Authorizes commissioner of education to contract with three public or independent institutions of higher education for the support of special summer programs established in order to increase the number of economically and educationally disadvantaged undergraduate students who are prepared for admission to graduate educational programs; establishes eligibility requirements in order to attend such special summer programs; appropriates $711,200 therefor.

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S3132-2011 Actions

• Jan 4, 2012: REFERRED TO FINANCE
• Feb 9, 2011: REFERRED TO FINANCE

S3132-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S3132

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the education law, in relation to opportunity for graduate
education, and making an appropriation therefor

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
This bill would add a new section 6456 to the education law to permit the
Commissioner of Education to contract with three public or
independent institutions of higher education for the operation of
eight week summer programs to prepare economically and educationally
disadvantaged students for admission to educational programs beyond
the B.A. level.
Students who have completed one or two years of undergraduate study
and are educationally and economically disadvantaged would be
eligible for participation in these new programs. Any college or
university incorporated by the Regents or by the Legislature who
maintains at least one earned degree program leading to the B.A.
would be eligible to contract with the commissioner for the operation
of one of these programs, of which there would be programs targeted
for the health and biological sciences, law, business, social
sciences or the humanities.

The commissioner is authorized to promulgate necessary regulations and
would be required to make annual reports to the Governor and the
Legislature.

JUSTIFICATION:
Minority groups and other disadvantaged students do not attend
graduate and professional schools in proportions to their
participation at other levels of education. Current data indicates
that, in addition to problems of retention in graduate programs,
there has been a steady decline in enrollment in graduate programs,
particularly in the sciences and technology, and business. Without
active public programs of this nature, these target groups will
continue to be greatly under represented in the professions and
managerial positions in business and government where their
leadership can be most effectively used in combatting the root causes
of poverty. The special summer program would be modelled on those
pioneered by Harvard Medical College and other universities, and
would stimulate interest in furthering an education while providing
supportive instruction to improve performance on standardized tests.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2003-04: S.652/A.1354 - Referred to Higher Education.
2001-02: S.4081/A.1546 - Referred to Higher Education.
1999-00: S.2798-A/A.6083-A - Referred to Higher Education.
1997-98: S.1365 - Referred to Higher Education.
1995-96: S.1365 - Referred to Higher Education.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
$711,200.00

EFFECTIVE DATE:
April 1 next succeeding the date on which it shall become a law.

S3132-2011 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    3132

                         2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                              February 9, 2011
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sens. HUNTLEY, DIAZ, MONTGOMERY, PARKER, SAMPSON, SAVINO
    -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to
    the Committee on Finance

  AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to opportunity for gradu-
    ate education, and making an appropriation therefor

    THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section  1.  The education law is amended by adding a new section 6456
  to read as follows:

    S 6456. OPPORTUNITY FOR GRADUATE EDUCATION. 1. TO ADVANCE THE CAUSE OF
  EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY IN  GRADUATE  EDUCATION,  THE  COMMISSIONER  MAY
  CONTRACT  WITH THREE PUBLIC OR INDEPENDENT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCA-
  TION FOR THE SUPPORT OF SPECIAL SUMMER PROGRAMS ESTABLISHED TO  INCREASE
  THE NUMBER OF ECONOMICALLY AND EDUCATIONALLY DISADVANTAGED UNDERGRADUATE
  STUDENTS  WHO  ARE PREPARED FOR ADMISSION TO EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS BEYOND
  THE BACCALAUREATE DEGREE. IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO  ATTEND  A  SPECIAL
  SUMMER  PROGRAM,  A  STUDENT  SHALL  HAVE COMPLETED THE FIRST YEAR OF AN
  UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATIONAL  PROGRAM  AS  A  PARTICIPANT  IN  ONE  OF  THE
  PROGRAMS  FOR  EDUCATIONALLY  AND  ECONOMICALLY  DISADVANTAGED  STUDENTS
  ESTABLISHED  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION  SIXTY-FOUR  HUNDRED   FIFTY-ONE   OR
  SIXTY-FOUR  HUNDRED  FIFTY-TWO OF THIS ARTICLE. A STUDENT WHO ATTENDED A
  SPECIAL SUMMER PROGRAM UPON COMPLETION OF THE FIRST YEAR  OF  AN  UNDER-
  GRADUATE  EDUCATIONAL  PROGRAM  SHALL  ALSO  BE  ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND SUCH
  PROGRAM UPON COMPLETION OF THE SECOND YEAR OF  AN  UNDERGRADUATE  EDUCA-
  TIONAL  PROGRAM. A STUDENT WHO HAS COMPLETED THE THIRD OR FOURTH YEAR OF
  AN UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM  SHALL  BE  ELIGIBLE  TO  ATTEND  A
  SPECIAL  SUMMER  PROGRAM.   ELIGIBLE STUDENTS SHALL BE SELECTED IN EQUAL
  NUMBERS FROM STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE OPPORTUNITY PROGRAMS OF INDE-
  PENDENT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, THE STATE  UNIVERSITY  OF  NEW
  YORK  AND  THE  CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, RESPECTIVELY. ENROLLMENT IN

