photo by: University of Kansas

The skyline of the University of Kansas is pictured.

The University of Kansas along with three other state universities are forging ahead under a new state law that will allow them to lease their property without the approval of the Kansas Board of Regents.

KU, Kansas State, Wichita State University and Pittsburg State University have all submitted policies for consideration to the board. The proposed drafts establish new frameworks on how each university could lease its facilities.

Regents will consider those policies on Wednesday. If approved, the four universities will be exempt from requiring the approval of the board with each contract to lease land on their property.

The two other state universities under the Regents’ jurisdiction — Emporia State University and Fort Hays State University — have not submitted policies. All six major universities governed by the Regents have the right to submit such policies for consideration under the new law.

The driving force behind the changes is a House bill that was signed into law in April. In addition to universities being able to enter into contracts related to leasing, the bill also allows them to independently procure goods and services tied to their properties and gives them the right to grant easements on any land they own.

Regents staff issued unofficial guidelines to universities that are interested in setting up their own policies. In part, the guidelines state that universities are expected to ensure that they don’t lease state property below market value, and that each lease be approved by the university’s general counsel. Any grants of easements will also need to get the approval of the general counsel.

Regents will consider the policies on Wednesday, but it isn’t clear whether they will vote to approve them or not.

IN OTHER BUSINESS

• Regents also are expected to take action on its appropriations request from the state legislature for fiscal year 2028. One item that is expected to come up for discussion includes a one-time funding appropriation request for $20 million to renovate and modernize the Military Science building and the ROTC Facility at KU, though no additional details were provided. The Military Science building, located on Summerfield Hall Drive at the heart of campus, was built in 1943. It houses the corps’ programs, a rifle range and artillery storage, a drill room, classrooms and offices.

• Regents will also consider a request by KU leaders to allow the university to divest itself from approximately 50,000 square feet of property at three of its existing buildings. KU will ask the Regents to approve the transfer of ownership of buildings A, B, and C of the Life Science Research Labs complex, about three miles west of campus on Wakarusa Drive, to the KU Center for Research. The complex serves as the headquarters and laboratories of KU’s Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis. The center for research donated the three buildings to the Board of Regents in 2008. Since then, however, the center has continued to occupy them and use them for their own purposes. KU maintains that the transfer of ownership will help the center to expand its portfolio of buildings to support their long-term goals. It also says that, though it provides facilities management to the buildings, they now have reached their “end of life and require significant capital investment,” according to documents attached to Wednesday’s agenda. “KU can no longer afford to maintain the buildings and requests to transfer them back to (the KU Center for Research).” Regents are expected to approve the request.