Skip to main content
Back To Top Top Back To Top
The Legislative Service Commission staff updates the Revised Code on an ongoing basis, as it completes its act review of enacted legislation. Updates may be slower during some times of the year, depending on the volume of enacted legislation.

Chapter 3349 | Municipal Educational Institutions

 
 
 
Section
Section 3349.01 | Administration and management of municipal university.
 

In any municipal corporation having a university supported in whole or in part by municipal taxation, all the authority, powers, and control vested in or belonging to such municipal corporation with respect to the management of the estate, property, and funds given, transferred, convenanted, or pledged to the municipal corporation in trust or otherwise for such university, as well as the government, conduct, and control of the university, shall be vested in and exercised by a board of directors.

Section 3349.02 | Board of directors of university.
 

The board of directors of a municipal university shall consist of nine persons who shall be residents of the county in which the municipal corporation is located and who shall be appointed by the mayor of the municipal corporation for terms of nine years following the expiration of the respective terms for which the directors presently holding office were appointed, and the mayor shall fill vacancies in the offices of such nine directors, other than vacancies created to accommodate appointments by the governor as below provided, by appointment for the unexpired term; provided that, in the event that an agreement is entered into under sections 3349.31 to 3349.33, inclusive, of the Revised Code, so long as such agreement remains in effect, four of said nine directors shall be appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate. The four directors so appointed by the governor need not be residents of said county; shall be appointed for terms of nine years, provided that the four directors initially appointed by the governor shall be appointed for terms of nine years, seven years, five years, and three years, respectively, with provision to be made in said agreement for the commencement and expiration of such initial terms, including the termination of existing terms to reduce to five the number of directors appointed by the mayor; and vacancies in the positions of such four directors, including those occurring to accommodate appointments by the governor, shall be filled by the governor by appointment for the unexpired terms pursuant to section 3.03 of the Revised Code so long as such agreement remains in effect. All directors shall serve until the expiration of their terms and until their successors are appointed and qualified, except that directors appointed by the governor shall serve only so long as such agreement remains in effect.

Such directors shall serve without compensation, but shall be paid their reasonable, necessary expenses while engaged in the discharge of their official duties, and shall have all the powers and perform all duties conferred or required by law in the government of such university, and the execution of any trust with respect thereto imposed upon the municipal corporation. Such board of directors and university is a public body, both politic and corporate, is performing essential governmental functions and serving public purposes in all matters authorized under the Constitution and laws of this state, and is capable of owning, holding, and transferring property, contracting and being contracted with, suing, being sued on its contracts, and insuring property owned by it or under its control, its activities, and its employees and their activities, as it may determine, all in the name of such university.

Section 3349.03 | Authority and powers of directors of municipal university.
 

The board of directors of a municipal university, college, or other educational institution, as to all matters not otherwise provided by law, has all the authority, power, and control vested in or belonging to such municipal corporation as to the sale, lease, management, and control of the estate, property, and funds, given, transferred, covenanted, or pledged to such municipal corporation for the trusts and purposes relating thereto and the government, conduct, and control of such institution. The board may, unless prohibited by the terms of the trust under which such estate or property is held, sell, or lease perpetually or for any less period and with or without a privilege of purchase at a fixed price, any part or the whole of any such estate or property, and on sale, or on an election to purchase under a lease containing a privilege to purchase, may convey or transfer such estate or property. If any lease with a privilege of purchase at a fixed price has previously been executed and delivered by the board, or any board preceding it in office, for any part or the whole of any such estate or property, such board shall, on an election to purchase under the lease, convey such premises.

All instruments affecting real estate shall be executed on behalf of the board by such of its officers as it designates by resolution, authorizing the execution of such instrument, and all deeds so executed shall convey all the title of the board and of such municipal corporation in and to the real estate so conveyed.

The board may:

(A) Appoint a clerk and all agents proper and necessary for the care and administration of the trust property and the collection of the income, rents, and profits thereof;

(B) Appoint the president, secretaries, professors, tutors, instructors, agents, and servants, necessary and proper for such institution and fix their compensation;

(C) Provide all the necessary buildings, books, apparatus, means, and appliances;

(D) Pass such bylaws, rules, and regulations concerning the president, secretaries, professors, tutors, instructors, agents, and servants, and the admission, government, and tuition of students as are wise and proper;

(E) Delegate and commit the admission, government, management, and control of the students, courses of studies, discipline, and other internal affairs of such institution, by suitable bylaws, to a faculty which the board appoints from among the professors.

Section 3349.04 | Acquisition, construction or improvement of buildings.
 

