for the four years prior to enrollment at the university and are in need of financial assistance. In the awarding of said scholarships first preference shall be given to students who have enrolled in agricultural or food technological courses. Said scholarships shall be recommended by the committee on scholarships established under said section thirty-one, and shall be approved and awarded by the board of trustees of the university. Said trustees may use for the purposes of this section, such sums, not to exceed fifty thousand dollars, as may be appropriated from the Agricultural Purposes Fund, and may use the same for matching federal grants made under the National Defense Education Act of 1958, and when so used awards made shall be subject to the provisions of said act. A scholarship shall continue for such times as the recipient thereof remains a student in good standing at the university, but in no event for more than four years.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 33A General Court Fellowship Program

c. 75, § 33A. General Court Fellowship Program Section 33A. The University of Massachusetts shall administer a program to be known as the General Court Fellowship Program. Said program shall annually solicit and accept applications for fellowships from the staff of the general court. No more than five such fellowships shall be awarded in any one year. Each fellowship shall continue for as long as the recipient remains under the supervision of the University of Massachusetts and remains an employee of the general court; but in no event for more than one year. Such recipient shall spend the majority of his or her work week in the employ of the general court. Fellowships shall be awarded to such members of the staff of the general court who are adjudged worthy and qualified candidates by a selection committee on the basis of a submitted proposal that demonstrates a potential for significant contribution to the legislative, research or administrative concerns of the general court. The selection committee shall consist of seven members, of whom three shall be representatives of said University, one the speaker of the house of representatives, or his designee, one the floor leader of the minority party in the house of representatives, or his designee, one the president of the senate, or his designee, and one the floor leader of the minority party of the senate, or his designee. As used in this section, the term ''staff of the general court'' shall mean any legislative, research or administrative personnel, and personnel having substantially similar duties, who are employed by the general court.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 34 University of Massachusetts medical school; grants

c. 75, § 34. University of Massachusetts medical school; grants Section 34. The trustees shall maintain a medical school to be known as the University of Massachusetts medical school. Said school shall be so maintained and operated as to comply with the standards approved by nationally recognized medical associations for accredited schools of medicine. The trustees are authorized and directed to make plans and to work with all state and federal agencies and to accept grants or matching funds that are available or may become available from the federal government or any other source, public or private, for constructing, financing, equipping, improving or expanding said medical school.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 34A Tuition; residents

c. 75, § 34A. Tuition; residents Section 34A. If tuition for the medical school is set at a lower amount for residents of the commonwealth, a resident shall be deemed to be a person who has resided in the commonwealth for 7 consecutive years or more prior to enrollment or a person whose immediate family has resided in the commonwealth for 7 consecutive years or more prior to his enrollment.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 35 Dean and other officers and members of professional staff

c. 75, § 35. Dean and other officers and members of professional staff Section 35. The trustees shall elect the dean and such other officers and members of the professional staff of the medical school as they deem necessary and shall fix their classification, title and salary within the general salary schedule, except that any such salary shall be fixed at any amount not less than the minimum salary nor more than the maximum salary shown in the said schedule; provided, however, that the trustees may establish the salary for the dean and for the heads of department without reference to the general salary schedule and salary range. The trustees shall define the duties and tenure of office of all officers and members of the professional staff. The dean, under the president of the university, shall have the administrative responsibility of carrying out the policies established by the trustees for the conduct of said school and shall administer and coordinate its affairs.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 36 Annual budget

c. 75, § 36. Annual budget Section 36. In order to provide for the maximum allowable degree of fiscal independence, the budget to be submitted with the estimates required under sections three and four of chapter twenty-nine, and the annual forecasts under section five A of said chapter twenty-nine in so far as they pertain to the medical school shall be submitted by the trustees separate from the estimates and forecasts submitted by the trustees for other parts of the university.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 36A Cremation and disposal of donated bodies

c. 75, § 36A. Cremation and disposal of donated bodies Section 36A. The University of Massachusetts medical school in Worcester may cremate the bodies of deceased persons which have been donated to said medical school and which have been used for the promotion of anatomical science, including the teaching thereof, or for any other purpose not inconsistent with chapter one hundred and thirteen, and may dispose of the ashes of such bodies by burial or other appropriate means; provided, that the remains of any bodies received pursuant to section eight of chapter one hundred and thirteen shall be subject to the terms of the donor's gift, if any.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 36B Analysis of drugs, medicine, chemicals, etc.; law enforcement; report

