Report of Regents Cultural Education Committee to The Board of Regents

Your Committee on Cultural Education Committee had its scheduled meeting on November 14, 2016.  The meeting was delayed and began at 1:10pm. Regent Roger Tilles, Chair of the Cultural Education Committee, submitted the following written report. In attendance were committee members: Regent Tilles, Chair, Regent Chin, Regent Cea, Regent Ouderkirk, Regent Cottrell and Regent Johnson

Regents In addition to CE Committee Members, in attendance were: Vice Chancellor Brown, Regents Norwood, Cashin, Collins, Mead, Hakanson, and Reyes as well as Commissioner Elia and Executive Deputy Commissioner Berlin.

ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION

Chair’s Remarks: Regent Tilles welcomed everyone and informed the committee that this would be an abbreviated meeting.  The presentations on the Statewide Summer Reading Program and the Museum Accreditation would be postponed until a future meeting.  Regent Tilles introduced State Librarian Bernard Margolis who led the discussion.

Appointments to the Advisory Council on Libraries - CE (A) 2  

Mr. Margolis requested that the Board review and consider appointments to the Advisory Council on Libraries as provided in 8 NYCRR 3.12(a)(3).  The motion was to appoint Nate Hill and Charles Shatzkin the Advisory Council on Libraries for five-year terms beginning November 1, 2016 and ending September 30, 2021. 

Motion made by Regent Johnson
Seconded by Regent Cea
Unanimously approved.

Executive Deputy Beth Berlin introduced two items for action.  Committee members received documents with overviews of the 2017 State budget and legislative priorities.  The legislative priority was the support of the Museum Education Act.  Regent Tilles requested that a small typographical error be modified in the document that was distributed regarding the Museum Education Act.  Both items were considered as one. 

Regents 2017-2018 State Budget Priorities - CE (D) 4 

2017 State Legislative Priorities - CE (D) 3

A motion to endorse the proposed legislative and budget priorities was made by Regent Ouderkirk.
Seconded by Regent Cea
Unanimously approved.

In final business Executive Deputy Commissioner Berlin reported that the Statewide Summer Reading Program had achieved its goal of including at least 2 million school age children as participants.  State Librarian Margolis reported that 2,101,952 school age children participated in the program in the summer of 2016.  Commissioner Elia reminded the committee of the benefit of reading in student performance and achievement and congratulated the State Library and libraries across the state for this achievement and encouraged efforts to achieve greater participation in the program.