Assembly Bill A10699

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  10699

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              June 15, 2012
                               ___________

Introduced  by  COMMITTEE  ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Glick) --
  read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a student
  complaint system for the state university of New  York  and  the  city
  university of New York

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section  239-b
to read as follows:
  S  239-B. STUDENT COMPLAINT TRACKING SYSTEM. 1. ESTABLISHMENT.  WITHIN
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DAYS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF  THIS  SECTION,  THE
CHANCELLOR  SHALL  ESTABLISH  A  SYSTEM  TO  COLLECT, PROCESS, AND TRACK
COMPLAINTS SUBMITTED TO THE CHANCELLOR BY INDIVIDUALS WHO  ARE  ENROLLED
IN  PROGRAMS  OF  EDUCATION  WITHIN THE STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM. FOR THE
PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, A "STUDENT COMPLAINT" SHALL BE DEFINED  AS  AN
EXPRESSION  OF  DISSATISFACTION  WITHIN  THE UNIVERSITY WHICH EXPLICITLY
EXPECTS AN ACTIONABLE RESPONSE OR RESOLUTION THAT IS THE  RESULT  OF  AN
ACTION OR INACTION UNDERTAKEN BY THE UNIVERSITY.
  2.  REQUIREMENTS.  THE  COMPLAINT SYSTEM ESTABLISHED UNDER SUBDIVISION
ONE OF THIS SECTION SHALL: (A) CREATE AN INDIVIDUAL CASE NUMBER FOR EACH
COMPLAINT PROCESSED AND TRACKED IN THE SYSTEM; (B) ALLOW FOR THE REPORT-
ING OF COMPLAINTS, DISAGGREGATED BY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION;  (C)  ALLOW
FOR  THE  REPORTING  OF  COMPLAINTS,  DISAGGREGATED  BY TOPIC OR SUBJECT
MATTER; (D) ALLOW FOR THE SUBMITTAL OF COMPLAINTS BY VARIOUS METHODS  TO
INSURE  THE ABILITY OF ALL STUDENTS TO REASONABLY FILE THEIR COMPLAINTS,
WHICH CAN INCLUDE  (I)  INTERNET  WEBSITE;  AND  (II)  TELEPHONE  VIA  A
TOLL-FREE  NUMBER;  (E) ALLOW FOR THE SHARING OF COMPLAINTS WITH (I) THE
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE THE SUBJECTS OF THE  COMPLAINTS,  (II)
THE  COMMISSIONER,  AND  (III) AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVES OF FACULTY AND
STUDENTS OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM.
  3.  PRIVACY.  COMPLAINTS  SHARED  SHALL  BE  ANONYMIZED,  UNLESS   THE
COMPLAINANT   GIVES   PERMISSION   TO   THE   CHANCELLOR  TO  SHARE  THE
COMPLAINANT'S IDENTITY.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD16169-04-2
              

A. 10699                            2

  4. PREPARATION AND  DISTRIBUTION  OF  REPORTS.  THE  CHANCELLOR  SHALL
SUBMIT  A BIENNIAL REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE DESCRIBING THE
PROGRESS OF THE STUDENT COMPLAINT TRACKING SYSTEM, THE NATURE AND NUMBER
OF COMPLAINTS, AND WHERE APPROPRIATE, THE ACTIONS TAKEN TO  RESOLVE  THE
COMPLAINTS.
  S  2.  The  education law is amended by adding a new section 6206-a to
read as follows:
  S 6206-A. STUDENT COMPLAINT TRACKING SYSTEM. 1. ESTABLISHMENT.  WITHIN
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DAYS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF  THIS  SECTION,  THE
BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES  SHALL  ESTABLISH  A SYSTEM TO COLLECT, PROCESS, AND
TRACK COMPLAINTS SUBMITTED TO THE  CHANCELLOR  BY  INDIVIDUALS  WHO  ARE
ENROLLED IN PROGRAMS OF EDUCATION WITHIN THE CITY UNIVERSITY SYSTEM. FOR
THE  PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, A "STUDENT COMPLAINT" SHALL BE DEFINED AS
AN EXPRESSION OF DISSATISFACTION WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY WHICH  EXPLICITLY
EXPECTS  AN  ACTIONABLE  RESPONSE OR RESOLUTION THAT IS THE RESULT OF AN
ACTION OR INACTION UNDERTAKEN BY THE UNIVERSITY.
  2. REQUIREMENTS. THE COMPLAINT SYSTEM  ESTABLISHED  UNDER  SUBDIVISION
ONE OF THIS SECTION SHALL: (A) CREATE AN INDIVIDUAL CASE NUMBER FOR EACH
COMPLAINT PROCESSED AND TRACKED IN THE SYSTEM; (B) ALLOW FOR THE REPORT-
ING  OF  COMPLAINTS, DISAGGREGATED BY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION; (C) ALLOW
FOR THE REPORTING OF  COMPLAINTS,  DISAGGREGATED  BY  TOPIC  OR  SUBJECT
MATTER;  (D) ALLOW FOR THE SUBMITTAL OF COMPLAINTS BY VARIOUS METHODS TO
INSURE THE ABILITY OF ALL STUDENTS TO REASONABLY FILE THEIR  COMPLAINTS,
WHICH  CAN  INCLUDE  (I)  INTERNET  WEBSITE;  AND  (II)  TELEPHONE VIA A
TOLL-FREE NUMBER; (E) ALLOW FOR THE SHARING OF COMPLAINTS WITH  (I)  THE
EDUCATIONAL  INSTITUTIONS  THAT ARE THE SUBJECTS OF THE COMPLAINTS, (II)
THE COMMISSIONER, AND (III) AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVES  OF  FACULTY  AND
STUDENTS OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY SYSTEM.
  3.   PRIVACY.  COMPLAINTS  SHARED  SHALL  BE  ANONYMIZED,  UNLESS  THE
COMPLAINANT  GIVES  PERMISSION  TO   THE   CHANCELLOR   TO   SHARE   THE
COMPLAINANT'S IDENTITY.
  4.  PREPARATION  AND  DISTRIBUTION  OF  REPORTS.  THE CHANCELLOR SHALL
SUBMIT A BIENNIAL REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE DESCRIBING  THE
PROGRESS OF THE STUDENT COMPLAINT TRACKING SYSTEM, THE NATURE AND NUMBER
OF  COMPLAINTS,  AND WHERE APPROPRIATE, THE ACTIONS TAKEN TO RESOLVE THE
COMPLAINTS.
  S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.