c. 75, § 36B. Analysis of drugs, medicine, chemicals, etc.; law enforcement; report Section 36B. The University of Massachusetts medical school shall make an analysis of any narcotic drugs, or any synthetic substitute for the same, or any preparation containing the same or any salt compound thereof, and of any poison, drug, medicine or chemical, when submitted to it by police authorities or by such incorporated charitable organizations in the commonwealth as the university shall approve; provided, however, that no such analysis shall be made if the medical school finds that such analysis is not to be used in connection with the enforcement of law; and provided further, however, that the reports of such analysis shall be forwarded to the district attorney of the appropriate district or his designee, and to other appropriate persons in accordance with the requirements of law. All operational and capital costs of this analysis shall be paid by the commonwealth, subject to appropriation.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 36C Acquisition of or affiliation with certain health care programs or facilities by trustees; approval of proposed transactions; procedures

c. 75, § 36C. Acquisition of or affiliation with certain health care programs or facilities by trustees; approval of proposed transactions; procedures Section 36C. (a) The trustees are hereby authorized to acquire by purchase or otherwise affiliate with, or operate physicians practices, satellite clinics, ambulatory care centers, mental health programs or facilities, health care facilities, outpatient diagnostic or treatment centers, home health care programs, long-term care facilities, rehabilitation facilities, laboratories, fitness centers, and similar health care or related programs or facilities, provided such transactions are determined by said trustees to be in the best interests of the teaching hospital or to further the educational and research mission of the medical school. If such transactions require, as incidental to them, the acquisition of an interest in real property by purchase, lease, lease-purchase or otherwise, said real property shall be considered unique for the purposes of section forty H of chapter seven, and such acquisition shall be within the exemption provided in paragraph (b). (b) No such transaction shall be undertaken unless it is first approved by the secretary of administration and finance, subject to such conditions as the secretary may deem appropriate. At least thirty days prior to entering into any binding agreement for such transaction, the trustees shall file a statement with the secretary of administration and finance and the secretary of health and human services containing such information regarding the proposed transaction as the secretary of administration shall require. Any such proposed transaction that is approved pursuant to this paragraph, or deemed to have been approved pursuant to paragraph (c) shall be exempt from any other general or special law or regulation applicable to state agencies alone. (c) If the secretary of administration and finance fails to send the trustees a written notice disapproving the proposed transaction stating the reasons for such disapproval within thirty days after the receipt of the trustees' statement, the proposed transaction shall be deemed to have been approved. The trustees may take such actions as they deem appropriate to cure any problems identified by said secretary and resubmit such proposals. (d) The trustees shall cause to be filed with the secretary of administration and finance and the secretary of health and human services a copy of the operating budget of the university teaching hospital and all monthly financial statements summarizing activity within the hospital trust fund. The secretary of health and human services, or his designee, shall serve as a member of the hospital management board. Notice and minutes of all meetings of said board shall be sent to the secretary of administration and finance and the secretary of health and human services on a timely basis.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 36D Payback provisions in learning contracts; interest accrual; annual report

c. 75, § 36D. Payback provisions in learning contracts; interest accrual; annual report Section 36D. The board of trustees of the university of Massachusetts, in conjunction with the state health education center at the university of Massachusetts medical center, shall develop and implement provisions for payback in learning contracts entered into by students admitted for the academic year commencing in nineteen hundred and ninety-five and for every year thereafter, which shall require payback service, so-called, of at least four years within the commonwealth in areas of primary care, public or community service, or underserved areas as determined by the commissioner of the department of public health and the learning contract committee in coordination with the area health education center and state and regional health planning agencies. In the case of any student who has entered into a learning contract and who does not perform payback service, the difference between the tuition paid and the amount of the tuition charged shall be required to be repaid together with eight percent interest per annum; provided, however, that no payback service or tuition loan repayment shall be required prior to the termination of any internship and residency requirements; provided, further, that interest shall begin to accrue upon completion of any internship requirement. The dean shall provide, on an annual basis, a report of the number of students participating in said learning contracts, the area of medicine within which payback will be performed, and the number of students utilizing the repayment option. The report shall also outline the effects of payback in the underserved areas of the commonwealth. The first of such annual reports shall be submitted to the house and senate committees on ways and means by September first, nineteen hundred and ninety-five.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 36E Military service-related behavioral health conditions; development of continuing education program by University of Massachusetts medical school

