The governing boards shall prescribe the records to be kept for statistical and other purposes in the state institutions of higher education under their respective control. Each month they shall require a copy of such record to be transmitted to them for the preceding month, and they shall keep in their office in a substantially bound book a copy of every report that they may require from the chief officers of any institution under their control. The governing boards shall have authority to assemble the chief officers of the institutions under their respective control or any of them at their office, for the purpose of discussing any question which may be common to their welfare. The actual expenses made necessary in traveling to and from such meeting, and while in attendance thereat, shall be paid out of the funds of the several institutions involved in any such meetings.