The board of directors of any municipal university or college may, in addition to all other powers conferred upon it by law, acquire by purchase, lease, or otherwise, and construct, equip, furnish, maintain, renovate, repair, improve, enlarge, remodel, operate, and lease to or from others, buildings, structures, facilities, and sites therefor, together with all appurtenances necessary or convenient to the uses thereof, referred to as "university facilities" in sections 3349.04 and 3349.05 of the Revised Code, for or in connection with the conduct and operation of such municipal university, college, or other educational institution, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, providing facilities, accommodations, and services for its students, faculty members, administrators, and employees, and their families. University facilities shall be subject to sections 153.01 to 153.20, inclusive, of the Revised Code, if the costs thereof are to be paid from moneys appropriated by the general assembly, unless otherwise provided by the applicable appropriation measure.

Section 3349.05 | Financing of university facilities - bonds.
 

To provide all or part of the moneys for acquiring, constructing, equipping, furnishing, repairing, remodeling, renovating, enlarging, and improving university facilities, including costs connected with or incidental thereto and the financing thereof, and to repay or restore moneys borrowed or advanced for such purposes or temporarily used therefor from other funds of such institution, the board of directors of any municipal university, college, or other educational institution may by resolution provide for borrowing money and issuing, on behalf of the municipal corporation with which such institution is identified, bonds, notes, and other evidences of indebtedness, all being referred to in this section as "bonds," secured by a pledge of and lien on such revenues of the institution from the operation or ownership of the university facilities, present or future, designated in said resolution, including but not limited to the university facilities to which the proceeds of such bonds are to be applied, as the board may pledge in said resolution, and the bonds may be secured otherwise or additionally by a pledge of and lien on such rentals, charges, fees, revenues, pledges of gifts, and other receipts of such institution from sources other than taxation, except such taxes as are specifically allocated to such purposes by the taxing authority of such municipal corporation, as the board may designate in such resolution. The bonds may be additionally secured by a covenant of the board to maintain such rates, charges, and fees as will produce revenues sufficient to meet costs of operating, maintaining, and repairing such university facilities and to meet the principal and interest requirements of such bonds and to establish and maintain reserves for the foregoing purposes.

The bonds shall not be general obligations of such municipal corporation, and shall not constitute a debt, or a pledge of the faith and credit, of such municipal corporation, but shall be payable solely from the funds pledged for their payment as authorized by this section, or from funds derived from the issuance of refunding bonds as authorized by this section, which refunding bonds shall be payable solely from the funds pledged to their payment as provided in this section, or, in the case of temporary bonds, may also be payable from the funds derived from the issuance of definitive bonds. All such bonds shall contain on their faces a statement to the effect that the bonds, as to both principal and interest, are not general obligations of such municipal corporation, but are payable solely from the revenues and funds pledged to their payment.

The resolution of the board providing for the issuance or the award of such bonds shall provide for the manner of execution and sealing of the bonds, and for such purpose may provide for the use of facsimile signatures and a facsimile of the seal, and shall further provide the manner of sale of the bonds, and such other terms and conditions relative to the terms of the bonds and the issuance, sale, and retirement of said bonds as such board in its discretion deems reasonable and proper. In case any officer whose signature, or a facsimile of whose signature, appears on any bonds or coupons ceases to be such officer before delivery thereof, such signature or facsimile shall nevertheless be valid and sufficient for all purposes the same as if he had remained in office until such delivery, and in case the seal of such institution has been changed after a facsimile thereof has been imprinted on said bonds, such facsimile seal shall continue to be sufficient for all purposes.

All bonds issued under this section shall have all the qualities and incidents of negotiable instruments under the laws of this state. The bonds may be issued in coupon or in registered form, or both, as the board determines, and provision may be made for the registration of any coupon bonds as to the principal alone and also as to both principal and interest, and for the conversion or reconversion into coupon bonds of any bonds registered as to both principal and interest.

The board may by resolution provide for the issuance of additional bonds from time to time, to be secured equally and ratably, without preference, priority, or distinction, with outstanding bonds, but subject to the terms and limitations of the trust agreement described in this section and of any resolution authorizing bonds then outstanding. The board may by resolution designate additional university facilities the revenues of which shall be pledged and be subject to the lien of bonds theretofore or thereafter issued and to the lien of any trust agreement theretofore authorized by resolution of the board, to the same extent as the revenues or receipts theretofore pledged, and for the purpose of providing such additional security the board may also so designate other or additional fees, charges, revenues, or other receipts of the institution.

In the discretion of the board, any such bonds may be secured by a trust agreement entered into with a corporate trustee, which trustee may be any trust company or bank having powers of a trust company, within or without the state.

