New York Assembly Bill A11170

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 5/1/26
• Refer: 5/1/26

Caption

Provides for the inclusion of a faculty or staff member on the board of trustees of community colleges

Summary

This bill amends the Education Law to add a faculty or staff representative to the governing boards of community colleges in New York, including the Fashion Institute of Technology and certain regional community college boards. Under the bill, these boards would expand in size to accommodate an additional ex-officio, non-voting faculty or staff member, alongside the existing student member. The new faculty or staff member would serve a two-year term, be selected under rules set by the largest faculty organization on each campus, and would have the same parliamentary privileges as other members, such as making and seconding motions and placing items on the agenda. The bill also updates related board composition language, including increasing the number of trustees on affected boards and conforming terminology such as changing “chairman” to “chair.” It specifies that the faculty or staff member must resign if they cease to be employed by the institution, and it preserves existing ethics, disclosure, and conflict-of-interest rules that apply to board members. The changes would take effect immediately, but the first faculty or staff terms would begin July 1, 2027.

Impact

The bill would amend sections 6306 and 6310 of the Education Law, changing the membership structure of community college boards of trustees and the Fashion Institute of Technology board. It increases board sizes, adds a faculty or staff seat as a non-voting ex-officio member, and adjusts appointment and election procedures for affected institutions. These changes would affect community colleges outside New York City, FIT, and regional community college boards, while leaving the student trustee structure in place.

Sentiment

The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded votes, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to gauge support or opposition. Based on the bill text and sponsor framing, the measure appears to be presented as a governance and representation expansion for campus stakeholders, suggesting a generally positive or reform-oriented intent. However, because no discussion is provided, the overall sentiment cannot be measured beyond the bill’s stated purpose.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is the addition of a faculty or staff member to boards that have traditionally been composed of appointed trustees plus a student representative, which could raise questions about board size, governance balance, and whether a non-voting member should have agenda-setting and motion privileges. Another possible issue is how the faculty or staff representative is selected, since the bill assigns that role to the largest faculty organization on each campus, which may prompt concerns about representation or campus labor politics. No specific objections are documented in the provided materials.