S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
9861
I N S E N A T E
April 9, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to including a faculty or
staff member on the board of trustees of community colleges
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The opening paragraph of subdivision 1 of section 6306 of
the education law, as amended by chapter 268 of the laws of 2003, is
amended to read as follows:
Each community college, except in the city of New York, shall be
administered by a board of trustees of [ten] ELEVEN members, nine of
whom shall be appointed for terms of seven years in annual rotation, and
[one member] TWO MEMBERS elected as herein provided, except that initial
appointments shall be made for terms of one to nine years respectively.
Five members shall be appointed by the local legislative body or board,
or other appropriate governing agency, one of whom may be a member of
such local legislative body or board, or other appropriate governing
agency, four, from among persons residing in the sponsoring community,
by the governor and one member elected by and from among the students of
the college who shall serve as a member of the board for a one-year
term, provided, however, that the term of the student member first
elected shall be nine months commencing October first, nineteen hundred
seventy-five, AND ONE OF WHOM SHALL BE ELECTED BY AND FROM AMONG THE
FACULTY AND STAFF OF THE COLLEGE, EX-OFFICIO AND NON-VOTING, WHO SHALL
SERVE A TWO-YEAR TERM, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE TERM OF THE FACULTY
OR STAFF MEMBER FIRST ELECTED SHALL COMMENCE JULY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND
TWENTY-SEVEN. The FACULTY OR STAFF MEMBER AND student member shall be
afforded the same parliamentary privileges as are conferred upon voting
members, including but not limited to the right to make and second
motions and to place items on the agenda. Such FACULTY OR STAFF AND
student [member] MEMBERS shall be subject to every provision of any
general, special or local law, ordinance, charter, code, rule or regu-
lation applying to the members of such board with respect to the
discharge of their duties including, but not limited to, those
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00418-06-6
S. 9861 2
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. THE ELECTION OF THE FACULTY OR STAFF MEMBER SHALL
BE CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULES AND REGULATIONS PROMULGATED BY THE
LARGEST FACULTY ORGANIZATION ON EACH CAMPUS. In the event that the
student member ceases to be a student at the institution, [he] THEY
shall be required to resign. IN THE EVENT THAT THE FACULTY OR STAFF
MEMBER CEASES TO BE AN EMPLOYEE AT THE INSTITUTION, THEY SHALL BE
REQUIRED TO RESIGN. The governor's initial appointments shall be for
terms of two, four, six and eight years respectively and those by local
authorities for terms of one, three, five, seven and nine years respec-
tively. Vacancies shall be filled for unexpired terms in the same manner
as original selections by the authority responsible for the original
selection. The board shall select its own [chairman] CHAIR from among
its voting membership. Where two or more local sponsors join in the
establishment of a community college, the apportionment of the appoint-
ments among them shall be made by the state university trustees. Trus-
tees shall receive no compensation for their services but shall be reim-
bursed for their expenses actually and necessarily incurred by them in
the performance of their duties under this article. Members initially
appointed or elected under this subdivision to the board of trustees of
any community college hereafter established shall take office immediate-
ly upon their selection and qualification, but for purposes of determin-
ing the expiration of their respective terms and the commencement of the
terms of their successors, the term of office of each such initial
member shall be deemed to have commenced on the first day of July of the
year in which such college was established. The terms of office of all
members of the boards of trustees of community colleges heretofore
established, appointed or elected as provided in this subdivision, shall
terminate on the thirtieth day of June of the calendar year within which
such terms expire under the provisions of this subdivision as hereby
amended. For the purpose of determining such year all initial terms of
office of appointed members of the boards of trustees of community
colleges heretofore established shall be deemed to have commenced on the
first day of July of the year in which such colleges were established
and the terms of their successors for full terms, if any, shall be
deemed to have commenced upon the expiration of the number of years from
such date for which such initial appointments were made.
§ 2. Subdivision 3-a of section 6306 of the education law, as added by
chapter 319 of the laws of 2008, is amended to read as follows:
3-a. [(a)] Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivisions one and
three of this section, effective July first, two thousand [eight] TWEN-
TY-SEVEN, the fashion institute of technology shall be administered by a
board of trustees of [twelve] SEVENTEEN members. [Six] EIGHT members
shall be appointed by the local sponsor, one of whom may be a member of
such sponsor; [five] SEVEN members shall be appointed by the governor
from among persons who reside in the city of New York; [and] one member
shall be elected by and from among the students of the fashion institute
of technology[.
(b) The provisions of subdivisions one and three of this section
notwithstanding, effective July first, two thousand nine, the fashion
institute of technology shall be administered by a board of trustees of
fourteen members. Seven members shall be appointed by the local sponsor,
S. 9861 3
one of whom may be a member of such sponsor; six members shall be
appointed by the governor from among persons who reside in the city of
New York; and one member shall be elected by and from among the students
of the fashion institute of technology.