The trust agreement may provide for the pledge or assignment of revenues but shall not convey or mortgage any university facility nor pledge the general credit of the municipal corporation with which such institution is identified. The trust agreement or the resolution providing for the issuance or award of the bonds may contain such provisions for protecting and enforcing the rights and remedies of the bondholders as are reasonable and proper and not in violation of law, including covenants setting forth the duties of the board in relation to the acquisition of property, and the construction, improvement, maintenance, repair, operation, and insurance of the university facilities the revenues of which are pledged to secure the bonds, the rates, fees, and charges, to be charged, and the custody, safeguarding, and application of moneys, and provisions for the employment of consulting engineers in connection with the construction, maintenance, or operation of such university facilities. Any bank or trust company incorporated under the laws of this state selected to act as depositary of the proceeds of bonds or of the pledged revenues may furnish such indemnifying bonds or may pledge such securities as are required by the board. The trust agreement or resolution may set forth the rights and remedies of the bondholders and of the trustee, and may restrict the individual right of action by bondholders as is customary in similar trust agreements or trust indentures. The trust agreement or resolution may contain such other provisions as the board deems reasonable and proper for the security of the bondholders. All expenses incurred in carrying out the provisions of any such trust agreement or resolution may be treated as a part of the cost of the operation of such university facilities. The trust agreement or resolution may provide the method whereby the general administrative overhead expense of the institution shall be allocated among the several operations and university facilities of such institution for purposes of determining the operating and maintenance expenses payable from the pledged revenues prior to the charges for debt service, and for other purposes of the trust agreement or resolution.

All the pledged revenues and funds and the proceeds of the bonds are trust funds and, subject to the provisions of this section, shall be held, deposited, invested, reinvested, disbursed, applied, and used to such extent, in such manner, at such times, and for such purposes, as are provided in the trust agreement or resolution authorizing the bonds.

Prior to the preparation of definitive bonds, the board may, under like restrictions, issue notes or temporary bonds with or without coupons, exchangeable for definitive bonds when such bonds have been executed and are available for delivery, or to be retired from the proceeds of the sale of definitive bonds or notes, and in connection therewith may covenant to the effect that such board shall do all things necessary for the issuance of said definitive bonds or notes and shall make such exchange or apply such proceeds at the time or times contemplated.

The board may provide by resolution for the issuance of refunding bonds, payable solely from the revenues and funds pledged to their payment as provided in this section, for the purpose of refunding any bonds then outstanding, including, if so determined by the board, payment of any redemption premium thereon, payment of the principal maturities of any bonds of the series to be refunded maturing prior to the redemption of the remaining bonds of such series, and payment of any interest accrued or to accrue to the maturity or date of redemption of such bonds, together with any expenses incurred or to be incurred in connection with such refunding or the issuance of the refunding bonds. The issuance of such refunding bonds, the terms and details thereof, the rights of the holders thereof, and the rights, duties, and obligations of the issuing institution and its board in respect of such bonds, shall be governed by the provisions of this section insofar as they are applicable.

Section 3349.06 | Bonds are lawful investments.
 

Bonds, notes, and other evidences of indebtedness issued under section 3349.05 of the Revised Code are lawful investments of banks, savings banks, trust companies, savings and loan associations, deposit guarantee associations, trustees, fiduciaries, trustees or other officers having charge of sinking or bond retirement funds of municipal corporations and other subdivisions of this state, and of domestic insurance companies notwithstanding sections 3907.14 and 3925.08 of the Revised Code, and are acceptable as security for deposit of public moneys.

Section 3349.07 | Agreements with United States.
 

The board of directors of any municipal university, college, or other educational institution may in any resolution, include sections 3349.03 to 3349.22, inclusive, of the Revised Code, and may authorize, approve, confirm, or ratify any agreement relating to any such project with the United States government, acting through the reconstruction finance corporation or any other agency designated or created to aid in the financing of such projects, or with any other person, organization, or agency offering grants for or aid in financing such educational facilities. Such agreements may contain such provisions as are necessary, proper, or advisable for the purpose of obtaining grants or loans, or both, or other financial assistance from such person, organization, or agencies, and may contain such provisions as are necessary, proper, or advisable in order to secure the payment of any bonds issued under section 3349.05 of the Revised Code and interest thereon or as may tend to make such bonds more marketable.

Section 3349.08 | Liberal construction of statutes.
 

The powers granted by sections 3349.02 to 3349.22 of the Revised Code shall be liberally construed so that municipal universities, colleges, or other educational institutions may finance the construction, improvement, or enlargement of buildings and other structures, and additions thereto, and acquisition of sites therefor, together with all appurtenances necessary or convenient to the uses thereof, including the equipment thereof, and may qualify for any grants in aid of such purposes which are acceptable to its board of directors. Such powers shall be in addition and supplemental to the powers conferred by any other law, general, special, or local, and such powers may be exercised notwithstanding the requirements, restrictions, limitations, or procedural provisions of such other law. Bonds may be issued under section 3349.05 of the Revised Code without regard to the debt limitations imposed or provided by any such other law, and such bonds shall not be considered in ascertaining the net indebtedness of the municipal corporation in which such institution is located, notwithstanding Chapter 133. of the Revised Code.

Section 3349.09 | Board may confer degrees.
 

