§ 354. Powers and duties of state university trustees-planning functions. 1. The state university trustees shall, once every four years, formulate a long-range state university plan or general revision thereof and make recommendations to the board of regents and the governor for the organization, development, coordination and expansion of the state university and for the establishment of community colleges in areas suitable for and in need of such institutions, which plan and recommendations shall include the following:

a. plans for new curricula;

b. plans for new facilities;

c. plans for change in policies with respect to student admissions;

d. projected student enrollments; and

e. comments upon its relationship to other colleges and universities, public, independent and proprietary, within the state.

f. For informational purposes only, projection standards and overall expenditure projections of capital and operating costs. Prior to transmitting their long-range state university plan or general revision thereof to the board of regents and the governor the state university trustees may, after giving due notice, conduct one or more hearings on such plan.

1-a. The state university trustees shall organize or cause to be organized at a university or college of the state university an annual conference on the role of the universities, colleges and other facilities on the local economies, social conditions and quality of life of host cities, towns and villages. Such conference shall rotate amongst the individual universities and colleges and shall include but not be limited to:

a. a review of significant partnering between universities, colleges and other institutions of the state university with their host communities;

b. presentations utilizing the expertise of the state university on types of projects, programs and administrative actions that could support the state university's mission stated in subdivision e-1 of section three hundred fifty-one of this article; and

c. roundtable discussions between state university trustees, officers and faculty with county, city, town and local officials, business and civic leaders relating to the purposes of the annual conference.

Each sponsoring university or college shall prepare and distribute a report on the annual conference.

2. During the calendar year nineteen hundred sixty-four and each fourth year thereafter the state university trustees shall transmit their proposed plan or general revision thereof to the board of regents and the governor on or before the first day of June in each such year. Such plan shall be reviewed by the board of regents and shall be subject to approval by such board. As approved by the board of regents and incorporated into the regents plan or general revision thereof for the development of higher education in the state and, upon approval thereafter by the governor, such plan shall guide and determine the development of the state university and its community colleges until such plan is modified or revised in the manner provided herein.

3. By the first day of June in nineteen hundred seventy-four and every fourth year thereafter, the state university trustees shall report in writing to the board of regents, to the governor and to the legislature on the progress made in carrying out their responsibilities under such plan and their general recommendations with respect to public higher education, including recommendations as to modifications of such plan which the trustees deem essential to meet the then current demands upon public higher education. The state university trustees may also at any other time propose modifications which they then deem essential or desirable with respect to such plan. They may, after giving due notice, conduct one or more hearings on such modifications and shall transmit their recommendations therefor to the board of regents and the governor. Such modifications shall be subject to approval by the regents and thereafter by the governor in the same manner as such plan or general revisions thereof.