It is the intention of the Legislature by passage of this chapter that Alabama State University shall enjoy no less and no more autonomy than any other public university in the state and shall offer to all citizens of the state an equal opportunity for quality education.

The board of trustees is hereby authorized at such times as it deems necessary and proper to recommend to any state agency charged with responsibility for statewide planning, coordination or budgeting for programs of instruction, research or public service in the public universities of the state, any program of instruction or service or any other matter consistent with this intent and any action necessary in order to qualify the university for funds and/or services provided by any federal or private agency consistent with such intent, and such state agency shall accept or reject such recommendation and is hereby authorized to grant such recommendation to Alabama State University.

The personnel policies and procedures and statement of academic freedom and tenure for the faculty, other officers and professional and operating staffs of the university, and the statement of rights and responsibilities of students of the university in force on October 6, 1975, shall be read, construed and have effect as if they were prescribed by the board of trustees herein created; provided, that the board shall prescribe such amendments as it deems necessary and proper and that no person shall be deprived of any right or benefit earned prior to October 6, 1975.

(a) There is hereby created a Board of Trustees for Alabama State University, the state educational institution at Montgomery, Alabama. The board of trustees shall consist of two members from the congressional district in which the institution is located and one member from each of the other congressional districts in the state as constituted on October 6, 1975, and who shall reside in that district, four members from the state at large who shall reside in different districts, and the Governor, who shall be ex officio president of the board. Except for a trustee at large, the position of any trustee shall be vacated at such time as he shall cease to reside in the district from which he was appointed. The trustees shall be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, in such manner that the membership shall consist of at least a majority who are alumni and who have received a bachelor's degree from the said university; at least one-half of the board shall be from the prevailing minority population of the state according to the last or any succeeding federal census. Trustees shall hold office for staggered terms of three, six, nine and 12 years with an equal number appointed to like terms, such period of terms designated by the appointing authority, with one-fourth to expire every three years, or until their successors are appointed. All appointments shall be effective until adversely acted upon by the Senate. Provided, however, no trustee who is currently serving on the board or whose term has just expired, who has been previously confirmed by the Senate, shall be required to be reconfirmed for the new term under this section, once appointed by the Governor. A member may be appointed to serve a second term of 12 years, but no member shall be appointed to serve as trustee for more than a total of two terms. The first members, however, shall be eligible to serve for two full additional terms in addition to their initial terms. No trustee shall receive any pay or emolument other than his actual expenses incurred in the discharge of his duties as such. No member of the governing board or employee or student of any public postsecondary education institution, no elected or appointed official having the power of review of the Alabama State University budget, other than the Governor and no employee of the State of Alabama shall be eligible to serve on the board. No member shall serve past September 30 following his seventieth birthday.

(b) No trustee who is serving on the said board on April 30, 1986, shall lose his or her seat because of this section; provided, however, the Governor may re-designate the period of the term of these members so as to conform to the provisions of subsection (a).

The Governor, by virtue of his office, and the trustees appointed from the several congressional districts of the state pursuant to Section 16-50-20 and their successors in office are constituted a body corporate under the name of "Board of Trustees for Alabama State University."

Such corporation shall have all the rights, privileges and franchises necessary to the promotion of the ends of its creation and shall be charged with all corresponding duties, liabilities and responsibilities. Such corporation may hold and may lease, sell or in any other manner not inconsistent with the object or terms of the grant or grants under which it holds dispose of any property, real or personal, or any estate or interest therein, remaining of any grant by any governmental unit or by any person, or accruing to the corporation from any source, as it may deem best for the purposes of the university.

The board of trustees shall have the power to organize the university by appointing a president or removing a president for cause, whose salary shall be fixed by the board and who shall serve as chief executive officer of the university; and, upon his recommendation, the board shall appoint a corps of instructors, who shall be styled the faculty of the university, and such other officers and professional and operating personnel as the interest of the university may require; and to remove such instructors or other personnel and to fix their salaries or compensation and increase or reduce the same at its discretion; to regulate, alter or modify the government of the university as it may deem advisable; to prescribe courses of instruction, rates of tuition and fees; to confer such academic and honorary degrees as are usually conferred by institutions of similar character; and to do whatever else it may deem best for promoting the interest of the university.