The board of directors of any municipal university, college, or other educational institution, upon the recommendation of the faculty thereof, may confer such degrees and honors as are customary in universities and colleges in the United States, and such other degrees and honors as, with reference to the courses of study and attainments of the graduates in special departments, are proper.

Section 3349.10 | Village solicitor or city director of law to act as attorney.
 

The village solicitor or city director of law of a municipal corporation, when requested to do so by the board of directors of a municipal university, college, or other educational institution, shall prosecute and defend for and in behalf of the municipal corporation, all complaints, suits, and controversies in which the municipal corporation or such board is a party, and which relate to any property, funds, trust, claims, estate, or affairs under the control or direction of the board, or which, in any manner, relate to the conduct or government of the institution.

Section 3349.11 | Legislative authority may provide site for municipal university.
 

The legislative authority of any municipal corporation may set apart or appropriate as a site for the buildings and grounds of a municipal university, college, or other educational institution, public grounds of the municipal corporation not especially appropriated or dedicated by ordinance to any other use. The board of education of such a municipal corporation may, for a similar purpose, set apart, convey, or lease for a term of years, any grounds or building owned or controlled by such board.

Section 3349.12 | Modification or change of grant.
 

Any grant for the use of grounds or buildings made by the legislative authority of any municipal corporation or by any board of education may be modified, changed, or extended as to the time it shall take effect and be in force, or otherwise, by agreement between such legislative authority or board of education and the board of directors of such university, college, or other educational institution. Such legislative authority shall be held to be the representative of such municipal corporation vested with the title, right of possession, and control of such property for the purposes of a new grant.

Section 3349.13 | Annual tax levy for municipal university - rate - application of proceeds.
 

The legislative authority of a municipal corporation may annually assess and levy taxes on all the taxable property of such municipal corporation to the amount of ninety-five hundredths of one mill on the dollar valuation thereof, exclusive of the amount required to pay the interest, sinking fund, and retirement charges on all bonds issued for the municipal university, college, or other educational institution, to be applied by the board of directors of such institution to the support thereof, and may also levy and assess annually five one-hundredths of one mill on the dollar valuation thereof, for the establishment and maintenance of an astronomical observatory, or for other scientific purposes, to be determined by the board and to be used in connection with such institution, the proceeds of which shall be applied by the board for such purposes exclusively.

Such taxes shall only be levied and assessed when the chief work of such institution is the maintenance of courses of instruction in advance of or supplementary to the instruction authorized to be maintained in high schools by boards of education.

Such tax levies shall not be subject to any limitations of rates of taxation or maximum rates provided by law, except as provided in this section, and the combined maximum limitations imposed by section 5705.02 of the Revised Code.

Such levies shall be made by the legislative authority at the time and in a similar manner as other levies for municipal purposes, and must be certified by such legislative authority and placed upon the tax duplicate as other municipal levies.

Section 3349.14 | Custody, control, and deposit of funds.
 

The funds of any municipal university, college, or other educational institution shall be paid out by the treasurer of the municipal corporation upon the order of the board of directors of the municipal university, college, or other educational institution and the warrant of the auditor of the municipal corporation. The board may assume control and custody of such funds by adopting a resolution to that effect, whereupon such funds, upon their receipt by the treasurer, shall be paid over by him to the board upon the warrant of the auditor, and thereafter the possession and disbursement of such funds shall be subject to the order of the board.

At any time after such funds have been so paid over by the treasurer to the board, such funds, together with any other moneys coming into the custody and control of the board from any source, may, by resolution of the board, be deposited in a bank situated in the municipal corporation or county, upon similar terms as to surety or security as such funds or other public moneys coming into or remaining in the hands of the treasurer may be deposited in local banks. The board may require such a bank to pay interest thereon.

Section 3349.15 | Construction and improvement of buildings.
 

The taxing authority of a municipal corporation having a university, college, or other such educational institution supported in whole or in part by municipal taxation may provide for the construction, improvement, enlargement, equipping, and furnishing of buildings for such institution. In the use of funds provided for such purposes, whether from taxation or the issue of bonds, all power and control shall be vested in the board of directors of the institution. Such board shall make all contracts necessary for the construction, improvement, enlarging, equipping, and furnishing of the buildings specified and the equipment thereof; supervise their erection, completion, and equipment and issue proper vouchers for the payment out of such fund of money due under such contracts and for any other expenses connected with the erection, completion, and equipment and issue proper vouchers for the payment out of such fund of money due under such contracts and for any other expenses connected with the erection, completion, and equipment of such buildings.

Section 3349.16 | Board of directors may accept educational trusts.
 

The board of directors of a university, college, or other educational institution of any municipal corporation, in the name of and on behalf of the municipal corporation, may accept and take any property or funds given to such corporation for the purpose of founding, maintaining, or aiding a university, college, or institution for the promotion of education, and upon such terms, conditions, and trusts consistent with law as the board deems expedient and proper for that end.

