Report of Regents Cultural Education Committee to The Board of Regents

Your Committee on Cultural Education had its scheduled meeting on January 14, 2019. Regent Roger Tilles and Regent Judith Johnson, Co-Chairs of the Cultural Education Committee, submitted the following written report. In attendance were committee members: Regent Tilles, Co-Chair, Regent Johnson, Co-Chair, Regent Cea, Regent Cottrell, Regent Ouderkirk and Regent Mead.

Regents, in addition to Cultural Education Committee members, in attendance were: Chancellor Rosa, Regent Cashin, Regent Finn, Regent Hakanson, Regent Reyes, and Regent Mittler. Also in attendance were Commissioner Elia, Executive Deputy Commissioner Berlin, Senior Deputy Commissioner for Educational Policy Jhone Ebert, and Counsel Shannon Tahoe.

ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION

Co-Chairs Regent Tilles and Regent Johnson welcomed everyone. Regent Tilles informed the Committee that the Museum Education Act, a Regents legislative priority, was vetoed by the Governor last month. The primary reason cited in the veto message was that the bill should be addressed within the context of the budget. The legislation did not include the $5 million in funding that was requested in the Regents’ legislative priorities. Deputy Commissioner Schaming provided a brief report on Office of Cultural Education news and activities:

• This past Saturday, January 12, the State Museum hosted its annual “New York State Great Places and Spaces” program. The State Library and Archives, in addition to over a dozen State historic sites and cultural organizations, provided visitors educational hands-on activities and artifacts to explore.
• In December the fourth episode of “A New York Minute in History” podcast was released. The episode, which explores the Dutch history of New York, is led by State Historian Devin Lander and features interviews from Charly Gehring of the New Netherland Institute, historian Russell Shorto, and the Consul General of the Netherlands.

State Aid for Library Construction Update [CE (D) 1]

Mary Anne Waltz and Frank Rees from the State Library’s Division of Library Development presented an update on the State Aid for Library Construction program, which has supported over 2,200 public library construction and renovation projects since its inception. In FY 2018-2019, the state budget provided $34 million in capital funds to support State Aid for Library Construction. Funds may support up to 75 percent of approved project costs for broadband installation or construction, renovation, rehabilitation, or site acquisition of public libraries and public library system headquarters.