Provides for the establishment of life long learning centers within the state university of New York to provide courses in community colleges and colleges and universities in the state university system for persons 40 years old or older who are seeking to explore life options, remain civically engaged, continue their education and acquire skills for or begin to plan for a second career.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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4135
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 3, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing life long
learning centers in the state 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 355-f
2 to read as follows:
3 § 355-f. Life long learning centers. 1. There is hereby established in
4 the state university, subject to the jurisdiction of its board of trus-
5 tees, life long learning centers to be operated at community colleges
6 and the colleges and universities of the state university to serve mid
7 life adults forty years of age or older who are seeking to explore life
8 options, remain civically engaged, continue their education and acquire
9 skills for or begin to plan for a second career, including entrepreneu-
10 rial instruction.
11 2. The board of trustees of the state university shall select the
12 location of such centers on campuses of colleges and universities with a
13 commitment to reinvent their credit and non-credit learning programs to
14 target the emerging needs and demands and interests of adults age forty
15 and older who are interested in exploring life options, civic engagement
16 and continued learning.
17 3. The purpose of life long learning centers is to encourage the
18 offering of mid life adult programs that assist eligible students in
19 acquiring the skills and abilities necessary to plan for and carry out
20 new careers for their next stage of life, and help universities meet the
21 demands of this group. The following shall be the priority activities of
22 such centers:
23 a. retooling career counseling and work force re-entry service that
24 are offered on campus to attract older adults who are interested in
25 public service careers;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07699-01-5
S. 4135 2
1 b. facilitate partnerships on and off campus with interested parties;
2 c. expanding connections with local businesses and employers to iden-
3 tify work force shortages that could be filled by re-trained older work-
4 ers;
5 d. collaborate and offer training for not-for-profit organizations and
6 employers to work with older adults and volunteers; and
7 e. working with individuals residing in rural and urban areas that are
8 traditionally underserved.
9 4. The board of trustees of the state university shall, within appro-
10 priations made therefor, award grants to establish life long learning
11 centers. Grant applications submitted by institutions of higher educa-
12 tion shall outline plans of instruction and curriculum-related activ-
13 ities and services to advance the purpose of assisting mid life adults
14 interested in exploring life options, civic engagement and continued
15 learning. Such plans may provide for contracting by the eligible appli-
16 cant with specified not-for-profit community based educational organiza-
17 tions for the provision of instruction, activities and services outlined
18 in the plan. Such plans shall include quantifiable measures to assess
19 the effectiveness of the instruction activities and services in promot-
20 ing the purposes of the program. Such measures shall include, but not be
21 limited to:
22 a. the rate of success of linking eligible students with work experi-
23 ences that serve community needs;
24 b. success at adapting colleges and universities work force re-entry
25 services, career counseling and skill development opportunities that
26 enable older adults to have meaningful civic engagement and work force
27 opportunities;
28 c. rate of establishments of external links with community, business,
29 government and other educational institutions that may encourage entre-
30 preneurial approaches and partnerships that may help further the goals
31 of this program; and
32 d. ability of the program plan to assist in the development of initi-
33 atives designed to address the unique needs of older individuals resid-
34 ing in rural and urban communities that are traditionally underserved.
35 The board of trustees shall make grant awards based upon a review of
36 submitted applications making selections from submitted applications
37 that would best meet the goals and objectives of this section. Such
38 approved plans may be amended with the approval of the board of trustees
39 of the state university.
40 5. The board of trustees of the state university shall submit a report
41 annually to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the
42 speaker of the assembly, the director of the state office for the aging
43 and the commissioner of health.
44 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
