Section 49. The administrator shall cooperate with degree-granting institutions of higher education which offer programs designed to enable students enrolled therein to be employed in positions appropriate to their major academic interests. The employment by a city or town of any such student in any such position shall not be subject to the civil service law and rules if (1) the institution notifies the administrator in writing that such student is enrolled therein under such a program and (2) such employment is for a stated and limited time.

An appointing authority, in its discretion, may make an appointment either subject to or exempt from the civil service law and rules to any of the following positions in the service of the commonwealth: adjutant; assistant adjutant; director of business services and director of engineering services at the soldiers' home in Massachusetts; business manager; regional business manager; steward; and treasurer. No person employed in any such position following an appointment thereto exempt from the civil service law and rules shall be regarded as a tenured employee therein. If a tenured employee in a departmental unit under the supervision and control of such appointing authority accepts such an exempt appointment, he shall be notified in writing by the appointing authority that his civil service status will terminate upon the effective date of such appointment.

Each officer, board and commission appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the council, having supervision and control of an executive or administrative department, board or commission of a municipality, may appoint and remove a person to serve as its confidential secretary. Such confidential secretary shall receive such compensation as shall be fixed by said officer, board or commission, and his appointment and employment shall be exempt from the application of the civil service law and rules.