S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7808
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             December 13, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing an exper-
   iential learning degree requirement in 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. Legislative  findings  and  intent.  Experiential  learning
 encompasses  service-learning  activities,  paid  or unpaid internships,
 research projects, and other programs that  allow  students  to  develop
 work  experience  and practical skills necessary for life after college.
 Students who participate in internships, for example, are 15% less like-
 ly to be unemployed in the first years after graduation and earn 6% more
 than students who did not participate in internships. Despite the proven
 benefits of experiential learning, not all students have access to these
 programs, and students from disadvantaged backgrounds are the most like-
 ly to miss out.  This  legislation  is  necessary  to  ensure  that  all
 students  at the state university of New York and the city university of
 New York are able to participate  in  experiential  learning,  enhancing
 their education and preparing them for careers after college.
   §  2.  Subdivision 2 of section 355 of the education law is amended by
 adding a new paragraph f-3 to read as follows:
   F-3. (1) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY LAW, RULE OR REGULATION TO THE  CONTRARY,
 THE  STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK BOARD OF TRUSTEES SHALL DEVELOP A PLAN
 FOR REQUIRING THAT ALL STUDENTS COMPLETE  AN  APPROVED  EXPERIENTIAL  OR
 APPLIED  LEARNING ACTIVITY, AS DEFINED IN PARAGRAPH F-1 OF THIS SUBDIVI-
 SION, AS A REQUIREMENT FOR ALL DEGREE PROGRAMS.
   (2) SUCH PLAN SHALL:
   (I) DEFINE APPROVED EXPERIENTIAL OR APPLIED LEARNING ACTIVITIES;
   (II) DEFINE METHODS OF FACULTY OVERSIGHT AND ASSESSMENT;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13741-01-3
 S. 7808                             2
              

 
   (III) PROVIDE FOR  THE  IMPLEMENTATION  OF  AN  EXPERIENTIAL  LEARNING
 DEGREE REQUIREMENT IN ALL DEGREE PROGRAMS IN THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW
 YORK BY NO LATER THAN JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN.
   (3)  SUCH  PLAN  MAY,  IF  DEEMED  NECESSARY BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES,
 INCLUDE A  WAIVER  PROCESS  THROUGH  WHICH  A  STUDENT  CAN  REQUEST  AN
 EXEMPTION  FROM  THE  EXPERIENTIAL  LEARNING  DEGREE  REQUIREMENT DUE TO
 DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL HARDSHIP OR EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES.
   (4) WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS PARAGRAPH, THE BOARD
 OF TRUSTEES SHALL SUBMIT A WRITTEN REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY
 PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, DETAILING  THE
 PLAN ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS PARAGRAPH.
   §  3.  Section  6206  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 18-a to read as follows:
   18-A. A. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY LAW, RULE OR REGULATION TO THE  CONTRARY,
 THE  CITY  UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK BOARD OF TRUSTEES SHALL DEVELOP A PLAN
 FOR REQUIRING THAT ALL STUDENTS COMPLETE  AN  APPROVED  EXPERIENTIAL  OR
 APPLIED  LEARNING  ACTIVITY,  AS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION EIGHTEEN OF THIS
 SECTION, AS A REQUIREMENT FOR ALL DEGREE PROGRAMS.
   B. SUCH PLAN SHALL:
   (I) DEFINE APPROVED EXPERIENTIAL OR APPLIED LEARNING ACTIVITIES;
   (II) DEFINE METHODS OF FACULTY OVERSIGHT AND ASSESSMENT;
   (III) PROVIDE FOR  THE  IMPLEMENTATION  OF  AN  EXPERIENTIAL  LEARNING
 DEGREE  REQUIREMENT IN ALL DEGREE PROGRAMS IN THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW
 YORK BY NO LATER THAN JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN.
   C. SUCH PLAN MAY, IF  DEEMED  NECESSARY  BY  THE  BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES,
 INCLUDE  A  WAIVER  PROCESS  THROUGH  WHICH  A  STUDENT  CAN  REQUEST AN
 EXEMPTION FROM THE  EXPERIENTIAL  LEARNING  DEGREE  REQUIREMENT  DUE  TO
 DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL HARDSHIP OR EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES.
   D.  WITHIN  ONE  YEAR  OF  THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBDIVISION, THE
 BOARD OF TRUSTEES SHALL SUBMIT A WRITTEN REPORT  TO  THE  GOVERNOR,  THE
 TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  SENATE,  AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY,
 DETAILING THE PLAN ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.