(a) Except as otherwise provided by law, appointments of the University System of Maryland are not subject to or controlled by the provisions of the State Personnel and Pensions Article that govern the State Personnel Management System.
(b) In accordance with the requirements of Title 3 of the State Personnel and Pensions Article, the Board of Regents shall establish general policies and guidelines governing the appointment, compensation, advancement, tenure, and termination of all regular full–time and part–time personnel.
(c) The policies established under subsection (b) of this section shall include consideration of hiring a contractual employee to fill a vacant position in the same or similar classification in which the contractual employee is employed.