Section 3349.17 | Exemption from taxation.
 

All property, personal, real, or mixed, located within the county in which a university, college, or other educational institution of any municipal corporation is located, given to or received by the board of directors of such a municipal university, college, or other educational institution, the rents, issues, profits, and income of which are used exclusively for the use, endowment, or support of such institution, shall be exempted from taxation so long as such property or the rents, issues, profits, or income thereof is used for and exclusively applied to the endowment or support of such institution.

Section 3349.18 | Application of trust funds.
 

For the further endowment, maintenance, and aid of any municipal university, college, or other educational institution, the board of directors thereof, in the name and in behalf of the municipal corporation, may accept and take as trustee and in trust for such purposes any estate, property, or funds transferred to the municipal corporation for such use by any person or body corporate having them, or any annuity or endowment in the nature of income which may be covenanted or pledged to the municipal corporation for such use by any person or body corporate. Any person or body corporate having and holding any estate, property, or funds in trust or applicable for the promotion of education, or for the advancement of any of the arts or sciences, may convey, assign, and deliver them to such municipal corporation as trustee in its place, or covenant or pledge its income or any part thereof to it. Such estate, property, funds, or income shall be held and applied by such municipal corporation in trust for the further endowment, maintenance, and aid of such university, college, or other educational institution, in accordance with the terms and true intent of any trust or condition upon which they originally were given or held.

Section 3349.19 | Trusteeship to vest in municipal corporation.
 

Upon the transfer and the acceptance of any estate, property, or funds under section 3349.18 of the Revised Code the municipal corporation and its successors, as trustees, shall become and be perpetually obligated and held to observe and execute such trust in all respects according to any other or further terms agreed upon at the time of such transfer and acceptance. Any court having jurisdiction of the appointment of trustees of such trust for educational purposes, in a proceeding therefor, duly instituted and had, may, with the consent of the legislative authority of the municipal corporation, appoint and constitute such municipal corporation trustee of the estate, property, and funds so transferred to it, and dispense with bond and surety upon the part of the municipal corporation for the performance of such trust, unless that is required by the original terms thereof, and upon the due transfer and acceptance of such trust shall release and fully discharge the trustees so transferring it. Any acceptance by such municipal corporation of any property, funds, rights, trust estate, or trusts given, granted, assigned, or otherwise conveyed or transferred to or bestowed upon such a municipal corporation or to or upon such a university, college, or other educational institution in good faith prior to September 16, 1943, and which are still held and retained by such municipal corporation or institution, shall be valid and binding as to all parties.

Section 3349.20 | Accounts of income and expenditures.
 

The accounts of any trust estate, property, and funds referred to by section 3349.18 of the Revised Code and of the income and expenditure thereof, shall be kept by the auditor of the municipal corporation entirely distinct from all other accounts or affairs of the municipal corporation, and the moneys must be kept by the treasurer of the municipal corporation distinct from other moneys. The board of directors of any such municipal university, college, or other educational institution may keep all such accounts and retain the control and custody of such moneys if it, by resolution determines to do so. Such board must at all times confine its disbursements for current expenses within the income of the trust estate, property, and funds, and annually shall report to the mayor and legislative authority of such municipal corporation a full statement of the accounts of administration of such trust and other funds.

Section 3349.21 | Investment of funds.
 

The board of directors of a municipal university, college, or other educational institution may invest and hold any part of the funds belonging to or set apart for the use of such institution or to any department thereof, as it deems proper, in bonds of the United States, or of this state, or of any municipal corporation of this state, or any county, or school district herein, or in bonds of any other state or territory of the United States, or of any municipal corporation, county, or school district in such other state or territory, or in real estate or securities approved by it, and may use any funds, including those arising from sales of any property sold under section 3349.03 of the Revised Code, provided the terms of the trust do not prohibit such use, in the improvement of any real or leasehold estate belonging either to the particular trust of which the property sold was part or to any other trust under its control and management; or in the improvement of any real or leasehold estate set apart for the use of such institution.

Section 3349.22 | Citizens not to be charged.
 

Citizens of municipal corporations in which municipal universities, colleges, or other educational institutions are located shall not be charged for instruction in the academic department, except in professional courses therein. The board of directors of any such institution may charge fees for any purpose to students in other departments and to students in professional courses in the academic department, and may charge fees for purposes other than instruction to students in the academic department. From time to time the board may make such university, college, or educational institution free in any of its departments to citizens of the county in which it is located.

The board may receive other students on such terms as to tuition or otherwise as it sees fit.

Section 3349.23 | Agreement with board of directors of municipal university.
 

In any county in which a municipal university is situated, the county may, or any township or any municipal corporation, together or separately, for no part of which township or municipal corporation an agreement has been entered into under the provisions of section 3349.241 of the Revised Code, may, enter into an agreement with the board of directors of such municipal university for participation by such county, township, or municipal corporation in the development, maintenance, and operation of such municipal university.

