Upon the qualification of its members, the board of trustees of a community college district shall prepare an official plan for a community college within the district. Such official plan shall include, but not be limited to, a demonstration of needs and prospective enrollment, a description and location of lands, buildings, facilities, and improvements proposed to be occupied by such college; a proposed schedule for acquisition of such lands or improvements, for construction of improvements, and for operation of the college; proposed organization and program of such college, consistent with the proposed lands and improvements; estimates of cost of lands and improvements; and a proposed budget for the first two years of operation of such college.

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In preparing such official plan, the board of trustees of a community college district may retain consultants in the fields of education, planning, architecture, law, engineering, or other fields of professional skill which may be needed in the preparation of plans for a community college. The board of trustees shall conduct public hearings as to the need for, the feasible locations of, and the desirable types and sizes of lands, instructional facilities, and other improvements for a community college, and as to the relative desirability of operation as an independent two-year institution or of operation, in whole or in part, by contract with a generally accredited public university or college in Ohio.

The official plan shall include a recommendation as to whether the community college should be operated directly by the board of trustees of the community college district, or should be operated, in whole or in part, by a generally accredited public university or college pursuant to a contract to be entered into by the board of trustees of the community college district and the governing board of such college or university. If it is recommended that the community college be operated under a contract, the official plan shall include the full text of such recommended contract, with certification by the respective boards to the effect that they have adopted resolutions approving such contract and wait approval of the plan and the contract.

Upon completion of the official plan, the board of trustees of a community college district shall file a copy of such plan with the Ohio board of regents which may approve or disapprove any provisions thereof. If the Ohio board of regents disapproves the official plan or any provisions thereof, the board of trustees of the community college district may prepare a new plan or may present amended provisions of the plan. If the Ohio board of regents approves the official plan, it shall certify a copy of its action to the board of trustees of the community college district and issue a charter creating and establishing the community college, to be known by the name set forth in the official plan. The official plan shall be appended to and shall become a part of such charter, and such charter shall not thereafter be changed except by charter amendment, in accordance with the procedure set forth in this section for preparation and adoption of an official plan in the first instance.

In any instance in which an official plan proposes operation by a generally accredited public university or college, pursuant to a contract, such contract shall include a provision that academic credit awarded to students attending the proposed community college shall be academic credit of the contracting university or college, and shall be so reported in the academic record of each student and upon any certificate of achievement awarded to any such student.