Assembly Bill A10720

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10720
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 27, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. BURKE -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the  education  law,  in  relation  to  requiring  state
   university  councils  to include the institution's faculty and profes-
   sional staff
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Subdivision  1  of  section  356 of the education law, as
 amended by chapter 552 of the laws  of  1985,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   1.  Subject  to the general management, supervision and control of and
 in accordance with rules established by the state  university  trustees,
 the  operations  and  affairs  of each state-operated institution of the
 state university shall be supervised locally by a council consisting  of
 [ten]  TWELVE  members,  nine of whom shall be appointed by the governor
 [and], one of whom shall be elected by and from among  the  students  of
 the  institution,  ONE  OF WHOM SHALL BE A FACULTY MEMBER ELECTED BY THE
 CAMPUS' FACULTY SENATE OR FACULTY-PROFESSIONAL STAFF  SENATE,  DEPENDENT
 ON THE SHARED GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE OF THAT CAMPUS, AND ONE OF WHOM SHALL
 BE A PROFESSIONAL STAFF MEMBER ELECTED BY THE CAMPUS' PROFESSIONAL STAFF
 SENATE,  FACULTY  SENATE  OR  FACULTY-PROFESSIONAL  STAFF SENATE.   Such
 voting members shall be subject  to  every  provision  of  any  general,
 special  or  local  law,  ordinance,  charter,  code, rule or regulation
 applying to the voting  members  of  such  board  with  respect  to  the
 discharge   of  their  duties  including,  but  not  limited  to,  those
 provisions setting forth codes of ethics,  disclosure  requirements  and
 prohibiting  business  and  professional activities. The election of the
 student member shall be conducted in accordance  with  rules  and  regu-
 lations  promulgated  by  the  respective  representative campus student
 association in accordance  with  guidelines  established  by  the  state
 university  trustees.  One member shall be designated by the governor as
 [chairman] THE CHAIR.  Where an undergraduate state-operated institution
 of the state university is located adjacent to  another  institution  of
 higher  education  and  students  of  such  undergraduate state-operated
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14208-04-6
 A. 10720                            2
 
 institution are, under arrangements made by the state university, taking
 a substantial portion of their courses at such  other  institution,  the
 president or other head of such other institution shall be an ex-officio
 member of the council for such undergraduate state-operated institution.
 Initial  appointments,  other  than  the  student  member and ex-officio
 members, shall be  for  terms  expiring  July  first,  nineteen  hundred
 fifty-four,  July  first, nineteen hundred fifty-five, July first, nine-
 teen hundred fifty-six, July first, nineteen hundred  fifty-seven,  July
 first,  nineteen  hundred  fifty-eight,  July  first,  nineteen  hundred
 fifty-nine, July first, nineteen hundred  sixty,  July  first,  nineteen
 hundred  sixty-one and, where there is no ex-officio member, July first,
 nineteen hundred sixty-two, respectively, and  subsequent  appointments,
 other  than  the  student member, shall be for a full term of nine years
 from the first day of July of the calendar year in which the appointment
 is made. Vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term  in  the  same
 manner  as  original  selections.  The  term  of office for each council
 member appointed on or after April first,  nineteen  hundred  eighty-six
 shall be seven years. The term of office for the student member shall be
 one  year  commencing  July  first  of  the  calendar  year in which the
 election is conducted, provided, however, that the term of  the  student
 member  first  elected  shall  be  nine months commencing October first,
 nineteen hundred seventy-five  and  expiring  June  thirtieth,  nineteen
 hundred seventy-six. In the event that the student member ceases to be a
 student  at  the  institution,  such member shall be required to resign.
 Members of such councils appointed by the governor may be removed by the
 governor. Members of such councils elected by the students of the insti-
 tution may be removed by such students  in  accordance  with  rules  and
 regulations  promulgated by the respective representative campus student
 association in accordance  with  guidelines  promulgated  by  the  state
 university  trustees.  Members of such councils shall receive no compen-
 sation for their services but shall be reimbursed for the expenses actu-
 ally and necessarily incurred by them in the performance of their duties
 hereunder.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.