Section 3349.24 | County, township, or municipal corporation participation in university - rights and privileges.
 

Any agreement authorized by section 3349.23 of the Revised Code may provide for the amounts of such participation by such county, townships, or municipal corporations in the development, maintenance, and operation of such municipal university, and the rights and privileges to be enjoyed by the county, townships, or municipal corporations and their residents by virtue of such participation, to the end that all residents of said county, townships or municipal corporations shall be entitled to the educational advantages of said municipal university at the same rate of tuition, fees, and other charges as are provided for residents of the municipal corporation in which such university is situated.

Section 3349.241 | Agreement between board of education and board of directors.
 

In any county in which a municipal university is situated the board of education of any school district may enter into an agreement with the board of directors of such municipal university for participation by such school district in the development, maintenance, and operation of such municipal university.

Section 3349.243 | Consolidation of school district terminates agreement.
 

Consolidation of a school district which has entered into an agreement as authorized by section 3349.241 of the Revised Code with any other school district which has not also entered into such agreement with the board of directors of a municipal university for support shall terminate the agreement as of the date of consolidation. Consolidation of two or more school districts which have each entered into an agreement with the board of directors of such municipal university for support shall terminate the agreements of each on the expiration date of the agreement next due to expire. Notwithstanding the termination of any such agreement or agreements, under the provisions of this section, residents of school districts which have entered into such agreements who are enrolled in such university at the time of the termination of such agreements shall continue until the end of the current school term, semester, or quarter, to enjoy the same rights and privileges to the use of the facilities of the university as are available to residents of the municipal corporation in which such university is located.

Section 3349.25 | Municipal university taxing district.
 

For the purpose of levying any tax which may be found necessary to meet fiscal obligations under any agreement authorized by section 3349.23 or section 3349.241 of the Revised Code, that portion of said county lying outside of the corporate limits of such municipality in which the university is situated, when the county enters into such an agreement, or any township, municipal corporation, or school district which enters into such an agreement shall be a taxing district to be known as a municipal university taxing district. The areas composing such a district need not be contiguous. After the establishment of such a taxing district, when the county or any township, municipal corporation, or school district not already constituting a municipal university taxing district enters into such an agreement, for the purpose of levying any tax which may be found necessary to meet the fiscal obligations under any agreement authorized by section 3349.23 or section 3349.241 of the Revised Code, that portion of the county lying outside the limits of an already established municipal university taxing district, or those townships, municipal corporations, or school districts which enter into such agreements, shall be a taxing district to be known as an additional municipal university taxing district.

The board of county commissioners of a county, the board of trustees of a township, the legislative authority of a municipal corporation, or the board of education of a school district entering into an agreement pursuant to sections 3349.23 or 3349.241 of the Revised Code, shall be the taxing authority and shall submit to the electors of said taxing district, in the manner provided by sections 5705.01 to 5705.26, inclusive, of the Revised Code, the question of authorizing the taxing authority to levy a tax for such purpose, within the constitutional ten mill limitation.

In the event such issue is approved by the percentage of vote required in section 5705.26 of the Revised Code the taxing authority of the district shall levy such tax upon all lands within such district, and it shall order from time to time the transfer to the board of directors of the municipal university, by warrant of the auditor, such sums of tax moneys collected as are necessary to meet its obligations under such contract.

The taxing authority for the purposes of the agreement authorized by section 3349.23 or section 3349.241 of the Revised Code may also submit to the electors of such taxing district in the manner provided for by sections 5705.01 to 5705.26, inclusive, of the Revised Code, a proposal to levy a tax outside the ten mill limitation at a specified rate and for a specified period not to exceed five years, but to terminate upon termination of the agreement authorized by section 3349.23 or section 3349.241 of the Revised Code under which the taxing district was established.

Section 3349.26 | Agreements not to limit municipal taxing power.
 

Sections 3349.23 to 3349.25, inclusive, of the Revised Code shall not be construed to limit in any respect the powers of the municipality, or the council wherein such municipal university is located, to provide by tax levy or otherwise for the financial support of such municipal university.

Section 3349.27 | Agreements between boards of municipal educational institutions and state universities.
 

The board of directors of a municipal university, college, or other educational institution, each such institution being referred to as "municipal university" in sections 3349.27 to 3349.30, inclusive, of the Revised Code, and the board of trustees of a state university of this state may enter into agreements providing for the transfer or grant of the use to the state university of all or any part of the estate, property, and funds under the control of the board of directors or otherwise held for the use or benefit or in connection with the conduct of the municipal university, whether held in trust or otherwise, for or in connection with the establishment or conduct by such board of trustees of the state university of an institution of higher education in or in close proximity to the municipal corporation with which such municipal university is identified in order to provide to such municipal corporation and the residents thereof those benefits determined, provided for, or contemplated in such agreement; and said boards may do all things necessary or appropriate to carry out such agreements. The Ohio board of regents may act on behalf of such state university in the making of such agreement in the event that the board of trustees of such state university has not yet been duly constituted, and such agreement shall be binding on such board of trustees when duly constituted.

