Report of Regents Cultural Education Committee to The Board of Regents

Your Committee on Cultural Education had its scheduled meeting on October 15, 2018. Regent Roger Tilles and Regent Judith Johnson, Co-Chairs of the Cultural Education Committee, submitted the following written report. In attendance were committee members: Regent Tilles, Co-Chair, Regent Johnson, Co-Chair, Regent Cea, Regent Ouderkirk and Regent Mead.

Regents, in addition to Cultural Education Committee Members, in attendance were: Chancellor Rosa, Vice Chancellor Brown, Regent Young, Regent Cashin, Regent Collins, 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’s Remarks: Regent Tilles and Regent Johnson 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:

The New York State Archives and the Archives Partnership Trust have received a $125,760 “Save America’s Treasures” grant from the National Park Service and the Institute of Museum and Library Services for the conservation and digitization of historical court records and other important documents of the Revolutionary War era.
This past summer the Museum hosted a special nighttime visit for children participating in Camp Sundown – an annual summer program for children with a rare skin disorder who cannot stand even limited exposure to the sun or ultraviolet light. The children and their families visited the Museum for a late-night program to tour the exhibitions and learn about New York State history.

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

Deputy Commissioner Mark Schaming introduced the recommended appointments to the Library Regents Advisory Council. Members of the Library Regents Advisory Council advises the Board on issues concerning library policy, works with the officers of the State Education Department in developing a comprehensive statewide library and information policy, and makes recommendations to the Regents for implementing library programs and initiatives. The recommended appointments to the Library Regents Advisory Council are: Greg Benoit, Library Director of the Gates Public Library; Grace Riario, Assistant Director and Outreach Coordinator of the Ramapo Catskill Library System; Brian Hildreth, Executive Director of the Southern Tier Library System; Timothy G. Burke, Executive Director of the Upper Hudson Library System; and Tatiana Bryant, Assistant Professor/Outreach and Promotion Librarian at Adelphi University.

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

Update on Draft Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation Encasement Project [CE (D) 2]

The State Library holds the draft of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation in President Abraham Lincoln’s hand. The document recently was conserved and placed into a new, state-of-the-art encasement. Liza Duncan, Principal Librarian at the State Library, and Marie Culver, Conservation Specialist and Coordinator of Collections Management at the State Archives, shared highlights about the history of the document and how the State Library acquired it as well as an overview on its recent conservation and encasement.

New York State Summer School of the Arts [CE (D) 1]

The New York State Summer School of the Arts provides talented high school students the opportunity to study with some of the world’s foremost artists in the visual and performing arts in seven schools, including ballet, dance, choral studies, orchestral studies, theatre, visual arts, and media arts. During the 2018 session, 369 students gained acceptance and enrolled in the program. Executive Director Molly Hennighausen provided an update on the 2018 session.

Non-State Aid Budget and Legislative Initiatives [CE (D) 3]

Executive Deputy Commissioner Beth Berlin presented proposals for the Board’s 2019 Non-State Aid budget and legislative priorities that relate to the Office of Cultural Education. The proposals include: increase funding by $6 million for the State Aid for Public Library Construction; provide $5 million in funding for the Museum Education Act (legislation passed both houses in 2018, but funding was not included in the Enacted Budget); and provide $5 million for expanding two public broadcasting program – Enterprise America and GPS for Success – statewide to each public television station.