New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Higher Education Subject Files

The subject files of the Assembly Standing Committee on Higher Education have been arranged in three subseries: 1. Education Subject Files; 2. Professions Oversight Subject Files; and 3. Reports and Published Material.

The New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Higher Education first convened in 1975. It is responsible for the initiation and review of legislation relevant to higher education and the professions in New York State. It also monitors the ongoing activities of professions regulated and licensed by the state and offers guidance on policy and funding to the state's library network. According to its 1988 annual report, "few legislative committees have jurisdiction which impact on such a broad range of public policy fields as the Committee on Higher Education."

Subject files of the Assembly Standing Committee on Higher Education reflect a broad spectrum of the committee's responsibilities. The subject files have been arranged around two main areas of the committee's focus: oversight of education and oversight of the professions. The contents of the files vary widely; some contain extensive notes and correspondence regarding legislation on the given subject while others might contain only background or reference information gathered from other sources.

The committee's activity pertaining to education covers both higher education and cultural education. While the subject files primarily relate to matters of higher education, materials related to a joint public hearing on aid to public libraries are evidence of their cultural education jurisdiction. The subject files reflect a range of themes affecting higher education including campus health and safety, guns in schools, minority access to higher education, diversity on college campuses, student loans, and internship programs. The subject files also reflect procedural matters such as legislative bill analysis, Board of Regents vacancies, litigation regarding educational testing law, regulation of for-profit educational institutions, and activities of the State Education Department.

Subject files pertaining to oversight of professions primarily relate to the regulation and licensing of medical professionals. Other included materials are related to the education and certification of teachers, state regulation of land surveyors, labor law and workforce, and economic development.

The first two subseries represent activities of the committee. A third contains published reports and materials received or gathered by the committee. Some of these materials were produced by the committee and reflect prior activity, including hearing reports and annual reports. The subseries also contains brochures, annual reports of related committees, and a series of reports from the State Education Department to the Board of Regents that had been held for reference by the committee.

A Spanish version of this finding aid is available.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.