Bill Text: NY S04743 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Establishes a Black Leadership Institute within the state university of New York as an initiative for Black leaders in higher education with a mission to retain and grow from within SUNY a greater proportion of Black professionals at SUNY campuses; creates an eight member advisory council.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2024-05-20 - referred to higher education [S04743 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S04743-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          4743

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    February 14, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  WEBB  --  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 establishing  a  Black
          Leadership Institute within the State University of New York

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Legislative  intent.  The  State  University  of  New  York
     2  ("SUNY")  has committed to becoming the most inclusive university system
     3  in the country, where all students, faculty, and staff feel welcome  and
     4  supported.  To  meet this goal, SUNY must employ, in addition to faculty
     5  and staff, leaders at the highest levels who  share  common  experiences
     6  and  culture  with those who comprise the fastest-growing segment of its
     7  student population: diverse students who will become the  nation's  next
     8  generation of leaders.
     9    SUNY  has  seen  a  steady increase of Black students in recent years,
    10  reaching nearly 11 percent, or over 42,000 students,  in  the  2019-2020
    11  academic  year.  While  SUNY continues its efforts to ensure that campus
    12  leadership and faculty reflect the students they serve by hiring faculty
    13  who are more representative of the diverse student  population  at  SUNY
    14  campuses,  the  diversity  within  executive  leadership  teams  on many
    15  campuses can be expanded further with support from the legislature.
    16    It is, therefore, the intention of the legislature to create  a  Black
    17  Leadership  Institute ("the Institute") as an initiative for Black lead-
    18  ers in higher education with a mission to retain and  grow  from  within
    19  SUNY  a  greater proportion of Black professionals at SUNY campuses. The
    20  Institute shall offer support and foster  professional  development  for
    21  candidates  for senior leadership roles on SUNY campuses, which will, in
    22  turn, create a more diverse SUNY culture that represents New York  state
    23  and the SUNY student population.
    24    The  legislature  further intends that the Institute would be designed
    25  to open doors to executive-level positions and strengthen the  Universi-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03053-01-3

        S. 4743                             2

     1  ty's  pool  of  Black leaders. The Institute will identify, develop, and
     2  recruit, and ultimately support, retain, and foster the success of Black
     3  leaders across the SUNY system.
     4    §  2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 362 to read
     5  as follows:
     6    § 362. Black leadership institute. 1.  Subject to an appropriation for
     7  this purpose, the chancellor of the state university  of  New  York,  in
     8  consultation  with  the board of trustees of the state university of New
     9  York, shall create a Black Leadership Institute within the state univer-
    10  sity of New York to foster the success of Black leaders at the universi-
    11  ty president and president's cabinet level. Such institute shall develop
    12  candidate  identification  and  recruitment  efforts,  search  committee
    13  training,  professional  development and individualized support measures
    14  for  institute  participants,   professional   assistance   programming,
    15  services, research and resource identification activities, and any other
    16  programs deemed necessary to effectuate the intent of this institute.
    17    2.  The  chancellor  shall  appoint an executive director and an eight
    18  member advisory council, to provide guidance and advice to  further  the
    19  development and growth of the institute. The director and the members of
    20  the advisory council shall serve for three-year terms, with the director
    21  and  three  advisory  council members appointed in the first year of the
    22  institute's existence, three other members appointed in the second year,
    23  and two members appointed in the third year. The director  and  advisory
    24  council members may be reappointed at the end of each term in the manner
    25  of  the  original  appointment.  The director and advisory council shall
    26  receive no compensation for their work in conjunction  with  the  insti-
    27  tute.
    28    3.  In  considering  measures  and  programming  for  effectuating the
    29  purpose of the institute, the institute shall consider such  factors  as
    30  program  cost-effectiveness;  the  ability  of  such  programs  to offer
    31  programmatically appropriate, long-term, training, and support services;
    32  the ability of such programs to enable individuals to participate in the
    33  institute to receive rewarding training,  services,  and  supports;  and
    34  current  and  projected  employment  data  at  campuses within the state
    35  university system.
    36    4. The executive director shall prepare and present to  the  governor,
    37  the  speaker  of  the assembly, and the majority leader of the senate at
    38  the beginning of each regular session  of  the  legislature  a  separate
    39  report  covering,  in  summary, and in detail, all phases of activity of
    40  the institute for the immediately preceding fiscal year.
    41    § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of April next  succeeding
    42  the date on which it shall have become a law.
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