§ 237. Regents plan for higher education including approved plans of state university and city university of New York and plans of independent institutions of higher education. 1. Purposes of planning. Master planning for higher education in New York State should:

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a. Define and differentiate the missions and objectives of higher education.

b. Identify the needs, problems, societal conditions and interests of the citizens of the state of New York to which programs of higher education may most appropriately be addressed.

c. Define and differentiate the missions and objectives of institutions of higher education.

d. Develop programs to meet the needs, solve the problems, affect the conditions and respond to the public's interests by:

(1) Setting goals.

(2) Describing the time required to meet those goals.

(3) Identifying the resources needed to achieve the goals.

(4) Establishing priorities.

e. Be in sufficient detail to enable all participants in the planning process, representatives of the people and the citizens themselves to evaluate the needs, objectives, program proposals, priorities, costs and results of higher education.

f. Optimize the use of resources.

g. Evaluate program effectiveness.

2. The regents shall, on or before the twenty-fifth day of April nineteen hundred seventy-one and each fourth year thereafter, request the state university trustees, the board of higher education of the city of New York, and all independent higher educational institutions to submit long-range master plans for their development. Such request shall specify the nature of the information, plans and recommendations to be submitted, shall describe statewide needs, problems, societal conditions and interests of the citizens and discuss their priorities, and provide appropriate information which may be useful in the formulation of such plans.

3. The regents shall, once every four years, review the proposed plan and recommendations required to be submitted by the state university trustees pursuant to section three hundred fifty-four of this chapter, the proposed plan and recommendations of the board of higher education in the city of New York required to be submitted pursuant to section sixty-two hundred two of this chapter, and the plans of independent institutions of higher education and, upon approval by the regents of the plans submitted by the state university trustees and the board of higher education, they shall be incorporated into a regents plan or general revision thereof for the development of higher education in the state. Such regents plan shall include the plan and recommendations proposed by the state university trustees and the plan and recommendations proposed by the board of higher education in the city of New York and may include plans with respect to other matters not comprehended within the plan of the state and city universities, including but not limited to improving institutional management and resources, instruction and guidance programs, financial assistance to students and extension of educational opportunities. In determining the need for additional educational facilities in a particular area, the plans and facilities of existing public and independent institutions shall be fully evaluated. Such statewide plan shall include for information purposes a summary of all recommendations appearing in the prior statewide plan and subsequent amendments thereof containing a brief statement of action taken and progress toward achievement of each such recommendation.

4. During the calendar year nineteen hundred sixty-four and each fourth year thereafter the regents shall evaluate all available information with respect to the plans and facilities of independent institutions and shall review and act upon the proposed plan and recommendations of the state university trustees and upon the proposed plan and recommendations of the board of higher education in the city of New York and incorporate such information, recommendations and each of the component plans so acted upon into a tentative regents plan or general revision thereof for the development of higher education in the state. Copies of such tentative regents plan or general revision thereof, as the case may be, shall be made available to the trustees of the state university, the board of higher education in the city of New York and the governing boards of all other institutions of higher education admitted to the university of the state of New York. Thereafter, after giving due notice, the regents shall conduct one or more hearings on such tentative regents plan or general revision thereof.

5. The regents shall transmit their plan or general revision thereof for the development of higher education in the state to the governor and the legislature on or before the first day of November, nineteen hundred sixty-four and each fourth year thereafter. The governor may disapprove or conditionally approve any part of the plan or general revision thereof after notifying the regents of such disagreements at least sixty days prior to such action during which time they may revise their recommendations relating to such items and request the governor to adopt such revised recommendations in lieu of such action. Such plan or general revision thereof or so much thereof as shall be approved and upon such terms and conditions as the governor may impose, shall become effective upon such approval by the governor.

6. Any modification recommended by the state university trustees or by the board of higher education in the city of New York to their respective plans, theretofore formulated and approved pursuant to section three hundred fifty-four or section sixty-two hundred two of this chapter shall be reviewed by the regents who may hold one or more hearings thereon after giving due notice thereof. As approved by the regents, such modification shall be made a part of the respective plans of the state university and of the city university and shall, together with any modifications the regents may make to that portion of their plan for the development of higher education in the state not comprehended in the plans of the state and city universities, be transmitted to the governor and the legislature, all of which shall then become effective upon approval by the governor as modifications of the regents plan. By the first day of November in nineteen hundred seventy-four and each fourth year thereafter the regents shall summarize and report to the governor and the legislature any modifications made pursuant to this subdivision and shall include in such report a statement on the progress made in implementing the regents plan and their general recommendations with respect to higher education.

7. An advisory council on higher education consisting of the chancellor of the state university of New York, the chancellor of the city university of New York, and a representative of the commission on independent colleges and universities shall be convened by the commissioner of education and shall advise the regents and the commissioner on all phases of planning.