Bill Text: NY A03692 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes a student complaint system within the SUNY and CUNY systems; requires such system to collect, process and track complaints of students; requires reporting to the legislature and governor.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-06 - referred to higher education [A03692 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-A03692-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         3692
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   January 27, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M. of A. GLICK -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ABBATE,
         GOTTFRIED, PERRY -- read once and referred to the Committee on  Higher
         Education
       AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a student
         complaint  system  for  the  state university of New York and the city
         university of New York
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 239-b
    2  to read as follows:
    3    S 239-B. STUDENT COMPLAINT TRACKING SYSTEM. 1. ESTABLISHMENT.   WITHIN
    4  ONE  HUNDRED  EIGHTY  DAYS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, THE
    5  CHANCELLOR SHALL ESTABLISH A  SYSTEM  TO  COLLECT,  PROCESS,  AND  TRACK
    6  COMPLAINTS  SUBMITTED  TO THE CHANCELLOR BY INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ENROLLED
    7  IN PROGRAMS OF EDUCATION WITHIN THE STATE  UNIVERSITY  SYSTEM.  FOR  THE
    8  PURPOSES  OF  THIS SECTION, A "STUDENT COMPLAINT" SHALL BE DEFINED AS AN
    9  EXPRESSION OF DISSATISFACTION WITHIN  THE  UNIVERSITY  WHICH  EXPLICITLY
   10  EXPECTS  AN  ACTIONABLE  RESPONSE OR RESOLUTION THAT IS THE RESULT OF AN
   11  ACTION OR INACTION UNDERTAKEN BY THE UNIVERSITY.
   12    2. REQUIREMENTS. THE COMPLAINT SYSTEM  ESTABLISHED  UNDER  SUBDIVISION
   13  ONE OF THIS SECTION SHALL: (A) CREATE AN INDIVIDUAL CASE NUMBER FOR EACH
   14  COMPLAINT PROCESSED AND TRACKED IN THE SYSTEM; (B) ALLOW FOR THE REPORT-
   15  ING  OF  COMPLAINTS, DISAGGREGATED BY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION; (C) ALLOW
   16  FOR THE REPORTING OF  COMPLAINTS,  DISAGGREGATED  BY  TOPIC  OR  SUBJECT
   17  MATTER;  (D) ALLOW FOR THE SUBMITTAL OF COMPLAINTS BY VARIOUS METHODS TO
   18  INSURE THE ABILITY OF ALL STUDENTS TO REASONABLY FILE THEIR  COMPLAINTS,
   19  WHICH  CAN  INCLUDE  (I)  INTERNET  WEBSITE;  AND  (II)  TELEPHONE VIA A
   20  TOLL-FREE NUMBER; (E) ALLOW FOR THE SHARING OF COMPLAINTS WITH  (I)  THE
   21  EDUCATIONAL  INSTITUTIONS  THAT ARE THE SUBJECTS OF THE COMPLAINTS, (II)
   22  THE COMMISSIONER, AND (III) AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVES  OF  FACULTY  AND
   23  STUDENTS OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD03867-01-5
       A. 3692                             2
    1    3.   PRIVACY.  COMPLAINTS  SHARED  SHALL  BE  ANONYMIZED,  UNLESS  THE
    2  COMPLAINANT  GIVES  PERMISSION  TO   THE   CHANCELLOR   TO   SHARE   THE
    3  COMPLAINANT'S IDENTITY.
    4    4.  PREPARATION  AND  DISTRIBUTION  OF  REPORTS.  THE CHANCELLOR SHALL
    5  SUBMIT A BIENNIAL REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE DESCRIBING  THE
    6  PROGRESS OF THE STUDENT COMPLAINT TRACKING SYSTEM, THE NATURE AND NUMBER
    7  OF  COMPLAINTS,  AND WHERE APPROPRIATE, THE ACTIONS TAKEN TO RESOLVE THE
    8  COMPLAINTS.
    9    S 2. The education law is amended by adding a new  section  6206-a  to
   10  read as follows:
   11    S 6206-A. STUDENT COMPLAINT TRACKING SYSTEM. 1. ESTABLISHMENT.  WITHIN
   12  ONE  HUNDRED  EIGHTY  DAYS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, THE
   13  BOARD OF TRUSTEES SHALL ESTABLISH A  SYSTEM  TO  COLLECT,  PROCESS,  AND
   14  TRACK  COMPLAINTS  SUBMITTED  TO  THE  CHANCELLOR BY INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE
   15  ENROLLED IN PROGRAMS OF EDUCATION WITHIN THE CITY UNIVERSITY SYSTEM. FOR
   16  THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, A "STUDENT COMPLAINT" SHALL BE DEFINED  AS
   17  AN  EXPRESSION OF DISSATISFACTION WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY WHICH EXPLICITLY
   18  EXPECTS AN ACTIONABLE RESPONSE OR RESOLUTION THAT IS THE  RESULT  OF  AN
   19  ACTION OR INACTION UNDERTAKEN BY THE UNIVERSITY.
   20    2.  REQUIREMENTS.  THE  COMPLAINT SYSTEM ESTABLISHED UNDER SUBDIVISION
   21  ONE OF THIS SECTION SHALL: (A) CREATE AN INDIVIDUAL CASE NUMBER FOR EACH
   22  COMPLAINT PROCESSED AND TRACKED IN THE SYSTEM; (B) ALLOW FOR THE REPORT-
   23  ING OF COMPLAINTS, DISAGGREGATED BY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION;  (C)  ALLOW
   24  FOR  THE  REPORTING  OF  COMPLAINTS,  DISAGGREGATED  BY TOPIC OR SUBJECT
   25  MATTER; (D) ALLOW FOR THE SUBMITTAL OF COMPLAINTS BY VARIOUS METHODS  TO
   26  INSURE  THE ABILITY OF ALL STUDENTS TO REASONABLY FILE THEIR COMPLAINTS,
   27  WHICH CAN INCLUDE  (I)  INTERNET  WEBSITE;  AND  (II)  TELEPHONE  VIA  A
   28  TOLL-FREE  NUMBER;  (E) ALLOW FOR THE SHARING OF COMPLAINTS WITH (I) THE
   29  EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE THE SUBJECTS OF THE  COMPLAINTS,  (II)
   30  THE  COMMISSIONER,  AND  (III) AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVES OF FACULTY AND
   31  STUDENTS OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY SYSTEM.
   32    3.  PRIVACY.  COMPLAINTS  SHARED  SHALL  BE  ANONYMIZED,  UNLESS   THE
   33  COMPLAINANT   GIVES   PERMISSION   TO   THE   CHANCELLOR  TO  SHARE  THE
   34  COMPLAINANT'S IDENTITY.
   35    4. PREPARATION AND  DISTRIBUTION  OF  REPORTS.  THE  CHANCELLOR  SHALL
   36  SUBMIT  A BIENNIAL REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE DESCRIBING THE
   37  PROGRESS OF THE STUDENT COMPLAINT TRACKING SYSTEM, THE NATURE AND NUMBER
   38  OF COMPLAINTS, AND WHERE APPROPRIATE, THE ACTIONS TAKEN TO  RESOLVE  THE
   39  COMPLAINTS.
   40    S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.