Section 3349.28 | Further provisions in agreements.
 

Agreements under section 3349.27 of the Revised Code may make further provisions for any one or more of the following as, and in the manner that, the parties thereto may determine:

(A) The continued existence of any schools, colleges, departments, and degree or training programs and courses, whether undergraduate, graduate, professional, adult, community, technical, evening, or otherwise;

(B) The continuation of the use of a name or other designation of any building, property, scholarship, fund, college, professorship, and other matters;

(C) The interim support or assistance of the state university by the municipal corporation by taxes or otherwise to the extent of the benefits to the municipal corporation from said agreement as determined by the legislative authority thereof, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the interim levy and collection of any tax theretofore authorized by the electors of the municipal corporation to be levied for the benefit of the municipal university and for the application of the proceeds of such tax to such purposes of the state university as will best fulfill the purpose of such tax. Such continued support or assistance for a period ending not later than the last day of the calendar year next succeeding that in which the transfer takes place is hereby authorized, and any taxes therefor may be levied pursuant to Chapter 5705. of the Revised Code, or the charter of such municipal corporation.

(D) The assumption, funding, or refunding by the state university of outstanding bonds and other evidences of indebtedness issued by the board of directors of the municipal university and the making of provisions for payment thereof, provided that the same shall not be general obligations of the state and the faith and credit of the state shall not be pledged to the payment thereof, but the same shall continue to be payable only from the revenues pledged thereto pursuant to sections 3349.04 to 3349.08, inclusive, of the Revised Code;

(E) The assumption by the board of trustees of the state university of any contractual obligations, trusts, commitments, and duties incurred or assumed by or on behalf of the board of directors of the municipal university, provided that no contract not specifically assumed by the board of trustees in said agreement or in a separate agreement with a contracting party, shall be binding on the board of trustees of the state university, or the state;

(F) The continuation and the assignment and assumption, of obligations under contracts or other agreements with counties, municipal corporations, townships, and boards of education, provided that the assignment of any such obligation is not binding upon any such county, municipal corporation, township, or board of education unless duly approved on its behalf; and the authority, under the Revised Code, of any such county, municipal corporation, township, and board of education to levy any tax which may be found necessary to meet its obligations under any such contract or agreement with the municipal university is hereby extended to apply to the obligations under any such continued contract or agreement with the state university, or any renewal, modification, or extension thereof or new contract or agreement entered into for the development, maintenance, or operation of the state university by any such county, municipal corporation, township, or board of education, which new contract or agreement is hereby authorized;

(G) The continuation of, including modification or expansion of the scope of, any contracts or other agreements with the municipal corporation with which the municipal university is identified, or with any other political subdivision or taxing district, calling for the rendering of professional and technical services, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, chemical analyses, engineering reports, special library services, and refresher courses for educational personnel;

(H) The transfer to the state university of any appropriations theretofore made by the general assembly for the benefit of the municipal university, subject to the provisions of the appropriation measure;

(I) The retention by the state university, and the status and salaries of, officers, administrators, faculty, and employees of the municipal university;

(J) The pension and retirement rights of officers, administrators, faculty, and employees of the municipal university, as well as other contractual arrangements of the municipal university with such persons;

(K) The time such agreement, or parts thereof, shall take effect;

(L) Procedures for the amendment of the agreement, including designation of the parties to execute or approve such amendments;

(M) Such other provisions as may be deemed necessary or appropriate, including provisions under section 3349.29 of the Revised Code.

Section 3349.281 | Transfer of institution to state not to reduce employee vacation leave.
 

Notwithstanding section 124.13 of the Revised Code, and in accordance with the intent of divisions (I) and (J) of section 3349.28 of the Revised Code, no employee of the university of Cincinnati to whom section 124.13 of the Revised Code is applicable, who became an employee of such state institution prior to the transfer of such institution to the state, shall be entitled to less vacation leave with pay than that employee would have been entitled to had such transfer not occurred.

Section 3349.29 | Agreements to be approved by legislative authority.
 

An agreement made pursuant to sections 3349.27 and 3349.28 of the Revised Code is not effective unless it has been approved by the legislative authority of the municipal corporation with which the municipal university is identified, upon such legislative authority's determination that such agreement will be beneficial to the municipal corporation, and also approved by the Ohio board of regents, and, if required by any applicable appropriation measure, by the state controlling board, and any payment from state tax moneys provided for in the agreement will be subject to appropriations made by the general assembly. If provision is to be made under such agreement for the transfer of, or grant of the right to use, all or a substantial part of the assets of the municipal university to the state university and assumption by the state university of educational functions of the municipal university, such agreement shall not become effective, under sections 3349.27 to 3349.30 of the Revised Code until the electors of the municipal corporation have approved such transfer or grant.

