N.Y. Education Law § 237: Regents plan for higher education including approved plans of state university and city university of New York and plans of independent i...

§ 237. Regents plan for higher education including approved plans of

state university and city university of New York and plans of

independent institutions of higher education. 1. Purposes of planning.

Master planning for higher education in New York State should:

a. Define and differentiate the missions and objectives of higher

education.

b. Identify the needs, problems, societal conditions and interests of

the citizens of the state of New York to which programs of higher

education may most appropriately be addressed.

c. Define and differentiate the missions and objectives of

institutions of higher education.

d. Develop programs to meet the needs, solve the problems, affect the

conditions and respond to the public's interests by:

(1) Setting goals.

(2) Describing the time required to meet those goals.

(3) Identifying the resources needed to achieve the goals.

(4) Establishing priorities.

e. Be in sufficient detail to enable all participants in the planning

process, representatives of the people and the citizens themselves to

evaluate the needs, objectives, program proposals, priorities, costs and

results of higher education.

f. Optimize the use of resources.

g. Evaluate program effectiveness.

2. The regents shall, on or before the twenty-fifth day of April

nineteen hundred seventy-one and each fourth year thereafter, request

the state university trustees, the board of higher education of the city

of New York, and all independent higher educational institutions to

submit long-range master plans for their development. Such request shall

specify the nature of the information, plans and recommendations to be

submitted, shall describe statewide needs, problems, societal conditions

and interests of the citizens and discuss their priorities, and provide

appropriate information which may be useful in the formulation of such

plans.

3. The regents shall, once every four years, review the proposed plan

and recommendations required to be submitted by the state university

trustees pursuant to section three hundred fifty-four of this chapter,

the proposed plan and recommendations of the board of higher education

in the city of New York required to be submitted pursuant to section

sixty-two hundred two of this chapter, and the plans of independent

institutions of higher education and, upon approval by the regents of

the plans submitted by the state university trustees and the board of

higher education, they shall be incorporated into a regents plan or

general revision thereof for the development of higher education in the

state. Such regents plan shall include the plan and recommendations

proposed by the state university trustees and the plan and

recommendations proposed by the board of higher education in the city of

New York and may include plans with respect to other matters not

comprehended within the plan of the state and city universities,

including but not limited to improving institutional management and

resources, instruction and guidance programs, financial assistance to

students and extension of educational opportunities. In determining the

need for additional educational facilities in a particular area, the

plans and facilities of existing public and independent institutions

shall be fully evaluated. Such statewide plan shall include for

information purposes a summary of all recommendations appearing in the

prior statewide plan and subsequent amendments thereof containing a

brief statement of action taken and progress toward achievement of each

such recommendation.

4. During the calendar year nineteen hundred sixty-four and each

fourth year thereafter the regents shall evaluate all available

information with respect to the plans and facilities of independent

institutions and shall review and act upon the proposed plan and

recommendations of the state university trustees and upon the proposed

plan and recommendations of the board of higher education in the city of

New York and incorporate such information, recommendations and each of

the component plans so acted upon into a tentative regents plan or

general revision thereof for the development of higher education in the

state. Copies of such tentative regents plan or general revision

thereof, as the case may be, shall be made available to the trustees of

the state university, the board of higher education in the city of New

York and the governing boards of all other institutions of higher

education admitted to the university of the state of New York.

Thereafter, after giving due notice, the regents shall conduct one or

more hearings on such tentative regents plan or general revision

thereof.

5. The regents shall transmit their plan or general revision thereof

for the development of higher education in the state to the governor and

the legislature on or before the first day of November, nineteen hundred

sixty-four and each fourth year thereafter. The governor may disapprove

or conditionally approve any part of the plan or general revision

thereof after notifying the regents of such disagreements at least sixty

days prior to such action during which time they may revise their

recommendations relating to such items and request the governor to adopt

such revised recommendations in lieu of such action. Such plan or

general revision thereof or so much thereof as shall be approved and

upon such terms and conditions as the governor may impose, shall become

effective upon such approval by the governor.

6. Any modification recommended by the state university trustees or by

the board of higher education in the city of New York to their

respective plans, theretofore formulated and approved pursuant to

section three hundred fifty-four or section sixty-two hundred two of

this chapter shall be reviewed by the regents who may hold one or more

hearings thereon after giving due notice thereof. As approved by the

regents, such modification shall be made a part of the respective plans

of the state university and of the city university and shall, together

with any modifications the regents may make to that portion of their

plan for the development of higher education in the state not

comprehended in the plans of the state and city universities, be

transmitted to the governor and the legislature, all of which shall then

become effective upon approval by the governor as modifications of the

regents plan. By the first day of November in nineteen hundred

seventy-four and each fourth year thereafter the regents shall summarize

and report to the governor and the legislature any modifications made

pursuant to this subdivision and shall include in such report a

statement on the progress made in implementing the regents plan and

their general recommendations with respect to higher education.

7. An advisory council on higher education consisting of the

chancellor of the state university of New York, the chancellor of the

city university of New York, and a representative of the commission on

independent colleges and universities shall be convened by the

commissioner of education and shall advise the regents and the

commissioner on all phases of planning.