Provides for the inclusion of a faculty or staff member on the board of trustees of community colleges elected by and from among the faculty and staff of the college.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9861
IN SENATE
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:
1 Section 1. The opening paragraph of subdivision 1 of section 6306 of
2 the education law, as amended by chapter 268 of the laws of 2003, is
3 amended to read as follows:
4 Each community college, except in the city of New York, shall be
5 administered by a board of trustees of [ten] eleven members, nine of
6 whom shall be appointed for terms of seven years in annual rotation, and
7 [one member] two members elected as herein provided, except that initial
8 appointments shall be made for terms of one to nine years respectively.
9 Five members shall be appointed by the local legislative body or board,
10 or other appropriate governing agency, one of whom may be a member of
11 such local legislative body or board, or other appropriate governing
12 agency, four, from among persons residing in the sponsoring community,
13 by the governor and one member elected by and from among the students of
14 the college who shall serve as a member of the board for a one-year
15 term, provided, however, that the term of the student member first
16 elected shall be nine months commencing October first, nineteen hundred
17 seventy-five, and one of whom shall be elected by and from among the
18 faculty and staff of the college, ex-officio and non-voting, who shall
19 serve a two-year term, provided, however, that the term of the faculty
20 or staff member first elected shall commence July first, two thousand
21 twenty-seven. The faculty or staff member and student member shall be
22 afforded the same parliamentary privileges as are conferred upon voting
23 members, including but not limited to the right to make and second
24 motions and to place items on the agenda. Such faculty or staff and
25 student [member] members shall be subject to every provision of any
26 general, special or local law, ordinance, charter, code, rule or regu-
27 lation applying to the members of such board with respect to the
28 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
1 provisions setting forth codes of ethics, disclosure requirements and
2 prohibiting business and professional activities. The election of the
3 student member shall be conducted in accordance with rules and regu-
4 lations promulgated by the respective representative campus student
5 association in accordance with guidelines established by the state
6 university trustees. The election of the faculty or staff member shall
7 be conducted in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the
8 largest faculty organization on each campus. In the event that the
9 student member ceases to be a student at the institution, [he] they
10 shall be required to resign. In the event that the faculty or staff
11 member ceases to be an employee at the institution, they shall be
12 required to resign. The governor's initial appointments shall be for
13 terms of two, four, six and eight years respectively and those by local
14 authorities for terms of one, three, five, seven and nine years respec-
15 tively. Vacancies shall be filled for unexpired terms in the same manner
16 as original selections by the authority responsible for the original
17 selection. The board shall select its own [chairman] chair from among
18 its voting membership. Where two or more local sponsors join in the
19 establishment of a community college, the apportionment of the appoint-
20 ments among them shall be made by the state university trustees. Trus-
21 tees shall receive no compensation for their services but shall be reim-
22 bursed for their expenses actually and necessarily incurred by them in
23 the performance of their duties under this article. Members initially
24 appointed or elected under this subdivision to the board of trustees of
25 any community college hereafter established shall take office immediate-
26 ly upon their selection and qualification, but for purposes of determin-
27 ing the expiration of their respective terms and the commencement of the
28 terms of their successors, the term of office of each such initial
29 member shall be deemed to have commenced on the first day of July of the
30 year in which such college was established. The terms of office of all
31 members of the boards of trustees of community colleges heretofore
32 established, appointed or elected as provided in this subdivision, shall
33 terminate on the thirtieth day of June of the calendar year within which
34 such terms expire under the provisions of this subdivision as hereby
35 amended. For the purpose of determining such year all initial terms of
36 office of appointed members of the boards of trustees of community
37 colleges heretofore established shall be deemed to have commenced on the
38 first day of July of the year in which such colleges were established
39 and the terms of their successors for full terms, if any, shall be
40 deemed to have commenced upon the expiration of the number of years from
41 such date for which such initial appointments were made.
42 § 2. Subdivision 3-a of section 6306 of the education law, as added by
43 chapter 319 of the laws of 2008, is amended to read as follows:
44 3-a. [(a)] Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivisions one and
45 three of this section, effective July first, two thousand [eight] twen-
46 ty-seven, the fashion institute of technology shall be administered by a
47 board of trustees of [twelve] seventeen members. [Six] Eight members
48 shall be appointed by the local sponsor, one of whom may be a member of
49 such sponsor; [five] seven members shall be appointed by the governor
50 from among persons who reside in the city of New York; [and] one member
51 shall be elected by and from among the students of the fashion institute
52 of technology[.
53 (b) The provisions of subdivisions one and three of this section
54 notwithstanding, effective July first, two thousand nine, the fashion
55 institute of technology shall be administered by a board of trustees of
56 fourteen members. Seven members shall be appointed by the local sponsor,
S. 9861 3
1 one of whom may be a member of such sponsor; six members shall be
2 appointed by the governor from among persons who reside in the city of
3 New York; and one member shall be elected by and from among the students
4 of the fashion institute of technology.