(c) The provisions of subdivisions one and three of this section
notwithstanding, effective July first, two thousand ten, the fashion
institute of technology shall be administered by a board of trustees of
sixteen members. Eight members shall be appointed by the local sponsor,
one of whom may be a member of such sponsor; seven members shall be
appointed by the governor from among persons who reside in the city of
New York; and one member shall be elected by and from among the students
of the fashion institute of technology] WHO SHALL SERVE AS A MEMBER OF
THE BOARD FOR A ONE-YEAR TERM; AND ONE OF WHOM SHALL BE ELECTED BY AND
FROM AMONG THE FACULTY AND STAFF OF THE COLLEGE, EX-OFFICIO AND NON-VOT-
ING, WHO SHALL SERVE A TWO-YEAR TERM, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE TERM
OF THE FACULTY OR STAFF MEMBER FIRST ELECTED SHALL COMMENCE JULY FIRST,
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN. THE FACULTY OR STAFF MEMBER AND STUDENT
MEMBER SHALL BE AFFORDED THE SAME PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGES AS ARE
CONFERRED UPON VOTING MEMBERS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE RIGHT TO
MAKE AND SECOND MOTIONS AND TO PLACE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. SUCH FACULTY
OR STAFF AND STUDENT MEMBERS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO EVERY PROVISION OF ANY
GENERAL, SPECIAL OR LOCAL LAW, ORDINANCE, CHARTER, CODE, RULE OR REGU-
LATION APPLYING TO THE 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. THE ELECTION OF THE FACULTY OR STAFF MEMBER SHALL
BE CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULES AND REGULATIONS PROMULGATED BY THE
LARGEST FACULTY ORGANIZATION ON EACH CAMPUS. IN THE EVENT THAT THE
STUDENT MEMBER CEASES TO BE A STUDENT AT THE INSTITUTION, THEY SHALL BE
REQUIRED TO RESIGN. IN THE EVENT THAT THE FACULTY OR STAFF MEMBER CEASES
TO BE AN EMPLOYEE AT THE INSTITUTION, THEY SHALL BE REQUIRED TO RESIGN.
§ 3. Subdivisions 1 and 1-a of section 6310 of the education law,
subdivision 1 as amended by chapter 268 of the laws of 2003, and subdi-
vision 1-a as added by chapter 144 of the laws of 1996, are amended to
read as follows:
1. Each community college region and community college sponsored by
such region shall be administered by a single board of trustees of
[fourteen] FIFTEEN members, thirteen of whom shall be appointed for
terms of seven years, as set forth in this subdivision, and one member
elected as herein provided, except that initial appointments shall be
made for terms of one to nine years respectively. Seven members shall be
appointed by the local legislative bodies or boards of those counties
eligible to appoint members to the community college regional board of
trustees. The seven locally appointed members of such board may include
one member from the local legislative body or board of each county
eligible to appoint members to the community college regional board of
trustees. Membership in a community college regional board of trustees
shall be apportioned among the counties participating in such board in
accordance with the number of full-time equivalent students attending a
community college sponsored by such regional board who are residents of
the respective participating counties, and in accordance with such
further regulations as may be prescribed by the state university trus-
S. 9861 4
tees. Six members shall be appointed by the governor [and], one member
SHALL BE elected by and from among the students of the college who shall
serve as a member of the board for a one-year term, provided, however,
that the term of the student member first elected shall be nine months
commencing October first, nineteen hundred eighty-four, AND ONE MEMBER
WHO SHALL BE ELECTED BY AND FROM AMONG THE FACULTY AND STAFF OF THE
COLLEGE, EX-OFFICIO AND NON-VOTING, WHO SHALL SERVE A TWO-YEAR TERM,
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE TERM OF THE FACULTY OR STAFF MEMBER FIRST
ELECTED SHALL COMMENCE JULY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN. The
FACULTY OR STAFF AND student [member] MEMBERS shall be afforded the same
parliamentary privileges as are conferred upon members, including but
not limited to the right to make and second motions and to place items
on the agenda. Such FACULTY OR STAFF AND student [member] MEMBERS shall
be subject to every provision of any general, special or local law,
ordinance, charter, code, rule or regulation applying to the members of
such board with respect to the discharge of their duties including, but
not limited to, those provisions setting forth codes of ethics, disclo-
sure requirements and prohibiting business and professional activities.
