Report of Regents Cultural Education Committee to The Board of Regents

Regent Roger Tilles, Chair of the Cultural Education Committee, submitted the following written report. Your Committee on Cultural Education Committee had its scheduled meeting on June 18, 2013. In attendance were committee members: Regents Tilles, Dawson, Bendit, Rosa Cea, Jackson Cottrell, and Brown. Absent:  Regents Rosa and Cea

In addition to CE Committee Members, in attendance were:  Regents Chapey and Phillips, Commissioner King and Executive Deputy Commissioner Berlin.

ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION

Chair’s Remarks: Regent Tilles welcomed everyone and opened the meeting.  The meeting’s scheduled starting time was changed to 11am.

Deputy Commissioner Jeffrey Cannell reported on the following.  He invited the members of the board to a reception at the Museum opening the Best of SUNY Exhibition.  He also mentioned that the Civil War exhibit at the Museum, the Irrepressible Conflict, received an award of merit from the American Association for State and Local History. Finally, he noted the accomplishments of two OCE staff members: Kathleen Roe was elected vice-president/president elect of the Society of American Archivists and Edward Landing was named a fellow of the Geological Society of America

CE (D) 3 – Summer School for the Arts
Sara Fittizzi, Executive Direction of the Summer School for the Arts (NYSSSA), provided a brief summary on the 2013 summer season for NYSSSA.  The month of June not only launched the beginning of the season but marked the 44th year of the program.

The committee received a schedule of performances and other activities in which Board of Regents members may wish to participate.  In addition, Fittizzi provided the committee information regarding applications, enrollments and program highlights.

CE (D) 2 – Regents Advisory Council on Libraries Report
Bernard Margolis, State Librarian and Assistant Commissioner for Libraries introduced members of the Advisory Council on Libraries.  The members of the committee provided an update report on implementation activities based on the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries recommendations.  These recommendations were given to the Committee in 2012 in the report 20/20 Vision.  The committee highlighted their recommendations for high-priority actions by the Board of Regents.

 CE (D) 1 – Summer Field Schools (Professional Development Workshops for Teachers)
Brian Bird, a geologist at the State Museum, provided a report regarding one of the four upcoming Summer Field Schools being offered to teachers this summer.   Bird’s presentation highlighted the Earth Science Teacher Workshop, which will be held in Albany.  Since 2001 over 220 teachers have participated in the Earth Science Program.  Bird noted that in 2014, OCE plans to hold the workshop in the Finger Lakes region in order to solicit greater participation by teachers in that region.