5 (c) The provisions of subdivisions one and three of this section
6 notwithstanding, effective July first, two thousand ten, the fashion
7 institute of technology shall be administered by a board of trustees of
8 sixteen members. Eight members shall be appointed by the local sponsor,
9 one of whom may be a member of such sponsor; seven members shall be
10 appointed by the governor from among persons who reside in the city of
11 New York; and one member shall be elected by and from among the students
12 of the fashion institute of technology] who shall serve as a member of
13 the board for a one-year term; and one of whom shall be elected by and
14 from among the faculty and staff of the college, ex-officio and non-vot-
15 ing, who shall serve a two-year term, provided, however, that the term
16 of the faculty or staff member first elected shall commence July first,
17 two thousand twenty-seven. The faculty or staff member and student
18 member shall be afforded the same parliamentary privileges as are
19 conferred upon voting members, including but not limited to the right to
20 make and second motions and to place items on the agenda. Such faculty
21 or staff and student members shall be subject to every provision of any
22 general, special or local law, ordinance, charter, code, rule or regu-
23 lation applying to the members of such board with respect to the
24 discharge of their duties including, but not limited to, those
25 provisions setting forth codes of ethics, disclosure requirements and
26 prohibiting business and professional activities. The election of the
27 student member shall be conducted in accordance with rules and regu-
28 lations promulgated by the respective representative campus student
29 association in accordance with guidelines established by the state
30 university trustees. The election of the faculty or staff member shall
31 be conducted in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the
32 largest faculty organization on each campus. In the event that the
33 student member ceases to be a student at the institution, they shall be
34 required to resign. In the event that the faculty or staff member ceases
35 to be an employee at the institution, they shall be required to resign.
36 § 3. Subdivisions 1 and 1-a of section 6310 of the education law,
37 subdivision 1 as amended by chapter 268 of the laws of 2003, and subdi-
38 vision 1-a as added by chapter 144 of the laws of 1996, are amended to
39 read as follows:
40 1. Each community college region and community college sponsored by
41 such region shall be administered by a single board of trustees of
42 [fourteen] fifteen members, thirteen of whom shall be appointed for
43 terms of seven years, as set forth in this subdivision, and one member
44 elected as herein provided, except that initial appointments shall be
45 made for terms of one to nine years respectively. Seven members shall be
46 appointed by the local legislative bodies or boards of those counties
47 eligible to appoint members to the community college regional board of
48 trustees. The seven locally appointed members of such board may include
49 one member from the local legislative body or board of each county
50 eligible to appoint members to the community college regional board of
51 trustees. Membership in a community college regional board of trustees
52 shall be apportioned among the counties participating in such board in
53 accordance with the number of full-time equivalent students attending a
54 community college sponsored by such regional board who are residents of
55 the respective participating counties, and in accordance with such
56 further regulations as may be prescribed by the state university trus-
S. 9861 4
1 tees. Six members shall be appointed by the governor [and], one member
2 shall be elected by and from among the students of the college who shall
3 serve as a member of the board for a one-year term, provided, however,
4 that the term of the student member first elected shall be nine months
5 commencing October first, nineteen hundred eighty-four, and one member
6 who shall be elected by and from among the faculty and staff of the
7 college, ex-officio and non-voting, who shall serve a two-year term,
8 provided, however, that the term of the faculty or staff member first
9 elected shall commence July first, two thousand twenty-seven. The
10 faculty or staff and student [member] members shall be afforded the same
11 parliamentary privileges as are conferred upon members, including but
12 not limited to the right to make and second motions and to place items
13 on the agenda. Such faculty or staff and student [member] members shall
14 be subject to every provision of any general, special or local law,
15 ordinance, charter, code, rule or regulation applying to the members of
16 such board with respect to the discharge of their duties including, but
17 not limited to, those provisions setting forth codes of ethics, disclo-
18 sure requirements and prohibiting business and professional activities.
