A. Subject to such accountability measures and audits as are provided in this subchapter or as may otherwise be specifically made applicable by other law to institutions governed by this subchapter and subject to the expressed terms of the management agreement described in § 23-38.88, a covered institution may be permitted (i) to independently manage its operations and finances, including holding and investing its tuition, fees, research funds, auxiliary enterprise funds, and all other public funds; (ii) to create any and all financial policies deemed necessary to conduct its financial operations; (iii) to adopt the budget for the institution; and (iv) to control the expenditures of all moneys generated or received by the institution, including tuition, fees and other nongeneral fund revenue sources.
B. Subject to the express terms of the management agreement described in § 23-38.88, in managing its operations and finances, the Board of Visitors of a covered institution shall have sole authority to establish tuition, fee, room, board, and other charges consistent with sum sufficient appropriation authority for all nongeneral funds as provided by the Governor and the General Assembly in the Commonwealth’s biennial appropriations authorization. The Board of Visitors shall include the institution’s commitment to provide need-based grant aid for middle- and lower-income Virginia students in a manner that encourages student enrollment and progression without respect to potential increases in tuition and fees. In the event that any or all of the nongeneral funds are retained by the institution, the institution shall invest such funds consistent with an investment policy established by the Board of Visitors and retain all income earned on such investments. In the event that any or all of the nongeneral funds are held on behalf of the institution by the Commonwealth of Virginia, the institution shall receive a share of the income earned by the Commonwealth on the investment of such funds as provided in § 2.2-5005.
C. The management agreement described in § 23-38.88 shall include the quantification of cost savings realized as a result of the additional operational flexibility provided pursuant to this subchapter.
D. A covered institution may enter into any contract which the institution determines to be necessary or appropriate to place any bond or investment of the institution, in whole or in part, on the interest rate, cash flow, or other basis desired by the institution, which contract may include, without limitation, contracts commonly known as interest rate swap agreements, and futures or contracts providing for payments based on levels of, or changes in, interest rates. These contracts or arrangements may be entered into by the institution in connection with, incidental to, entering into, or maintaining any (i) agreement that secures bonds, notes, or other obligations or (ii) investment or contract providing for investment, otherwise authorized by law, including but not limited to § 23-38.105. These contracts and arrangements may contain such payment, security, default, remedy, and other terms and conditions as determined by the institution, after giving due consideration to the creditworthiness of the counterpart or other obligated party, including any rating by any nationally recognized rating agency, and any other criteria as may be appropriate. Any money set aside and pledged to secure payments of bonds, notes or other obligations or any of the contracts entered into pursuant to this section may be pledged to and used to service any of the contracts or agreements entered into pursuant to this section.
History
2005, cc. 933, 945.