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD08691-01-1

 S. 3132                             2

  SUCH PROGRAMS SHALL NOT EXCEED LEVELS DETERMINED  BY  THE  COMMISSIONER,
  WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUDGET.
    2. TO QUALIFY FOR STATE ASSISTANCE PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, AN INSTI-
  TUTION  OF HIGHER EDUCATION MUST BE A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY INCORPORATED
  BY THE REGENTS OR BY THE LEGISLATURE  AND  MUST  MAINTAIN  ONE  OR  MORE
  EARNED DEGREE PROGRAMS CULMINATING IN A BACCALAUREATE DEGREE.
    3.  MONEYS  MADE  AVAILABLE TO INSTITUTIONS THROUGH CONTRACTS SHALL BE
  SPENT ONLY FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES:

    A. PERSONAL AND CAREER COUNSELING FOR ENROLLED STUDENTS;
    B. DIAGNOSTIC AND PRESCRIPTIVE TESTING FOR SUCH STUDENTS;
    C. INSTRUCTION IN SUBJECT MATTER AND LABORATORY WORK;
    D. TUTORING OF ENROLLED STUDENTS;
    E. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR ENROLLED STUDENTS IN  SUCH  AMOUNT  AS  IS
  DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER;
    F.  ADMINISTRATION  OF THE PROGRAM, INCLUDING PLANNING AND EVALUATION,
  WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS ESTABLISHED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
    4. EACH PROGRAM SHALL BE OPERATED FOR A PERIOD OF EIGHT WEEKS, BETWEEN
  THE FIRST DAY OF JULY AND THE FIRST DAY OF SEPTEMBER OF  EACH  YEAR.  AN
  INSTITUTION  OF HIGHER EDUCATION SELECTED BY THE COMMISSIONER TO PROVIDE
  A SPECIAL SUMMER PROGRAM SHALL OFFER A PROGRAM IN HEALTH AND  BIOLOGICAL
  SCIENCES;  LAW  AND  BUSINESS; OR SOCIAL SCIENCES AND THE HUMANITIES, AS
  DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
    5. INSTITUTIONS APPLYING FOR CONTRACTS PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION  SHALL
  SUBMIT TO THE COMMISSIONER SUCH REPORTS OR OTHER INFORMATION AS HE SHALL
  REQUIRE.   THE COMMISSIONER SHALL CONSIDER SUCH INFORMATION IN DETERMIN-
  ING WHETHER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH ANY INSTITUTION.  THE  COMMIS-
  SIONER  MAY  PROMULGATE  REGULATIONS NECESSARY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
  THESE PROGRAMS.
    6. CONTRACTS MADE PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL  BE  SUBJECT  TO  THE
  APPROVAL OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUDGET.
    7.  THE  COMMISSIONER SHALL PREPARE AN ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ACTIVITIES
  OF INSTITUTIONS WHICH RECEIVED STATE FUNDS PURSUANT TO THIS  SECTION  IN
  THE  FISCAL  YEAR,  CONCERNING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF
  THE PROGRAMS CONTRACTED FOR, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS SERVED, THE COSTS OF
  THE PROGRAMS, AND FUTURE PLANS THEREFOR, AND SHALL TRANSMIT SUCH  REPORT
  TO  THE  GOVERNOR  AND  THE LEGISLATURE ON OR BEFORE NOVEMBER FIRST NEXT
  FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF SUCH YEAR'S SUMMER PROGRAMS.
    S 2. The sum of seven hundred  eleven  thousand  two  hundred  dollars
  ($711,200),  or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropri-
  ated to the department of education out of any moneys in the state trea-
  sury in the general fund to the credit of the state purposes account not
  otherwise appropriated, for its expenses,  including  personal  service,
  maintenance and operation, in carrying out the provisions of this act.
    S  3. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding
  the date on which it shall have become a law.