c. 75, § 36E. Military service-related behavioral health conditions; development of continuing education program by University of Massachusetts medical school Section 36E. (a) The University of Massachusetts medical school in Worcester shall develop a continuing education program for licensed mental health professionals on military service-related behavioral health conditions. (b) The training and curriculum for the program shall include, but not be limited to: (i) military culture and its influence on the behavioral health of service members and veterans; (ii) symptoms of deployment-related and non-deployment-related behavioral health conditions, including, but not limited to, depression, suicide, insomnia, substance use and post-traumatic stress disorder; (iii) deployment cycle stressors for students who are service members and veterans; (iv) deployment cycle stressors that impact the behavioral health of service members and veterans; (v) outreach strategies for available administrative, non-clinical and clinical services; and (vi) available resources and methods of referral for the treatment of deployment-related behavioral health conditions, including peer support. (c) In developing the curriculum for the program, the University of Massachusetts medical school shall consult with relevant stakeholders, including, but not limited to: (i) medical professional associations; (ii) peers and other service members and veterans who have lived experience of seeking or receiving behavioral health services or treatment; and (iii) behavioral health professionals with expertise in providing culturally-competent care.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 37 Establishment; purpose; contracts

c. 75, § 37. Establishment; purpose; contracts Section 37. The trustees are hereby authorized and directed to establish and maintain a television center on the university campus in the town of Amherst. Said center shall be for the purpose of coordinating and implementing the production and relay of educational television programs, both closed circuit and open circuit, for the dissemination to the campus and to the people of the commonwealth, of extension and continuing educational courses, cultural programs, in-school elementary and secondary school telecasts and other educational programs, whether originating at said university or relayed by the Eastern Educational Network, Inc., or its affiliates or by any other similar educational network. Said center shall not enter into any contract for such programs with any television network which has an employee or a stockholder who is a trustee of the University of Massachusetts.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 38 National Environmental Technology Institute

c. 75, § 38. National Environmental Technology Institute Section 38. (a) There shall be a National Environmental Technology Institute, hereinafter referred to as the institute, at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, which shall have accredited programs in engineering and public health. (b) The purposes and responsibilities of the institute shall be to: (1) develop and assist in the transfer of existing and new process designs. (2) conduct research, development, and demonstration projects concerning new or modified industrial process design equipment or technologies for waste prevention that can be utilized by business, industry, and government; (3) provide a clearinghouse for the dissemination of information and data on existing and new industrial process design technology for the commonwealth and other companies and governmental entities; and (4) Provide expertise and assistance concerning industrial process design environmental technology to public officials responsible for establishing government policy and regulations.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 39 Environmental technology testing facility and environmental business center

c. 75, § 39. Environmental technology testing facility and environmental business center Section 39. (a) There shall be an environmental technology testing facility, hereinafter referred to as the facility, and an environmental business center, hereinafter referred to as the center, at the University of Massachusetts Boston. (b) The purposes and responsibilities of the facility shall be to: (1) cooperate closely with state and federal agencies and industry in the testing, assessing, and evaluating of innovative environmental technologies; and (2) provide assistance and expertise to public officials responsible for the permitting of innovative environmental technologies and for establishing policy and regulations governing the permitting of such technologies. (c) The purposes and responsibilities of the center shall be to: (1) provide assistance and training to Massachusetts environmental business and industry in environmental business management, including technology development and commercialization, financing, and other relevant areas; and (2) assist Massachusetts business and industry in the development of exports of environmental technologies, products, and services.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 40 Marine technology, environmental, and engineering programs