19 The election of the student member shall be conducted in accordance with
20 rules and regulations promulgated by the respective representative
21 campus student association in accordance with guidelines established by
22 the state university trustees. The election of the faculty or staff
23 member shall be conducted in accordance with rules and regulations
24 promulgated by the largest faculty organization on each campus. In the
25 event that the student member ceases to be a student at the institution,
26 [he] they shall be required to resign. In the event that the faculty or
27 staff member ceases to be an employee at the institution, they shall be
28 required to resign. The governor's initial appointments shall be as
29 follows: (a) two individuals shall be appointed for terms of two and
30 four years respectively; (b) two individuals for terms of six years and
31 two individuals for terms of eight years. Appointments by local authori-
32 ties shall be as follows: (a) three individuals for terms of one, three
33 and five years, respectively; (b) two individuals for terms of seven
34 years, and two individuals for terms of nine years. Vacancies shall be
35 filled for unexpired terms in the same manner as original selections by
36 the authority responsible for the original selection. The board shall
37 select its own [chairman] chair from among its voting membership. Trus-
38 tees shall receive no compensation for their services but shall be reim-
39 bursed for their expenses actually and necessarily incurred by them in
40 the performance of their duties under this article. Members initially
41 appointed or elected under this subdivision to any community college
42 regional board of trustees hereafter established shall take office imme-
43 diately upon their selection and qualification, but for purposes of
44 determining the expiration of their respective terms and the commence-
45 ment of the terms of their successors, the term of office of each such
46 initial member shall be deemed to have commenced on the first day of
47 July of the year in which such college was established. The terms of
48 office of all members of community college regional boards of trustees
49 heretofore established, appointed or elected as provided in this subdi-
50 vision, shall terminate on the thirtieth day of June of the calendar
51 year within which such terms expire under the provisions of this subdi-
52 vision as hereby amended. For the purpose of determining such year all
53 initial terms of office of appointed members of the community college
54 regional board of trustees heretofore established shall be deemed to
55 have commenced on the first day of July of the year in which such commu-
56 nity college regions were established and the terms of their successors
S. 9861 5
1 for full terms, if any, shall be deemed to have commenced upon the expi-
2 ration of the number of years from such date for which such initial
3 appointments were made.
4 The one member elected by and from among the students of the college
5 may be removed by such students in accordance with rules and regulations
6 promulgated by the respective representative campus student association
7 in accordance with guidelines promulgated by the state university trus-
8 tees.
9 1-a. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision one of this
10 section, a community college region established to operate as local
11 sponsor of Jamestown community college shall be administered by a single
12 board of trustees of [fifteen] sixteen members, fourteen of whom shall
13 be appointed for terms of seven years, except that the initial appoint-
14 ments shall be made as set forth in this subdivision, [and] one member
15 who shall be elected by and from among the students of the college and
16 shall serve as set forth in subdivision one of this section, and one
17 member who shall be elected by and from among the faculty and staff of
18 the college and shall serve as set forth in subdivision one of this
19 section. Eight members shall be appointed by the local governing bodies
20 of the counties and city eligible to appoint members to the Jamestown
21 community college regional board of trustees, and six members shall be
22 appointed by the governor. The eight locally appointed members of such
23 board may include one member appointed from among the local governing
24 bodies of the counties or city eligible to appoint members to the
25 regional board of trustees. Membership in the Jamestown community
26 college regional board of trustees shall be apportioned in accordance
27 with the number of full-time equivalent students attending the community
28 college who are residents of the respective participating counties or
29 city, and in accordance with such further regulations as may be
30 prescribed by the state university trustees.
31 Upon the effective date of this subdivision, and notwithstanding any
32 inconsistent provision of any other law, the current Jamestown community
33 college board of trustees shall be redesignated the Jamestown community
34 college regional board of trustees and the terms of the current members
35 of the Jamestown community college board of trustees shall continue
36 until their expiration or termination as provided by section sixty-three
37 hundred six of this chapter. The governor's initial appointments to the
38 Jamestown community college regional board of trustees shall be as
39 follows: one individual shall be appointed for a term of three years,
40 and one individual shall be appointed for a term of five years. Initial
41 appointments by the local authorities shall be as follows: one individ-
42 ual shall be appointed for a term of two years, one individual shall be
43 appointed for a term of four years, and one individual shall be
44 appointed for a term of six years. Vacancies shall be filled for unex-
45 pired terms in the same manner as original selections by the authority
46 responsible for the original selection. The board shall select its own
47 [chairman] chair from among its voting membership. Trustees shall
48 receive no compensation for their services but shall be reimbursed for
49 their expenses actually and necessarily incurred by them in the perform-
50 ance of their duties under this article. Members initially appointed or
51 elected under this subdivision to any community college regional board
52 of trustees hereafter established shall take office immediately upon
53 their selection and qualification, but for purposes of determining the
54 expiration of their respective terms and the commencement of the terms
55 of their successors, the term of office of each such initial member
56 shall be deemed to have commenced on the first day of July of the year
S. 9861 6
1 in which such college was established. The terms of office of all
2 members of community college regional boards of trustees heretofore
3 established, appointed or elected as provided in this subdivision, shall
4 terminate on the thirtieth day of June of the calendar year within which
5 such terms expire under the provisions of this subdivision as hereby
6 amended. For the purpose of determining such year, all initial terms of
7 office of appointed members of the community college regional board of
8 trustees heretofore established and the terms of their successors for
9 full terms, if any, shall be deemed to have commenced upon the expira-
10 tion of the number of years from such date for which such initial
11 appointments were made.
12 The one member elected by and from among the students of the college
13 may be removed by such students in accordance with rules and regulations
14 promulgated by the respective representative campus student association
15 in accordance with guidelines promulgated by the state university trus-
16 tees.
17 In the event that the student member ceases to be a student at the
18 institution, they shall be required to resign. In the event that the
19 faculty or staff member ceases to be an employee at the institution,
20 they shall be required to resign.
21 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
