THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

 

TO:	The Honorable the Members of the Board of Regents Cultural Education Committee
FROM:	Carole Huxley
SUBJECT:	Trusteeship Meeting
DATE:	May 30, 2006
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goals 2,3,4 and 5
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

Executive Summary

 

Issue for Discussion

 

          Are the plans, funding and operations of the State Archives, State Library and State Museum aligned with the priorities set by the Regents and by recently enacted law?  What are the greatest challenges in moving ahead?

 

Proposed Handling

 

          The second meeting of the Cultural Education Committee in its trusteeship role will focus on issues related to the new Cultural Education Trust Fund ($40 million), as well as a review of the operating budget for the institutions, staffing capacity and educational programming.

 

Procedural History

 

          At their annual retreat last July, after the review of a trusteeship document Regent Dawson distributed to the Board (Appendix I), the Regents agreed that exercising its role as trustees for the three major cultural institutions under its direct oversight required an extended meeting at least three times a year. That meeting would be specifically devoted to the Regents fiduciary responsibilities. The June trusteeship meeting follows directly after the conclusion of the regular June Regents meeting. The third meeting of the year will be in October.  

 

 

 

 

 

Background Information

 

          In the recently passed budget for 2006/7, the work of several years by the Regents and the OCE leadership came to fruition with $40 million made available to renew the exhibit program in the Museum and to begin work on a new facility for research and collections. Along with the funding authorization, the bill called for the establishment of a Cultural Education Trust, with a Board of 5 persons (Appendix II). The Trust Board will approve and recommend to the Board of Regents the plans for both the renewal and the new facility for the Regents approval. Appendix III is a short report on the status of plans for the new facility and for the renewal of the Museum.

 

Of the five members, the Governor and each branch of the legislature appoint one member. The Board includes two Regents; the Chancellor serves as Chair and an additional member from the Regents is to be appointed by the Commissioner.  At your meeting, we will review the role of the Trust Board and its relationship with the Board of Regents, as well as the funding purposes and restrictions. 

 

Appendix IV gives the operating budgets of the three institutions for 2006/7 and related information on sources of funding. Discussion will center on the alignment of funding and staff with the institutional priorities.  The Committee will also have an opportunity to review the educational programs of the Museum, Library and Archives and to interact with the staff that organizes these efforts before returning to the conference room to raise additional issues and recommend to the Chair agenda items for the October meeting.

 

Appendix V is the Trusteeship agenda for the June meeting.

         

Recommendation

 

           The Regents should direct the staff in development of any additional information needed in advance of the possible opportunity to consider the Cultural Education Trust Board’s recommendations for the new research and collections facility and the renewal of the Museum exhibits in October.

 

Timetable for Implementation

 

Cultural Education Trust:

 

          If the Cultural Education Trust Board is in place by mid summer with enough time to review and approve plans for presentation to you in October, the implementation of those plans would begin almost immediately after your approval.  Both will be multi-year plans with benchmarks to be determined within each plan.

 

2007/2008 Budget:

 

          Approval of the Regents budget recommendations for 2007/8 related to the operations of the Archives, Library and Museum will be a part of your approval in September of the overall SED budget request.

 

 

Attachments

Appendix I

 

 

Cultural Institutions’ Trusteeship

 

          Cultural institutions operate in the public interest. If they hold collections - whether books, documents and manuscripts, artifacts or specimens - they do so in trust for, and on behalf of, the public. That is true whether they are private non-profit institutions or publicly funded ones. Local, state and Federal governments forgo substantial revenues by exempting them from property or income tax, subsidizing them, and often providing them additional public funds, in return for their stewardship and services to the public.

 

          Therefore, trustees of these institutions must see themselves as agents of the public, ensuring that all policy, fiscal and programmatic decisions serve public, not private, interests. The trustee’s fiduciary responsibility is expressed in standards now being considered by the Regents for amended regulations. The elements of trustee responsibility as they apply to the State Archives, Library and Museum include:

 

Ø     Compliance with all local, state and federal laws and regulations.

Ø     Adoption of a clear mission statement.

Ø     Priorities that align with the statement.

Ø     Securing sufficient financial and physical resources to achieve the mission and to meet generally accepted operational and stewardship standards.

Ø     A clear board-approved code of ethics and conflict of interest policy, reviewed and signed by trustees annually.

Ø     Annual budget approved and financial statements regularly reviewed by the board.

Ø     Formal financial policies and a board-constituted audit committee, with an annual independent audit.

Ø     A well-maintained and accessible facility.

Ø     An adopted emergency action and disaster preparedness plan.

Ø     A written collections care and management plan, meeting generally accepted professional standards.

Ø     Educational and informational programs, services and access commensurate with its mission and with generally accepted standards.

Ø     Personal support of the institution and advocacy for financial support from others.

Ø     Full knowledge and study of the issues before the board.

Ø     Appoint and support the chief executive officer and staff and holding them accountable for results.

Ø     Promote diversity on the board and among staff.

Ø     A written collections development (scope of collecting) and deaccessioning plan, meeting generally accepted professional standards.

Appendix III

 

Status of Plans for Research/Collections Facility

 

• In place:
  • Conceptual design and feasibility study.
  • Criteria for site acquisition.

 

• Underway
  • Dormitory Authority undertaking an update of potential sites.
  • Dormitory Authority enlisting consultant on funding options for building the facility.

 

• Timetable for next steps
  • Summer 2006: Completion of DA site review and funding options.
  • Fall/Winter 2006: Approval of site acquisition and RFP for architectural design; site and architectural firm secured. Approval of funding option. Approval of plan to prepare collections for move in 2009/10.
  • Spring/Summer 2007: Approval of architectural plans and green light to begin work.
  • 2009/10: Completion of first stage of modular, green building.

 

Status of Plans for Renewal of Museum Exhibits

 

• In place:
  • Conceptual plans for Natural History Hall and for New York History Hall.
  • Top tier museum design firm under contract.

 

• Underway:
  • Meetings to refine and begin development of scripts for both halls.
  • Infrastructure upgrades to accommodate new technology rich interactive exhibits.
  • Enhancement of Discovery Center.
  • Preservation and imaging of compelling objects, documents and specimens to enable them to be exhibited and used in virtual tours and educational programs,

 

• Timetable for next steps:
  • 2009: Expectation to open important elements of these exhibits in time for the Quadra-centennial of Hudson’s and Champlain’s voyages, and the Bicentennial of Fulton’s steamship.

Appendix IV

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal

 

And

 

Staffing Charts

Appendix V

 

Regents Trustee Meeting

TUESDAY

 JUNE 20, 2006

Librarian’s Room

 

AGENDA

 

Topic	Item(s)	Timeframe
Review of new Cultural Education Trust legislation	œ      Funding & purpose œ      Role & relationship of Trust board to CE Committee and Regents œ      Status for planning for funds	45 minutes
Operating budget for 2006/07	œ      Alignment with priorities œ      Staffing capacity œ      Gaps	30 minutes
Walking review of educational programs	œ      Museum œ      Archives œ      Library	90 minutes
Issues and Questions	œ      Operations œ      Plans œ      Capacity	20 minutes

 

Background Information to be provided to Board:

 

• Description of operations of Archives, Library and Museum
• Legislation for Trust
• Status of planning for new facility and for Museum renewal
• Operating budget broken out by institution
• Source of funds (Federal, state, special revenue, grants, private sources)
• Staffing charts