NYSUT sponsored higher education bill A 5979 (Bronson) amends education law to include a non-voting faculty member on the board of trustees of community colleges. This legislation will provide community college boards with faculty perspective, helping them make informed decisions in the best interest of their college.

Currently, faculty input is limited to a few minutes during the “public comment” period at the end of trustee meetings, when decisions have often already been made, and gerally there is no dialogue. Since the faculty interact with the students daily, they are keenly aware of what is going on at their institutions and what policy decisions may or may not be working.

Changing the law will give faculty a voice, even if it is a non-voting one, and will ensure that the trustees are able to make informed decisions that are truly in the best interests of their colleges.

This bill has already been passed by the Senate, so we just need the Assembly to approve it!