Bill Text: NY S08867 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Requires the state university of New York and the city university of New York to establish courses of study on ethnic studies, women's studies, and social justice; requires students to complete at least one three-credit course on ethnic studies, women's studies, or social justice to graduate with a baccalaureate degree.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-08-28 - PRINT NUMBER 8867A [S08867 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S08867-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8867--A IN SENATE August 3, 2020 ___________ Introduced by Sen. SANDERS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring regulations directing the state university of New York and the city university of New York to establish courses of study on ethnic studies, women's studies, and social justice The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 208-b 2 to read as follows: 3 § 208-b. Courses on ethnic studies, women's studies, and social 4 justice. 1. The commissioner and the board of regents are authorized 5 and directed to establish rules and/or regulations requiring each insti- 6 tution of higher learning in New York state to provide for courses in 7 ethnic studies, women's studies, and social justice in each of its 8 campuses and requiring, as an undergraduate graduation requirement, 9 completion of, at a minimum, one three-credit course in ethnic studies, 10 women's studies, or social justice. Such requirement shall not increase 11 the number of units required to graduate from the institution with a 12 baccalaureate degree. Such graduation requirement shall not apply to a 13 postbaccalaureate student who is enrolled in a baccalaureate degree 14 program at an institution of higher learning if the student has satis- 15 fied either of the following: 16 (a) The student has earned a baccalaureate degree from an institution 17 accredited by a regional accrediting agency. 18 (b) The student has completed an ethnic studies, women's studies, or 19 social justice course at a postsecondary educational institution accred- 20 ited by a regional accrediting agency. 21 2. The commissioner and the board of regents are authorized and 22 directed to develop core competencies to be achieved by students who 23 complete an ethnic studies, women's studies, or social justice course 24 pursuant to subdivision one of this section. Such core competencies EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD17053-02-0S. 8867--A 2 1 shall be intended to ensure that students of institutions of higher 2 learning in New York acquire the knowledge and skills that will help 3 them comprehend the diversity and social justice history of the United 4 States and of the society in which they live to enable such students to 5 contribute to society as responsible and constructive citizens. 6 3. For the purposes of this section, "ethnic studies" shall mean an 7 interdisciplinary and comparative study of race and ethnicity with 8 special focus on four historically defined racialized core groups: 9 Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latina and 10 Latino Americans. 11 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6204-b to 12 read as follows: 13 § 6204-b. Courses on ethnic studies, women's studies, and social 14 justice. 1. The city university is authorized and directed to establish 15 rules and/or regulations requiring each institution of the city univer- 16 sity to provide for courses in ethnic studies, women's studies, and 17 social justice in each of its campuses and requiring, as an undergradu- 18 ate graduation requirement, completion of, at a minimum, one three-cre- 19 dit course in ethnic studies, women's studies, or social justice. Such 20 requirement shall not increase the number of units required to graduate 21 from the city university with a baccalaureate degree. Such graduation 22 requirement shall not apply to a postbaccalaureate student who is 23 enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program at the city university if the 24 student has satisfied either of the following: 25 (a) The student has earned a baccalaureate degree from an institution 26 accredited by a regional accrediting agency. 27 (b) The student has completed an ethnic studies, women's studies, or 28 social justice course at a postsecondary educational institution accred- 29 ited by a regional accrediting agency. 30 2. The city university is authorized and directed to develop core 31 competencies to be achieved by students who complete an ethnic studies, 32 women's studies, or social justice course pursuant to subdivision one of 33 this section. Such core competencies shall be intended to ensure that 34 students of the city university acquire the knowledge and skills that 35 will help them comprehend the diversity and social justice history of 36 the United States and of the society in which they live to enable such 37 students to contribute to society as responsible and constructive citi- 38 zens. 39 3. For the purposes of this section, "ethnic studies" shall mean an 40 interdisciplinary and comparative study of race and ethnicity with 41 special focus on four historically defined racialized core groups: 42 Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latina and 43 Latino Americans. 44 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
