STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10720
IN ASSEMBLY
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:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 356 of the education law, as
2 amended by chapter 552 of the laws of 1985, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 1. Subject to the general management, supervision and control of and
5 in accordance with rules established by the state university trustees,
6 the operations and affairs of each state-operated institution of the
7 state university shall be supervised locally by a council consisting of
8 [ten] twelve members, nine of whom shall be appointed by the governor
9 [and], one of whom shall be elected by and from among the students of
10 the institution, one of whom shall be a faculty member elected by the
11 campus' faculty senate or faculty-professional staff senate, dependent
12 on the shared governance structure of that campus, and one of whom shall
13 be a professional staff member elected by the campus' professional staff
14 senate, faculty senate or faculty-professional staff senate. Such
15 voting members shall be subject to every provision of any general,
16 special or local law, ordinance, charter, code, rule or regulation
17 applying to the voting members of such board with respect to the
18 discharge of their duties including, but not limited to, those
19 provisions setting forth codes of ethics, disclosure requirements and
20 prohibiting business and professional activities. The election of the
21 student member shall be conducted in accordance with rules and regu-
22 lations promulgated by the respective representative campus student
23 association in accordance with guidelines established by the state
24 university trustees. One member shall be designated by the governor as
25 [chairman] the chair. Where an undergraduate state-operated institution
26 of the state university is located adjacent to another institution of
27 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
1 institution are, under arrangements made by the state university, taking
2 a substantial portion of their courses at such other institution, the
3 president or other head of such other institution shall be an ex-officio
4 member of the council for such undergraduate state-operated institution.
5 Initial appointments, other than the student member and ex-officio
6 members, shall be for terms expiring July first, nineteen hundred
7 fifty-four, July first, nineteen hundred fifty-five, July first, nine-
8 teen hundred fifty-six, July first, nineteen hundred fifty-seven, July
9 first, nineteen hundred fifty-eight, July first, nineteen hundred
10 fifty-nine, July first, nineteen hundred sixty, July first, nineteen
11 hundred sixty-one and, where there is no ex-officio member, July first,
12 nineteen hundred sixty-two, respectively, and subsequent appointments,
13 other than the student member, shall be for a full term of nine years
14 from the first day of July of the calendar year in which the appointment
15 is made. Vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term in the same
16 manner as original selections. The term of office for each council
17 member appointed on or after April first, nineteen hundred eighty-six
18 shall be seven years. The term of office for the student member shall be
19 one year commencing July first of the calendar year in which the
20 election is conducted, provided, however, that the term of the student
21 member first elected shall be nine months commencing October first,
22 nineteen hundred seventy-five and expiring June thirtieth, nineteen
23 hundred seventy-six. In the event that the student member ceases to be a
24 student at the institution, such member shall be required to resign.
25 Members of such councils appointed by the governor may be removed by the
26 governor. Members of such councils elected by the students of the insti-
27 tution may be removed by such students in accordance with rules and
28 regulations promulgated by the respective representative campus student
29 association in accordance with guidelines promulgated by the state
30 university trustees. Members of such councils shall receive no compen-
31 sation for their services but shall be reimbursed for the expenses actu-
32 ally and necessarily incurred by them in the performance of their duties
33 hereunder.
34 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
