Bill Text: NY A09804 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: 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.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2020-12-02 - approval memo.29 [A09804 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-A09804-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9804 IN ASSEMBLY February 13, 2020 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. HYNDMAN -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee 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- 25 tionally and economically challenged communities as referred to in this 26 section as educational opportunity centers. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD10740-01-9A. 9804 2 1 2. Such educational opportunity centers shall be managed and super- 2 vised by the state university and shall provide programs and services 3 that include, but are not limited to: 4 (a) academic programs leading to and increasing persistence in higher 5 education; 6 (b) vocational programs leading to career pathways, gainful employment 7 and self-sufficiency; 8 (c) counseling and guidance services to enhance student retention; 9 (d) targeted services for business and industry to upgrade the skill 10 levels of emerging and incumbent workers such that they support 11 increased productivity and the creation and retention of job opportu- 12 nities; 13 (e) collaboration with secondary schools to assist in the academic 14 preparation of at-risk youth; 15 (f) collaborative programs with colleges and universities to increase 16 opportunities for center graduates for advanced placement and receipt of 17 academic credits for academic work completed at such center; 18 (g) collaboration with other state and local agencies, workforce 19 development boards and charitable organizations to meet emerging state- 20 wide priorities for serving the disadvantaged; and 21 (h) entrepreneurial training opportunities that may lead to community 22 economic development. 23 3. The state university shall formulate a plan and guidelines for the 24 organization, development, coordination and operation of educational 25 opportunity centers and may promulgate such rules and regulations neces- 26 sary to carry out the provisions of this section. Such plan shall 27 include: 28 (a) definition of academic and economic eligibility provided, however, 29 that state residency be a minimum eligibility requirement; 30 (b) procedures for the selection of such students for admission to a 31 center; 32 (c) program objectives including coordination with the university's 33 long range mission and goals; and 34 (d) program evaluation and reporting. 35 4. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the employees 36 of the educational opportunity centers operated in cooperation with the 37 city university of New York and/or a college within the city university 38 of New York shall be employees of the city university of New York and 39 shall retain their respective bargaining unit representation. Nothing 40 in this section shall be deemed to waive or impair any rights or bene- 41 fits of employees of the city university of New York that otherwise 42 would be available to them pursuant to the terms of agreements between 43 the certified representatives of such employees and the city university 44 of New York pursuant to article fourteen of the civil service law. 45 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 46 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend- 47 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen- 48 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 49 completed on or before such effective date.