c. 75, § 40. Marine technology, environmental, and engineering programs Section 40. (a) Marine technology, environmental, and engineering programs shall be established at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. (b) The purposes and responsibilities of the marine technology, environmental, and engineering programs shall be to: (1) promote the development of and conduct research in innovative envirotechnologies related to the marine environment; and (2) assist and cooperate with Massachusetts business, industry, and agencies in the demonstration, transfer, and deployment of innovative marine envirotechnologies.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 41 Center for materials reuse

c. 75, § 41. Center for materials reuse Section 41. (a) The Chelsea center for materials reuse, administered by the center for environmentally appropriate materials at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, hereinafter referred to as the center for materials reuse, shall be established to promote the development of materials reuse technology, management, and policy. (b) The purposes and responsibilities of the center for material reuse shall be to: (1) serve as a focal point for the promotion of materials recycling and reuse; (2) provide a common ground to bring together leaders and stakeholders who will benefit from and promote recycling and reuse; (3) promote coordination among existing state, local and private materials recycling and reuse services and assist in the development of new services and enterprises that will emerge from enhanced materials recycling and reuse; (4) provide training in recycling and reuse of materials; and (5) assist in the development and deployment of innovative materials recycling and reuse technologies.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 42 Funding for environmental programs; administration

c. 75, § 42. Funding for environmental programs; administration Section 42. No start-up or maintenance and operation funds for the entities established in sections thirty-eight to forty-one, inclusive, shall be appropriated in any fiscal year from the Toxics Use Reduction Fund established in section two K of chapter twenty-nine. Said entities may receive grants from public and private sources, may impose fees, and may collect and retain revenue from fees and grants to defray the costs of their services and programs. All monies appropriated to the entities or received through grants, contracts, fees, gifts, bequests, and other sources shall be administered by the University of Massachusetts.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 43 Biologic laboratories; advisory board; insurance; agreements with private parties; yearly reports; accounts

c. 75, § 43. Biologic laboratories; advisory board; insurance; agreements with private parties; yearly reports; accounts Section 43. (a) There is hereby established the University of Massachusetts biologic laboratories. The purpose of said laboratories shall be the research, development and production of childhood vaccines and biologic products designed to reduce or prevent morbidity and mortality in the commonwealth, including but not limited to those products which may be of little or no interest to commercial manufacturers and are therefore otherwise substantially unavailable to the citizens of the commonwealth. The biologic laboratories shall operate pursuant to this chapter and in accordance with regulations promulgated thereunder. (b) There shall be an advisory board to advise the president and the board of trustees of the university with respect to the operation of the biologic laboratories. The advisory board shall meet at least twice per year, and at such other times as are necessary to effectuate its purpose. The advisory board shall consist of the following members: the commissioner of public health or his designee, the director of the childhood immunization program of the department of public health, the deans of the medical school and the school of public health of the university or their designees, and at least three but not more than five additional members appointed by the president of the university, including a consumer and a practicing pediatrician or other physician specializing in family medicine. Each advisory board member appointed by the president of the university shall serve for a term of five years, provided, however, that in making initial appointments, the president shall appoint one or two members for a term of three years and one or two members for a term of four years. Appointed members of the advisory board shall be eligible for reappointment and may be removed by the president of the university during their terms for cause. (c) The university shall obtain liability insurance sufficient to indemnify the commonwealth, the university and the biologic laboratories, and their officers and employees, for any liability arising from the out-of-state sale, distribution and use of laboratory products, and to indemnify the commonwealth for any liability arising under chapter two hundred and fifty-eight as a result of any activities of the laboratories. (d) The board of trustees may authorize the biologic laboratories to enter into agreements with private parties with respect to the research, development and production of vaccines and other biologic products; provided, however, that the board, in consultation with the advisory board, shall develop and follow written criteria for affording a preference to private companies that agree to conduct such research, development or production, or a substantial portion thereof, in the commonwealth. (e) Any trade secret or other proprietary information of the biologic laboratories shall be exempt from the definition of public records in clause twenty-sixth of section seven of chapter four. (f) The director of the biologic laboratories shall submit to the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives a detailed report of the activities of the laboratories within ninety days after the end of each fiscal year. Said report shall include for the prior fiscal year a description of the patents and licenses received, agreements entered into, the status of existing agreements, royalties and other benefits received as a result of the work of the biologic laboratories, expenditures, current assets and liabilities of the laboratories, one-year and five-year financial plans and identification of current and projected revenues and expenses, anticipated capital expenditures and start-up expenses. Said report shall include an accounting statement detailing the receipts and expenditures, including obligations whether paid or unpaid, of appropriated funds for the prior fiscal year and shall include projections of the amount of appropriated funds required for the next three years. Pursuant to section twelve of chapter eleven, the department of the state auditor shall conduct an audit of the biologic laboratories, in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards, as often as the state auditor determines is necessary. (g) The university shall maintain on its books a separate account for the biologic laboratories. All revenues generated by the activities of the biologic laboratories shall be deposited in a separate special trust established pursuant to section eleven; provided, however, that expenditures made from said trust fund shall be exclusively for the purposes of the biologic laboratories established in subsection (a). (h) The advisory board shall be consulted prior to the appointment of a chief executive officer of the biologic laboratories. The chief executive officer shall present budgets, staffing plans, operating plans and production plans to the advisory board for its review and comment.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 44 Appointment of trustees to corporation receiving assets from clinical operations of Worcester campus; student representative

