Establishes the World Trade Center tribute act which shall create the SUNY student volunteer service program and the CUNY student volunteer service program which shall provide such students with up to three academic credits to student volunteers who perform a minimum of ninety hours of volunteer work in a semester.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6642
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 11, 2009
___________
Introduced by M. of A. McDONOUGH, RAIA, THIELE, BARCLAY, CONTE, McKEVITT
-- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. HAWLEY, QUINN -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the World
Trade Center tribute act which shall create the SUNY student volunteer
service program and the CUNY student volunteer service program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "World Trade Center tribute act".
3 § 2. Legislative intent. The legislature hereby declares that the
4 creation of the state university of New York student volunteer service
5 program and the city university of New York student volunteer service
6 program is a fitting tribute to the thousands of citizens across the
7 state who volunteered their time and resources in response to the World
8 Trade Center tragedy. From rescue workers at "Ground Zero" to individ-
9 uals who worked at soup kitchens, from blood donors to average working
10 men and women across the state who sent cash contributions for victims'
11 families, from school children who wrote poems for survivors to business
12 owners who donated equipment, the events of September eleventh, two
13 thousand one brought out the true spirit of New Yorkers, a spirit of
14 volunteerism and community concern.
15 The legislature finds that the creation of the state university of New
16 York student volunteer service program and the city university of New
17 York student volunteer service program would raise the awareness of the
18 need for community volunteers and promote community activism on the part
19 of college students. Once students are exposed to the operation of
20 volunteer organizations and the valuable services provided by these
21 groups, students will hopefully continue to perform volunteer service on
22 their own initiative as they finish their collegiate studies and enter
23 the workforce. The state university of New York student volunteer
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01496-01-9
A. 6642 2
1 service program and the city university of New York student volunteer
2 service program would offer tangible benefits to community organizations
3 that regularly are in need of volunteer assistance.
4 § 3. Section 355 of the education law is amended by adding a new
5 subdivision 20 to read as follows:
6 20. Creation of the state university of New York student volunteer
7 service program. a. The board of trustees shall establish and distrib-
8 ute, on or before March first, two thousand eleven, guidelines for the
9 creation of the state university of New York student volunteer service
10 program to be offered to the individual state university of New York
11 colleges. The board of trustees shall distribute such guidelines for
12 review and consideration to the president of each college in the state
13 university of New York system. Such guidelines shall include, but not be
14 limited to, the following provisions:
15 (1) Colleges are encouraged, but not required, to implement the
16 program as an independent study course.
17 (2) Colleges may offer three credit hours, as an elective course, to
18 any matriculated student who performs with an approved organization a
19 minimum of ninety hours of volunteer work during any semester.
20 (3) A student shall be eligible to receive three credit hours for
21 volunteer service only once during his or her collegiate career.
22 (4) A student who participates in the program may not receive from the
23 college or the organization he or she is volunteering with, a stipend or
24 other pay for his or her volunteer service work.
25 (5) Each college that participates in the program shall require the
26 payment of tuition in the same manner in which tuition is collected from
27 students by such college for other independent study courses.
28 (6) Each college that participates in the program shall appoint a
29 faculty member or other college administration official as campus coor-
30 dinator of the state university of New York student volunteer service
31 program. The coordinator shall serve as the liaison between the college
32 and local organizations, and shall be responsible for ensuring that
33 students meet program standards and fulfill all requirements.
34 (7) Each college that participates in the program shall determine
35 which local organizations are eligible to request student volunteers,
36 based on general criteria offered by the board of trustees.
37 (8) Each college wishing to participate in the program shall submit a
38 detailed plan of action to the board of trustees for review and
39 approval.
40 b. Upon request of the board of trustees, each college that partic-
41 ipates in the state university of New York student volunteer service
42 program shall provide information on the number of students from such
43 college enrolled in the program, and the organizations receiving volun-
44 teer assistance.
45 c. Beginning on November first, two thousand eleven, and every year
46 thereafter, the board of trustees shall submit a report to the governor,
47 the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the
48 minority leader of the senate and the minority leader of the assembly on
49 the status of the state university of New York student volunteer service
50 program, setting forth the names of the individual colleges that partic-
51 ipate in the program and the number of student participants; describing
52 programs that have been implemented successfully; and making recommenda-
53 tions as to how participation in the state university of New York
54 student volunteer service program can be increased.
55 § 4. Section 6206 of the education law is amended by adding a new
56 subdivision 17 to read as follows:
A. 6642 3
1 17. Creation of the city university of New York student volunteer
2 service program. a. The board of trustees shall establish and distrib-
3 ute, on or before March first, two thousand eleven, guidelines for the
4 creation of the city university of New York student volunteer service
5 program to be offered to the individual city university of New York
6 colleges. The board of trustees shall distribute such guidelines for
7 review and consideration to the president of each college in the city
8 university of New York system. The guidelines shall include, but not be
9 limited to, the following provisions:
10 (1) Colleges are encouraged, but not required, to implement the
11 program as an independent study course.
12 (2) Colleges may offer three credit hours, as an elective course, to
13 any matriculated student who performs with an approved organization a
14 minimum of ninety hours of volunteer work during any semester.
15 (3) A student shall be eligible to receive three credit hours for
16 volunteer service only once during his or her collegiate career.
17 (4) A student who participates in the program may not receive from the
18 college or organization a stipend or other pay for his or her volunteer
19 service work.
20 (5) Each college that participates in the program shall require the
21 payment of tuition in the same manner in which tuition is collected from
22 students by such college for other independent study courses.
23 (6) Each college that participates in the program shall appoint a
24 faculty member or other college administration official as campus coor-
25 dinator of the city university of New York student volunteer service
26 program. The coordinator shall serve as the liaison between the college
27 and the local organizations, and shall be responsible for ensuring that
28 students meet program standards and fulfill all requirements.
29 (7) Each college that participates in the program shall determine
30 which local organizations are eligible to request student volunteers,
31 based on general criteria offered by the board of trustees.
32 (8) Each college wishing to participate in the program shall submit a
33 detailed plan of action to the board of trustees for review and
34 approval.
35 b. Upon request of the board of trustees, each college that partic-
36 ipates in the city university of New York student volunteer service
37 program shall provide information on the number of students from such
38 college enrolled in the program, and the organizations receiving volun-
39 teer assistance.
40 c. Beginning on November first, two thousand eleven, and every year
41 thereafter, the board of trustees shall submit a report to the governor,
42 the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the
43 minority leader of the senate and minority leader of the assembly on the
44 status of the city university of New York student volunteer service
45 program, setting forth the names of the individual colleges that partic-
46 ipate in the program and the number of student participants; describing
47 programs that have been implemented successfully; and making recommenda-
48 tions as to how participation in the city university of New York student
49 volunteer service program can be increased.
50 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
