Codifies state university of New York educational opportunity centers which provide an integrated system of education, vocational training and student support services targeted to higher education access and the development of a quality workforce which supports the economic development of New York's distressed communities.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7073
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 23, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CRESPO -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the state university
of New York educational opportunity centers
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 352 of the education law, as
2 amended by chapter 552 of the laws of 1985, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 3. The state university shall consist of the four university centers
5 at Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo and Stony Brook, the designated colleges
6 of arts and sciences at Brockport, Buffalo, Cortland, Fredonia, Geneseo,
7 New Paltz, Old Westbury, Oneonta, Oswego, Plattsburgh, Potsdam and
8 Purchase, empire state college, the agricultural and technical colleges
9 at Alfred, Canton, Cobleskill, Delhi, Farmingdale and Morrisville, down-
10 state medical center, upstate medical center, the college of optometry,
11 the college of environmental science and forestry, maritime college, the
12 college of technology at Utica/Rome, the statutory or contract colleges
13 at Cornell university and Alfred university, and such additional univer-
14 sities, colleges and other institutions, facilities and research centers
15 as have been or hereafter may be acquired, established, operated or
16 contracted to be operated for the state by the state university
17 trustees, including, but not limited to educational opportunity centers
18 as defined in this article.
19 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 355-d to
20 read as follows:
21 § 355-d. Educational opportunity centers. 1. There shall be created
22 within the state university of New York a comprehensive system of
23 tuition free higher education institutions providing programs and
24 services that promote the growth and stability of the state's educa-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05763-01-5
A. 7073 2
1 tionally and economically challenged communities as referred to in this
2 section as educational opportunity centers.
3 2. Such educational opportunity centers shall be managed and super-
4 vised by the state university and shall provide programs and services
5 that include, but are not limited to:
6 (a) academic programs leading to and increasing persistence in higher
7 education;
8 (b) vocational programs leading to career pathways, gainful employment
9 and self-sufficiency;
10 (c) counseling and guidance services to enhance student retention;
11 (d) targeted services for business and industry to upgrade the skill
12 levels of emerging and incumbent workers such that they support
13 increased productivity and the creation and retention of job opportu-
14 nities;
15 (e) collaboration with secondary schools to assist in the academic
16 preparation of at-risk youth;
17 (f) collaborative programs with colleges and universities to increase
18 opportunities for center graduates for advanced placement and receipt of
19 academic credits for academic work completed at such center;
20 (g) collaboration with other state and local agencies, workforce
21 development boards and charitable organizations to meet emerging state-
22 wide priorities for serving the disadvantaged; and
23 (h) entrepreneurial training opportunities that may lead to community
24 economic development.
25 3. The state university shall formulate a plan and guidelines for the
26 organization, development, coordination and operation of educational
27 opportunity centers and may promulgate such rules and regulations neces-
28 sary to carry out the provisions of this section. Such plan shall
29 include:
30 (a) definition of academic and economic eligibility provided, however,
31 that state residency be a minimum eligibility requirement;
32 (b) procedures for the selection of such students for admission to a
33 center;
34 (c) program objectives including coordination with the university's
35 long range mission and goals; and
36 (d) program evaluation and reporting.
37 4. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the employees
38 of the educational opportunity centers operated in cooperation with the
39 city university of New York and/or a college within the city university
40 of New York shall be employees of the city university of New York and
41 shall retain their respective bargaining unit representation. Nothing
42 in this section shall be deemed to waive or impair any rights or bene-
43 fits of employees of the city university of New York that otherwise
44 would be available to them pursuant to the terms of agreements between
45 the certified representatives of such employees and the city university
46 of New York pursuant to article fourteen of the civil service law.
47 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
48 it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediate-
49 ly, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation
50 necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
51 authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such
52 effective date.
