The elements of the University share an interest in high standards, fair access, leadership, and workforce development, to cite just a few of the common interests. Setting standards and defending them is common work for every part of the University. Colleges think about who should be allowed to teach. Regents decide what students should know to graduate from high school. The Office of the Professions decides who may practice and who may not.
Archives seek to elevate practices that conserve public records.
Promoting fair access is another shared concern across the University. The Regents Commission on the Future of Libraries demonstrated that 1.3 million New Yorkers have no local public library. In a decision now under appeal, Judge Leland DeGrasse declared that New York City children are not receiving the sound basic education required by the State Constitution. The Regents review of the CUNY master plan amendment in 2000 largely concerned access to higher education. The whole special education system also focuses on fair access.