University of the State of New York Board of Regents Meeting Files

Arranged into three subseries: 1. Monthly meeting files; 2. Notes from Secretary of Board of Regents; 3. Constitutional Convention files.

17265-21: Chronological

The Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York was created on May 1, 1784 by statute to act as trustees of Columbia College and of all other colleges and academies incorporated in New York. In 1787, the Regents' powers were broadened to include the ability to "visit and inspect all the colleges, academies, and schools" in the state. In subsequent years, this power to "visit and inspect" included the incorporation of colleges (1811), the trusteeship of the State Library (1844) and the State Museum (1845), and the development of educational standards and Regents' examinations for high schools. The Regents' oversight powers over primary and secondary education overlapped with the functions of the Department of Public Instruction, created in 1854. To address this, the Unification Bill of 1904 ceded authority over all educational institutions to the newly-created New York State Education Department, led by a Commissioner of Education appointed by the Regents.

The Board of Regents currently consists of seventeen members elected by the New York State Legislature for five-year terms. Each of New York's thirteen judicial districts is represented by a Regent, while four Regents serve at large. The Board's general supervisory authority extends to all elementary, secondary, and post-secondary schools in New York State, as well as libraries, museums, public broadcasting, and certain professions.

The Board of Regents meet regularly on a monthly basis to be informed of educational developments in New York State and agree upon official actions of the board. These meetings are typically held over a three-day period, and involve meetings of standing Regents committees on elementary and secondary education, higher education, professional practice, ethics, and others, as well as meetings of the Committee of the Whole, involving all of the Regents. On the final day, a public meeting of the Regents is held, where the official actions of the Regents are announced. This is usually followed by a press conference held by the Chancellor of the Board of Regents and the Commissioner of Education.

Typical actions taken at monthly Regents meetings include the approval of Regents policy statements and reports; the granting and revisions of charters for schools, colleges, libraries, and educational organizations; and decisions made on proposed revisions to the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education and the Education Law.

This series largely consists of correspondence, agendas, reports, and other documents from the regular monthly meetings of the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York. Among these records are items produced in preparation of the monthly meeting, including meeting agendas, reports and other informational materials mailed to Regents prior to the meeting, budget recommendations from NYSED staff, monthly reports from the Commissioner of Education, and proposed legislation and amendments to the Rules of the Regents and the Commissioner's Regulations. Also included are records produced during the monthly meeting, such as informal minutes, petitions for action, roll calls of votes taken on each decision made by the Regents, and texts and press releases of actions taken at the meeting. For each meeting, there is also a published journal listing the actions undertaken by the Board of Regents during their monthly meeting. The series also contains notes and other documentation compiled by the Secretary of the Board of Regents, and likely used for the preparation of official minutes of each monthly meeting. Also included in a separate group of files are materials produced during the April and May 1967 monthly meetings of the Board of Regents, relating to the 1967 Constitutional Convention in New York State.

There is a significant gap in the monthly meeting files from 1983 through 1987 inclusive.

Series 17267 Minutes of Meetings of Board of Regents contains Regents meeting files for the time period 1935-1953.

Series B1373 Secretary of the Board of Regents Correspondence Files contains related records.

Series B0442 Board of Regents Convocation Files contains related records.

Folder lists are available at the repository for 17265-12, 17265-13, 17265-14, 17265-14A, and 17265-21.

Regents meeting files from approximately 1954 through October 1969 were never transferred to the State Archives and are no longer extant.

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