c. 75, § 44. Appointment of trustees to corporation receiving assets from clinical operations of Worcester campus; student representative Section 44. If the chancellor of the Worcester campus becomes responsible either by agreement or legislative action for appointing two or more trustees to a board of trustees of a corporation receiving assets from the clinical operations of the Worcester campus and maintaining an affiliation with said campus, the chancellor may appoint the elected student representative of the Worcester campus pursuant to section 1A as one of said trustees.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 45 Edward J. Collins, Jr. center for public management

c. 75, § 45. Edward J. Collins, Jr. center for public management Section 45. There shall be within the McCormack graduate school of policy and global studies at the University of Massachusetts, the Edward J. Collins, Jr. center for public management. The center shall seek to improve efficiency, effectiveness, governance, responsiveness and accountability at all levels of government, with a particular focus on local and state government. The center shall: (1) provide high-quality, pragmatic, agile and affordable fee-for-service technical assistance and consulting on public management issues to public entities; (2) offer practical, low-cost and customized public management training, education and professional development to public officials and aspiring public officials; (3) collaborate with faculty and practitioners on research and initiatives that drive change in public management practices and help remove barriers for improving public management; (4) create publicly-available resources to support public officials; and (5) integrate public management practitioners with students and faculty at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and throughout the University of Massachusetts system in formal and informal ways that strengthen public entities, the center, the University and the world at large.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 45B Innovation Commercialization Seed Fund

c. 75, § 45B. Innovation Commercialization Seed Fund Section 45B. (a) There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth an Innovation Commercialization Seed Fund into which shall be credited any appropriations designated by the general court to be credited to the fund and any monies generated for the fund through corporations or nonprofit entities. The fund shall be administered by the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center established in section 12 of chapter 40G which shall make expenditures from the fund without further appropriation to provide for an initial investment through a competitive grant program to researchers and students at the University of Massachusetts and other public and private designated research universities located in the commonwealth who have invented or developed concepts, goods or services that have commercial potential but have not reached the point of commercialization as determined by the center. The center shall determine guidelines for soliciting proposals. Not less than 50 per cent of the funds under this section shall be reserved for award over the term of each authorization or appropriation, subject to qualification, to the University of Massachusetts. Initial investment grants shall be not be over $50,000 and may be renewed not more than 2 times if necessary as determined by the center. Priority shall be given to concepts, goods or services that create jobs and concepts, goods or services in the commonwealth submitted from researchers that employ and work with students in the research and development of the concept, goods or services. Investments shall be focused on developing technologies that benefit industry sectors of strategic importance to the commonwealth, such as advanced manufacturing, advanced materials, clean energy, communications, cyber security, defense, information technology, life sciences and marine science. The fund shall be used to advance the goals of job growth creation, innovation and economic development which may include, but shall not be limited to, the construction of prototypes, testing, market research and other steps necessary to bring the invention or concept to market in the commonwealth. The fund shall be available to student-driven invention or concepts as long as the students are advised by a member of the faculty at the University of Massachusetts or other research university located in the commonwealth. (b) The center shall annually file a report with the joint committee on higher education and the senate and house committees on ways and means detailing the grants awarded under this section not later than March 1.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 45C Innovation Voucher Program Fund