The election of the student member shall be conducted in accordance with
rules and regulations promulgated by the respective representative
campus student association in accordance with guidelines established by
the state university trustees. THE ELECTION OF THE FACULTY OR STAFF
MEMBER SHALL BE CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULES AND REGULATIONS
PROMULGATED BY THE LARGEST FACULTY ORGANIZATION ON EACH CAMPUS. In the
event that the student member ceases to be a student at the institution,
[he] THEY shall be required to resign. IN THE EVENT THAT THE FACULTY OR
STAFF MEMBER CEASES TO BE AN EMPLOYEE AT THE INSTITUTION, THEY SHALL BE
REQUIRED TO RESIGN. The governor's initial appointments shall be as
follows: (a) two individuals shall be appointed for terms of two and
four years respectively; (b) two individuals for terms of six years and
two individuals for terms of eight years. Appointments by local authori-
ties shall be as follows: (a) three individuals for terms of one, three
and five years, respectively; (b) two individuals for terms of seven
years, and two individuals for terms of nine years. Vacancies shall be
filled for unexpired terms in the same manner as original selections by
the authority responsible for the original selection. The board shall
select its own [chairman] CHAIR from among its voting membership. Trus-
tees shall receive no compensation for their services but shall be reim-
bursed for their expenses actually and necessarily incurred by them in
the performance of their duties under this article. Members initially
appointed or elected under this subdivision to any community college
regional board of trustees hereafter established shall take office imme-
diately upon their selection and qualification, but for purposes of
determining the expiration of their respective terms and the commence-
ment of the terms of their successors, the term of office of each such
initial member shall be deemed to have commenced on the first day of
July of the year in which such college was established. The terms of
office of all members of community college regional boards of trustees
heretofore established, appointed or elected as provided in this subdi-
vision, shall terminate on the thirtieth day of June of the calendar
year within which such terms expire under the provisions of this subdi-
vision as hereby amended. For the purpose of determining such year all
initial terms of office of appointed members of the community college
regional board of trustees heretofore established shall be deemed to
have commenced on the first day of July of the year in which such commu-
nity college regions were established and the terms of their successors
S. 9861 5
for full terms, if any, shall be deemed to have commenced upon the expi-
ration of the number of years from such date for which such initial
appointments were made.
The one member elected by and from among the students of the college
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 trus-
tees.
1-a. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision one of this
section, a community college region established to operate as local
sponsor of Jamestown community college shall be administered by a single
board of trustees of [fifteen] SIXTEEN members, fourteen of whom shall
be appointed for terms of seven years, except that the initial appoint-
ments shall be made as set forth in this subdivision, [and] one member
who shall be elected by and from among the students of the college and
shall serve as set forth in subdivision one of this section, AND ONE
MEMBER WHO SHALL BE ELECTED BY AND FROM AMONG THE FACULTY AND STAFF OF
THE COLLEGE AND SHALL SERVE AS SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS
SECTION. Eight members shall be appointed by the local governing bodies
of the counties and city eligible to appoint members to the Jamestown
community college regional board of trustees, and six members shall be
appointed by the governor. The eight locally appointed members of such
board may include one member appointed from among the local governing
bodies of the counties or city eligible to appoint members to the
regional board of trustees. Membership in the Jamestown community
college regional board of trustees shall be apportioned in accordance
with the number of full-time equivalent students attending the community
college who are residents of the respective participating counties or
city, and in accordance with such further regulations as may be
prescribed by the state university trustees.
Upon the effective date of this subdivision, and notwithstanding any
inconsistent provision of any other law, the current Jamestown community
college board of trustees shall be redesignated the Jamestown community
college regional board of trustees and the terms of the current members
of the Jamestown community college board of trustees shall continue
until their expiration or termination as provided by section sixty-three
hundred six of this chapter. The governor's initial appointments to the
Jamestown community college regional board of trustees shall be as
follows: one individual shall be appointed for a term of three years,
and one individual shall be appointed for a term of five years. Initial
appointments by the local authorities shall be as follows: one individ-
ual shall be appointed for a term of two years, one individual shall be
appointed for a term of four years, and one individual shall be
appointed for a term of six years. Vacancies shall be filled for unex-
pired terms in the same manner as original selections by the authority
responsible for the original selection. The board shall select its own
[chairman] CHAIR from among its voting membership. Trustees shall
receive no compensation for their services but shall be reimbursed for
their expenses actually and necessarily incurred by them in the perform-
ance of their duties under this article. Members initially appointed or
elected under this subdivision to any community college regional board
of trustees hereafter established shall take office immediately upon
their selection and qualification, but for purposes of determining the
expiration of their respective terms and the commencement of the terms
of their successors, the term of office of each such initial member
shall be deemed to have commenced on the first day of July of the year
S. 9861 6
in which such college was established. The terms of office of all
members of community college regional boards of trustees heretofore
established, appointed or elected as provided in this subdivision, shall
terminate on the thirtieth day of June of the calendar year within which
such terms expire under the provisions of this subdivision as hereby
amended. For the purpose of determining such year, all initial terms of
office of appointed members of the community college regional board of
trustees heretofore established and the terms of their successors for
full terms, if any, shall be deemed to have commenced upon the expira-
tion of the number of years from such date for which such initial
appointments were made.
The one member elected by and from among the students of the college
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 trus-
tees.
IN THE EVENT THAT THE STUDENT MEMBER CEASES TO BE A STUDENT AT THE
INSTITUTION, THEY SHALL BE REQUIRED TO RESIGN. IN THE EVENT THAT THE
FACULTY OR STAFF MEMBER CEASES TO BE AN EMPLOYEE AT THE INSTITUTION,
THEY SHALL BE REQUIRED TO RESIGN.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
