That portion of said university grounds, which was the original gift of about two hundred acres of land made by Ezra Cornell and at that time located in the town of Ithaca in the county of Tompkins, shall not be encumbered, aliened or otherwise disposed of by the said trustees, or by any other person, except on terms such as the legislature of the state of New York shall have approved, and any act of the said trustees, or that of any other person which shall have that effect, shall be void; except, that Cornell University is hereby authorized to mortgage, or convey such part of the aforesaid lands of said university as it may deem necessary to enable it to obtain needed loans, advances, or financing for the construction of a housing unit including all necessary and usual attendant and related facilities and equipment erected for the use of students, an academic building, library, laboratory, classroom or other building or structure essential, necessary or useful for instruction in the academic program upon the following terms:
N.Y. Educ. Law § 5706