c. 75, § 45C. Innovation Voucher Program Fund Section 45C. (a) There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth an Innovation Voucher Program Fund into which shall be credited any appropriations designated by the general court to be credited to the fund and any monies generated for the fund through corporations or nonprofit entities. The fund shall be administered by the Massachusetts Development Finance Agency established in chapter 23G, which shall make expenditures from the fund without further appropriation to provide for an investment through a voucher program to small corporations and startup companies for cost sharing use of core facilities at the University of Massachusetts to be administered by the agency. The agency shall issue regulations to establish guidelines and eligibility criteria for participating companies. Vouchers shall provide the cost of hourly or daily use or per unit rate of the core facilities. The vouchers shall be used to advance the goals of job growth creation, innovation and economic development which may include, but shall not be limited to: the construction of prototypes, testing, and market research. The Agency's regulations shall include eligibility requirements for participating companies; provided, however, that: (i) eligible companies with the full time equivalent of not more than 10 employees may receive a voucher that covers up to 75 per cent of the cost of the rate; (ii) eligible companies with the full time equivalent of 11 to 50 employees may receive a voucher for not more than 50 per cent of the cost of the rate; and (iii) companies with 51 or more employees shall not be eligible for the voucher program. Vouchers shall not exceed more than 75 per cent of the total cost of the hourly or daily use, or per unit rate, of core facilities and shall not exceed $75,000 per year for each individual company. The regulations shall lay out a process by which the University of Massachusetts campuses shall seek quarterly reimbursements from the agency for the vouchers. For the purposes of this section ''core facilities'' shall be research based hardware and software that are available at a daily or hourly rate or per unit rate for use by partners of the University of Massachusetts. (b) The Massachusetts Development Finance Agency shall annually file a report with the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on higher education and with the clerks of the house of representatives and senate detailing the vouchers awarded under this section not later than March 1.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 46 Office of dispute resolution

c. 75, § 46. Office of dispute resolution Section 46. There shall be at the University of Massachusetts at Boston an office of dispute resolution under the supervision and control of a director who shall be appointed by the provost with the approval of the chancellor and concurrence of the board of trustees. The director shall be a person with substantial training and professional experience in dispute resolution, shall maintain complete impartiality with respect to the matters coming before the office of dispute resolution, and shall devote full time to the duties of the office. The office of dispute resolution shall be available to assist agencies and offices of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the commonwealth, as well as any political subdivision or public instrumentality created by the commonwealth or any county, city, or town, hereafter referred to as public agencies, to improve the resolution of disputes that arise within their respective jurisdictions. The office may: (a) facilitate the resolution of disputes through provision of impartial mediation and other dispute resolution services; (b) establish standards for the selection, assignment, and conduct of persons acting on behalf of the office in the resolution of disputes; (c) conduct educational programs and provide other services designed to reduce the occurrence, scope, complexity, or cost of disputes; (d) design, develop, or operate dispute resolution programs or to assist public agencies to improve or extend their existing dispute resolution programs; and (e) take other action to promote and facilitate dispute resolution by public agencies in the commonwealth. The director may establish reasonable fees to be charged to parties, litigants, or public agencies for the provision of the educational, consultation, dispute resolution, or other services authorized herein and may apply for and accept on behalf of the commonwealth any federal, local, or private grants, bequests, gifts, or contributions to aid in the financing of any of the programs or activities of the office. Fees, grants, bequests, gifts, or contributions shall be received by the University of Massachusetts at Boston and deposited in a separate account and shall be expended, without further appropriation, at the direction of the director, with the approval of the provost, for the cost of operation of the office, including personnel. The office may make agreements with public agencies and officers and may contract with other persons, including private agencies, corporations, or associations, to carry out any of the functions and purposes of this section. The office shall annually prepare a report on the activities of the office, including all income and expenditures, and file the report with the house and senate committees on ways and means on or before December 31.

