N.Y. Educ. Law § 5703

§ 5703. Trustees. 1. Appointment and election. The board of trustees\nof Cornell university shall be constituted as follows:\n a. Ex officio trustees. The governor, the temporary president of the\nsenate, the speaker of the assembly and the president of the university\nshall be ex officio trustees during their respective terms of office.\n b. One life trustee. The eldest lineal descendant of Ezra Cornell\nshall be a trustee for his or her life.\n c. Appointed trustees. The governor shall appoint, subject to\nconfirmation by the senate, three trustees, one each year for a term of\nthree years, commencing on the first day of July.\n d. Board trustees. Fifty-six trustees shall be selected in such manner\nand for such terms as the board of trustees may determine. At all times,\nsuch board trustees shall include at least: two members from each of the\nfields of agriculture, business and labor in New York state; eight\ntrustees to be elected from among and by the alumni of the university;\ntwo trustees to be elected from among and by the faculty of the\nuniversity at Ithaca and Geneva; two trustees to be elected from among\nand by the membership of the university's student body at Ithaca; and\none trustee to be elected from among and by the nonacademic staff and\nemployees of the university at Ithaca and Geneva.\n 2. General provisions. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other\ngeneral or specific statute the minimum age for membership on the board\nof trustees shall be eighteen years.\n b. The presence of thirty trustees at a meeting duly called in\naccordance with said university's bylaws shall constitute a quorum for\nthe transaction of business.\n