On Friday, Governor Paterson announced that his 2010-11 Executive Budget—expected to be released today—will include significant reforms to the State’s system of public higher education. The Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act will provide the State University of New York (SUNY) and the City University of New York (CUNY) with flexibilities that it has not had heretofore.
The Governor’s proposal would allow us to be more innovative and entrepreneurial in serving students and employers. Community colleges have always been economic engines for their communities through their role in preparing the local workforce through education, training and retraining. This new proposal would make it possible for us to reach even wider and more deeply to the great benefit of the greater Rochester area and all of New York state.
The act proposes two significant flexibilities for community colleges: 1) Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) funding for residence hall construction, and 2) differential tuition by program. While we welcome these flexibilities, it is much too early to say whether we would pursue either. Both opportunities would require significant discussion and analysis regarding the impact on our students and community. But again, the Governor’s proposal gives each college the ability to decide for itself whether differential tuition rates and residence halls are appropriate for it.
The plan also significantly strengthens SUNY’s state-operated campuses which is good news for the hundreds of MCC students who transfer to a SUNY college or university. For all of these reasons, I join Chancellor Zimpher in strongly supporting the Empowerment and Innovation Act and have communicated my support to our state legislators, who will take up this proposal as part of the upcoming budget process.
Anne M. Kress, PhD
President
01/19/2010 |