The board of trustees created by this chapter for Alabama State University shall have exclusive jurisdiction, supervision and control of Alabama State University; and the State Board of Education is divested of all jurisdiction, power and authority with regard to the supervision, management and control of such university except as otherwise herein provided. In addition to the powers, duties and authority hereinabove vested in the board of trustees, such board shall have and exercise all power, authority and duties heretofore conferred on, vested in or required of the State Board of Education under any laws of this state with regard to the supervision, management and control of such university except as otherwise herein provided. The State Board of Education shall transfer to the Board of Trustees of Alabama State University all supplies, funds, books, documents, records and other property or effects of such university.

Any vacancy in the office of trustee occurring during the recess of the Legislature shall be filled by appointment of the Governor from the same category in which the vacancy occurred. Such appointee shall hold office until the next session of the Legislature, when the vacancy shall be filled by the Governor by and with the consent of the Senate. A trustee appointed to fill a vacancy by the Governor, by and with the consent of the Senate, shall hold office during the unexpired term.

The first meeting of the Board of Trustees of Alabama State University after all members have been appointed shall be upon the call of the Governor. The board shall hold regular meetings on the first Thursdays in May and November at the university unless the board shall, in regular session, determine to hold its meetings at some other time and place. The regular May meeting shall be the regular annual meeting. Special meetings of the board may be assembled by either one of the two methods outlined as follows:

(1) Special meetings of the board may be called by the Governor. In calling such special meetings the Governor shall mail a written notice to each trustee, naming the time and place thereof, at least 10 days in advance of the date of such meetings.

(2) Upon the application in writing of any four members of the board, the Governor shall call a special meeting, naming the time and place thereof and causing notices to be issued in writing to the several members of the board. Such meetings shall not be held on a date less than 10 days subsequent to the notices from the Governor.

Six members, exclusive of the Governor, of the board of trustees shall constitute a quorum, but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day until a quorum is present.

The certificate of the president of the board or, in his absence, of the president pro tempore, countersigned by the secretary, shall entitle the several trustees to the payment of their actual expenses incurred in the discharge of their duties as trustees in conformity with regulations governing travel expenses of state officials.

It shall be unlawful for any member of the board to be financially interested in any contract or transaction affecting the interests of the university; to procure, or be a party in any way to procuring the appointment of any relative to any position of financial trust or profit; or to influence the appointment, nonreappointment, retention, dismissal or compensation of any employee of the university except through the prescribed procedures for such purposes, and the violation of this provision shall subject the member so offending to removal by the Governor or the board.

No grant or gift, by will or otherwise, shall fail on account of any misnomer or informality, when the intent of the grantor or donor can be arrived at, nor shall any default, malfeasance or nonuser on the part of the trustees or other officers or agents of such corporation work a forfeiture of any of its rights, privileges, powers or franchises.

It shall be the duty of the board of trustees to make or cause to be made to the Legislature, at each session thereof, a full report of its transactions and of the condition of the university, embracing an itemized account of all receipts and disbursements on account of the university by those charged with the administration of its finances.

(a) The President of Alabama State University, with the approval of the board of trustees, is hereby authorized to appoint and employ suitable persons to act as police officers to keep off intruders and prevent trespass upon and damage to the property and grounds of the university. Such persons shall be charged with all the duties and vested with all the powers of police officers and may eject trespassers from the university buildings and grounds and may, without warrant, arrest any persons guilty of disorderly conduct or of trespass upon the property of the university, or for any public offense committed in their presence, and carry them before the nearest court or officer charged with the trial of such offenders, before whom, upon proper affidavit charging the offense, any person so arrested may be tried and convicted as in cases of persons brought before him on his warrant, and such officers shall have authority to summon a posse comitatus and may, with a warrant, arrest any persons found upon or near the premises of the university charged with any public offense and take them before the proper officer.

(b) The police officers provided for in this section shall cooperate with and, when requested, furnish assistance to the regularly constituted authorities of the City of Montgomery; and their jurisdiction and authority shall be coextensive with the corporate limits of the municipality.