M.G.L. c. 75, § 47 Statewide community mediation center grant program; funds; compliance for eligibility

c. 75, § 47. Statewide community mediation center grant program; funds; compliance for eligibility Section 47. (a) As used in this section the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings: ''Community mediation center'', a community-based program of a private nonprofit or public agency organized for the resolution of disputes or for a public service, charitable or educational purpose, that provides direct access to free or low-cost mediation services at any stage of a conflict through trained community volunteers and involves community members in the governance of the center. ''Mediator'', an impartial person who assists in the resolution of a conflict or dispute and meets the requirements of section 23C of chapter 233. ''Office'', the office of dispute resolution at the University of Massachusetts at Boston established under section 46. (b) There shall be a statewide community mediation center grant program to be funded by the commonwealth. The mission of the grant program shall be to promote the broad use of community mediation in all regions of the state. Public agencies shall use community mediation in support of statewide and community objectives. The grant program shall be administered by the office of dispute resolution. The office may expend appropriated funds on program administration and operational grants to community mediation centers, on the basis of need, for dispute resolution in neighborhoods and local communities. The office may advocate for funding and resources for the statewide program and for community mediation programming. The office may establish rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this section, including provisions for grant making, monitoring and evaluation of the statewide program and state-funded community mediation centers and the establishment of a quality assurance system for mediator excellence. The office shall establish a program advisory committee with balanced representation of interests, including representation of state-funded community mediation centers. (c) Funds appropriated or available for the purposes of this section shall be allocated for eligible community mediation centers through operating grants from the office. The grants administered under this section shall be used solely to provide operational funding for centers to assist them in meeting the needs of local communities. Eligible centers shall be selected for operational grants based on grant applications. Grant applications shall be screened by a grant review committee established by the office to make recommendations. The office shall determine the final grant recipients and awards. The commonwealth's share of the operating cost of any center funded under this section shall include a baseline grant award based on eligibility criteria and a proven track record and may also include an additional award based on performance levels set by the office that may include, but shall not be limited to, the volume of intakes, sessions and mediations during the immediate past performance cycle, the extent services are being provided to underserved or unserved areas of the commonwealth and the center's contribution to identified community objectives within the geographical regions served. (d) Community mediation centers applying for state-funded operating grants shall demonstrate compliance with eligibility criteria established by the office, including operational and structural criteria and requirements for matching funds. To qualify for funding, community mediation centers shall also comply with grant application procedures set by the office. The office shall consult with centers in establishing grant criteria and procedures. (e) Applications to start a new community mediation center may be submitted at any time in the fiscal year; provided however, that the decision to provide grants shall be entirely dependent on available funds. The grant review committee shall determine how closely the startup center's operating philosophy, organization, by-laws and other supporting documents reflect the office's eligibility criteria for community mediation. Priority shall be given to eligible start-up centers serving areas that have no existing community mediation centers. (f) Payments to centers awarded grants under this section shall be made under contracts with the university of Massachusetts at Boston. The methods of payment or reimbursement for community mediation center operating costs shall be specified by the office. All contracts and methods of payment or reimbursement shall conform to this section and the rules and procedures of the office and the University of Massachusetts at Boston. (g) The office may accept and disburse from any public or private agency or person any money for the purposes of this section and may perform such services and acts as may be necessary for the receipt and disbursement of such funds. A community mediation center funded under this section may accept funds from any public or private agency or person for the purposes of this section. The state comptroller, university controller, the director of the office and their authorized representatives shall have the power to inspect, examine and audit the fiscal affairs of state-funded community mediation centers. (h) Each state-funded community mediation center shall provide the office with data on operating budgets, mediation and related services, and such other information the office may require periodically for monitoring, evaluation and reporting purposes. The office shall provide periodic progress reports to the program advisory committee and shall report annually to the governor, the chief justice of the trial court, the senate president, the speaker of the house of representatives, the chairs of the joint committee on higher education, the chairs of the joint committee on the judiciary and chairs of the house and senate committees on ways and means, on the operations, activities and accomplishments of the statewide program and the centers funded under this section.

Source: Massachusetts General Court (malegislature.gov)URL: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXII/Chapter75Fetched: 10/20/2026