Committee Report | May 2011

Your Higher Education Committee held its scheduled meeting on May 17, 2011.  All members were present with the exception of Chancellor Emeritus Bennett.

ACTION ITEMS:

Tenure and Seniority Rights for Teachers Performing Instructional Support Services in a BOCES.  Your Committee discussed and approved an amendment to Subpart 30-1 of the Rules of the Board of Regents and section 80-1.8 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, to authorize teachers employed by a board of cooperative educational services (BOCES) that perform instructional support services to accrue tenure and seniority rights in new tenure areas within the BOCES that are aligned with their instructional support duties.  Your Committee voted that subdivision (b) of section 30-1.2 of the Rules of the Board of Regents be amended; that subdivisions (c) and (d) of section 30-1.2 shall be renumbered to subdivisions (d) and (e), a new subdivision (c) be added, and renumbered subdivision (d) shall be amended and a new subdivision (e) shall be added to section 30-1.2 of the Rules of the Board of Regents; that subdivision (b) and (d) of section 30-1.9 of the Rules of the Board of Regents be amended; that section 80-1.7 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education be amended and that subdivision (a) of section 80-1.8 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education be amended, as submitted, effective May 20, 2011, as an emergency action upon a finding by the Board of Regents that such action is necessary for the preservation of the general welfare in order to allow a teacher employed by a BOCES to accrue tenure and seniority rights for the performance of instructional support services in one of the newly created tenure areas so that BOCES can make budgetary and employment decisions before the new

school year.

STEM Regulations.  Your Committee discussed and approved a proposed amendment to allow individuals with advanced degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and related teaching experience at the postsecondary level to obtain a teaching certificate in Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or in a closely related field.  Your Committee voted that that paragraphs (45) through (47) of subdivision (b) of Section 80-1.1 be renumbered to paragraphs (46) through (48) and a new paragraph (45) be added; that subparagraph (i) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of section 80-3.3 be amended; that section 80-3.7 be amended and a new section 80-5.22 is added to the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, effective May 17, 2011, as an emergency action upon a finding by the Board of Regents that such action is necessary to protect the general welfare of the public to address the demonstrated shortage of certified teachers in science and mathematics in grades 7-12.

MOTION FOR ACTION BY FULL BOARD

Madam Chancellor and Colleagues:  Your Higher Education Committee recommends, and we move, that the Board of Regents act affirmatively upon each recommendation in the written report of the Committee’s deliberations at its meeting on May 17, 2011, copies of which have been distributed to each Regents.