The department shall exercise general supervision and control over the sale for any purpose of land granted to the state for educational purposes. It shall be the duty of the department to prepare all reports, data, and information in its records pertaining to any such proposed sale. The department shall have power, if it deems it advisable, to order that any particular sale of such land be held in abeyance pending further inspection and report. The department may cause such further inspection and report of land involved in any proposed sale to be made and for that purpose shall have power to employ its own inspectors, cruisers, and other technical assistants. Upon the basis of such further inspection and report the department shall determine whether or not, and the terms upon which, the proposed sale shall be consummated.