Chancellor Zimpher has informed all SUNY campuses
that Governor Paterson will include The Public Higher Education
Empowerment and Innovation Act in his 2010-11 budget proposal.
Offering the most significant reforms to the state's system of
public higher education in a generation, the act includes zero-cost
solutions to
strengthen public higher education and build
the foundation for tomorrow’s economy.
The Public Higher Education Empowerment and
Innovation Act would provide SUNY and CUNY the flexibility necessary
to become centers of job creation, enabling New York's public higher
education system to become the new model of excellence that better
prepares students for the jobs of the future while also developing
jobs today. The proposal would enable SUNY campuses to operate more
efficiently and ensure the more effective use of resources by
relieving campuses of
overly
bureaucratic procedures.
In addition to financial efficiencies and the
elimination of redundancies in some processes, the act places
tuition policy under the auspices of the Board of Trustees. This
change is expected to provide the financial stability necessary to
establish multi-year plans for
the SUNY system and the campuses.
The inclusion of the Public Higher Education
Empowerment and Innovation Act in Governor Paterson’s 2010-11 budget
proposal is a positive sign for SUNY Oneonta, our community, and the
State of New York. I will keep you informed as we learn more about
the details of the act.
