Skip to main content

Report of Regents Cultural Education Committee to The Board of Regents

Regent Roger Tilles, Chair of the Cultural Education Committee, submitted the following written report. Your Committee on Cultural Education Committee had its scheduled meeting on October 20, 2014.

In attendance were committee members: Regents Tilles, Dawson, Bendit, Rosa, Cea, Cottrell and Brown. In addition to CE Committee Members, in attendance were Chancellor Tisch, Regents Phillips and Cashin, Commissioner King and Executive Deputy Commissioner Berlin.

ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION

Chair’s Remarks: Regent Tilles welcomed everyone and opened the meeting.

Summer School of the Arts Video and Report
Sara Fittizzi, Executive Director of the Summer School of the Arts provided an update to the Committee on the recently completed 2014 season of the Summer School of the Arts. The presentation included a video that was created by NYSED Communications to promote and educate parents and teachers about the program. She also introduced Carolyn Adams, the Artistic Director for the School of Dance. Ms. Adams shared her perspective on the program and expressed her gratitude and the gratitude of other faculty and students for the support of the Board of Regents for the program.

Review of Archives Month Activities Statewide
October is Archives month across the United States. Thomas Ruller, Acting State Archivist, reported on what Archival and manuscript repositories across New York State are doing as they celebrate during October. Archives staff members Kathleen Roe, Maria Holden, Julie Daniels and James Folts shared four specific examples of the importance of archives to community groups, public policy researchers, individuals and ethnic communities. .

Broadband Implementation in Libraries
Thomas Ruller, in his capacity as Director of Operations for OCE substituted for Bernard Margolis, State Librarian. Mr. Ruller provided an update to the Committee on the status of broadband implementation in libraries statewide, the value of broadband capacity and current issues regarding expansion of higher capacity broadband.

Legislative and Budget Priorities and Federal Legislative Status
Deputy Commissioner Jeffrey Cannell presented to the committee an update on Federal legislation and initiatives that affect cultural institutions and libraries. Mr. Cannell specifically mentioned a request for an increase of 1.4 milion for library construction. He also reviewed the status of federal funding for the Institute of Library and Museum Studies and the National Archives and encouraged the Board to support funding levels for those institutions.

Associated Agenda Item

Meeting Date: 
Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - 8:45am

Committee