Report of Regents Cultural Education Committee to The Board of Regents

Your Committee on Cultural Education had its scheduled meeting on December 11, 2018. Regent Roger Tilles, Co-Chair of the Cultural Education Committee, submitted the following written report. In attendance were committee members: Regent Tilles, Co-Chair, Regent Cea, Regent Cottrell, Regent Ouderkirk and Regent Mead. Regents, in addition to Cultural Education Committee Members, in attendance were: Chancellor Rosa, Vice Chancellor Brown, Regent Cashin, Regent Norwood, Regent Hakanson, Regent Reyes, and Regent Mittler. Also in attendance were Commissioner Elia, Executive Deputy Commissioner Berlin, Senior Deputy Commissioner for Educational Policy Jhone Ebert, and Counsel and Deputy Commissioner for Legal Affairs Alison Bianchi.

ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION

Co-Chair Regent Tilles welcomed everyone. Regent Tilles then introduced Deputy Commissioner Mark Schaming. Deputy Commissioner Schaming provided a brief report on Office of Cultural Education news and activities:

• At the New York Library Association annual conference last month, Bernard Margolis was posthumously awarded the 2018 NYLA Senator Hugh Farley Outstanding Advocate Award. This award is given to an individual who has made a far reaching, sustained contribution to the promotion and support of library and information services to the people of New York State.
• In addition, the New York Library Association awarded Carol Desch, Coordinator of Statewide Library Services and Director of Library Development, the 2018 NYLA Above and Beyond Award. This award honors individuals who have made significant contributions of recognized service to NYLA and the library profession.
• The New York State Archives exhibited the original New York State constitution on November 15 in Kingston in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Ulster County’s courthouse. Approximately 500 people saw the document, including 300 students.
• On December 2, the State Museum hosted the 5th Annual Taste NY Holiday Market. Over 6,000 visitors shopped at 30 “made in New York” food and beverage vendors, attended cooking demonstrations, and learned what food New Yorkers ate in the 18th century.

Regents Advisory Council on Museum Appointments [CE (A) 1]

Department staff will present proposed appointments to the Regents Advisory Council on Museums for Board of Regents approval. Members of the Regents Advisory Council on Museums offer advice and consultation on issues of policy and service pursuant to the Board’s statutory mandate to operate the State Museum and oversee museums across New York State. The recommended appointments to the Museum Regents Advisory Council are: David Kahn, Executive Director of the Adirondack Experience The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake and Barbara Hunt McLanahan, Executive Director of the Children’s Museum of the Arts, both for five-year terms through December 31, 2023.

Motion: Regent Cottrell
Second: Regent Cea
Unanimous vote in favor of the motion.

State Museum Overview of Native American Graves and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) [CE (D) 1]

NAGPRA is a federal law passed in 1990 to provide a process for the return of cultural items to federally recognized Native American tribes. Consultation with Native American groups has resulted in numerous successful repatriations and collaborations, including new additions to the State Museum’s collections. Lisa Anderson, NAGPRA Coordinator, and Gwen Saul, Curator of Ethnology, discussed the NAGPRA process, recent repatriations and acquisitions.