Report of Regents Cultural Education Committee to The Board of Regents
Your Committee on Cultural Education Committee had its scheduled meeting on December 11, 2017. Regent Roger Tilles, Chair of the Cultural Education Committee, submitted the following written report. In attendance were committee members: Regent Tilles, Chair, Regent Cea, Regent Cottrell, Regent Chin, Regent Johnson, Regent Ouderkirk, and Regent Mead. Regents, in addition to CE Committee Members, in attendance were: Chancellor Rosa, Vice Chancellor Brown, Regent Norwood, Regent Collins, and Regent Mittler. Also in attendance were Commissioner Elia, Executive Deputy Commissioner Berlin, Senior Deputy Commissioner for Education Policy Jhone Ebert, and Counsel and Deputy Commissioner for Legal Affairs Alison Bianchi.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION
Canaan Historical Society – Executive Session [CE (A) 1]
The Cultural Education Committee convened an executive session at 3:00 p.m. in the matter of whether the Board of Regents should hold a hearing pursuant to Education Law §226(4) on the application of Philip Warner to remove Gary and Tammy Flaherty from their official positions within the Canaan Historical Society and order the transfer of certain artifacts to another cultural entity.
Regent Tilles motioned that the Committee recommend the following action to the Full Board of Regents:
VOTED: That the Board of Regents determine that a hearing in this matter is not required and dismiss the petition in its entirety, pursuant to §3.31(t) of the Rules of the Board of Regents. Petitioner has sought relief not available under Education Law §226(4), and petitioner has alleged facts which, even if proven true, would not warrant removal under Education Law §226(4).
Regent Cea seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The Full Board will consider the Committee’s recommendation in this matter at its meeting on Tuesday, December 12, 2017.
The Cultural Education Committee convened a public session at 3:20 p.m.
Chair’s Remarks: Regent Tilles introduced Deputy Commissioner Mark Schaming who provided a brief report on Office of Cultural Education news and activities including State Museum work with the State University at Albany to offer students the opportunity to participate in an archaeology field school at two sites in Albany: Ten Broeck Mansion and the Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence. Deputy Commissioner Schaming also provided an update on a successful 4th Annual Taste NY Holiday Market that brought in over 5,000 members of the public on December 3rd, and noted the creation of an educator guide for the Votes for Women exhibition which align with the Next Generation Standards for ELA and Social Studies framework.
Update on Library Regents Advisory Council 2020 Vision Plan [CE (D) 2]
State Librarian Bernard Margolis provided an update on policy recommendations for library services in New York State. in April 2012, the Board of Regents accepted the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries policy recommendation report, Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State, which provides sixty recommendations for improving and advancing library services. The Department has used the Advisory Council’s report, as it has used previous Commission and task force reports, as a key resource for developing statewide policies and program priorities.
Genealogical Resources at the State Archives [CE (D) 1]
Monica Gray, Archives & Records Management Specialist 2 presented an overview of the genealogical resources available from the State Archives and will review the impact of online access to images and indexes, highlighting the Archives’ relationship with Ancestry.com. Use of genealogical resources continues to be one of the most popular services of the State Archives. During the first nine months of 2017, over 56,000 unique users accessed genealogical resources on the State Archives website. During the same period, images of State Archives records containing genealogical information available through Ancestry.com were accessed a total of 5,186,020 times. The unique relationship with Ancestry.com enabled the State Archives to digitize, index and make available records from 51 different records series, including nearly 600,000 service records from New Yorkers who served in World War I, records of the sales of Loyalist land 1762-1830, New York Censuses from 1892-1925, Civil War muster rolls, and pension claims of disabled Revolutionary War veterans. These materials are available free of charge to New Yorkers through a contractual agreement with Ancestry.com.