The legislative authority of the municipal corporation shall, by ordinance, submit the question to the electors at a general, primary, or a special election to be held on the date specified in the ordinance. The ordinance shall be certified to the board of elections not later than the forty-fifth day preceding the date of the election. Notice of the election shall be published in one newspaper of general circulation in the municipal corporation once a week for two consecutive weeks or as provided in section 7.16 of the Revised Code, prior to the election. If the board of elections operates and maintains a web site, notice of the election also shall be posted on that web site for thirty days prior to the election. The form of the ballot to be used at the election shall be substantially as follows, with such variations as may be appropriate to reflect the general nature of the transfer or grant of use of assets and the transfer of educational functions contemplated:

"Shall assets of the municipal university known as __________________________ be transferred to (make available for use by) a state university known as ___________________________ and the state university assume educational functions of the municipal university and provide higher education in (or in close proximity to) the city of __________________________ to the residents of the city of ________________________ and of the state of Ohio and such others as shall be admitted?"

The favorable vote of a majority of those voting on the proposition constitutes such approval as is required by this section.

Section 3349.30 | Illegality or invalidity of agreement provisions.
 

In case any covenant, stipulation, obligation, agreement, or action, or part thereof, made, assumed, or taken under sections 3349.27 to 3349.30, inclusive, of the Revised Code is for any reason held to be illegal or invalid, such illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remainder thereof or any other covenant, stipulation, obligation, agreement, action, or part thereof, made, assumed, or taken under said sections, which shall be construed and enforced as if such provision, to the extent invalid or illegal, were not contained therein, and each such covenant, stipulation, obligation, agreement, or other provision, or part thereof, shall be deemed to be made and entered into in the manner and to the full extent permitted by law to accomplish most nearly the intention thereof.

Section 3349.31 | Agreements providing for establishment and operation of affiliated units.
 

The board of directors of a municipal university and the Ohio board of regents may, through their authorized representatives, enter into agreements providing for the establishment and operation or for the continued operation by said board of directors, with the sponsorship and support of the state and the municipal corporation, of one or more colleges, departments, or other instructional units, or portions thereof, referred to as "affiliated units" in sections 3349.31 to 3349.33 of the Revised Code, conditioned upon the continued provision of state financial aid to such municipal university in addition to that provided pursuant to sections 3354.01 to 3354.18 of the Revised Code, and equivalent to that from time to time afforded to state universities on the basis of instructional programs at their main campuses comparable to the affiliated units; provided that the board of regents first determines that such affiliated units are needed for the higher education of the people of the state and that the establishment or continuation of such affiliated units is consistent with the master plan of higher education for the state formulated under section 3333.04 of the Revised Code.

No agreements shall be entered into under this section with respect to any school or college of medicine which is not in compliance with section 3333.11 of the Revised Code.

Section 3349.32 | Further provisions in affiliated unit agreements.
 

Agreements under section 3349.31 of the Revised Code may make further provision for any one or more of the following as, and in the manner that, the parties thereto may determine:

(A) The duration of any such agreement, or additional conditions for terminating the agreement;

(B) The further development of the instructional programs of the affiliated units;

(C) The designation of the university as a state-affiliated institution;

(D) The level of student fees in the affiliated units, subject, however, to other applicable provisions of law and to prior covenants of the board of directors and to such future covenants as may be made under section 3349.05 of the Revised Code or under any other provision of law in connection with the issuance of bonds, notes, or other obligations on behalf of such university;

(E) Conditions for the effectiveness or continued effectiveness of such agreement, which may include conditions, among others, that municipal charter provisions or amendments thereto be made or continue in force, or that municipal support for the university be provided or continued;

(F) Provisions as to the times for commencement and expiration of the terms of the initial members of the board of directors to be appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate as provided in section 3349.02 of the Revised Code, including provision for the termination of existing terms to reduce to five the number of directors appointed by the mayor;

(G) Provisions for capital improvement assistance;

(H) Procedures for the amendment to the agreement, including designation of the parties to approve or execute such amendments;

(I) Such other provisions as may be deemed necessary or appropriate.

Section 3349.33 | Municipal university serving as state-affiliated institution - applicability of laws.
 

The municipal university with which an agreement exists under sections 3349.31 to 3349.33, inclusive, of the Revised Code, shall be deemed to be an instrumentality also of the state serving as a state-affiliated institution for the higher education of the people of the state, provided that the conduct of such university, including its affiliated units, shall in all respects continue to be under applicable provisions of the law governing municipal universities and without limitation of the foregoing. Section 3349.30 of the Revised Code is applicable to sections 3349.31 to 3349.33, inclusive, of the Revised Code, and agreements made thereunder.