Student Tribune
Gov. Hochul Announces Plan to Revitalize SUNY and Secure Its Place as a Global Leader in Higher Education
The following news was released yesterday following Governor Kathy
Hochul's State of the
State Address.
- Governor Hochul's Bold Plan for SUNY Will Expand the System's
Reach with Global, National and Regional Research Institutions
- SUNY Institutions Will Take Major Steps to Reduce Student Debt
and Connect Students with Successful Careers
- New Initiatives Will Increase Equity Among SUNY Students,
Helping Students from Diverse Backgrounds Graduate and Thrive
Governor Kathy Hochul announced a plan to revitalize the State University of
New York system as part of the 2022 State of the State - and make it the best
statewide system of public higher education in our nation. This transformative
plan will secure SUNY's place as a globally recognized higher education
institution, expand SUNY's global reach as a leader in research and innovation,
support students and set them on the path to economic success, and focus on
equity so that students can thrive no matter their background.
"My family's life was changed because my father was able to afford a
college education. New York must
have a statewide world-class public university system that can
change lives for the next generation of students," Governor
Hochul said. "We must seize this moment to revitalize SUNY,
lifting up students from a broad and diverse range of backgrounds while at the
same time transforming the institution into a global, 21st century educational
leader."
Governor Hochul is calling on a reimagined SUNY to propel New York to become
the world's leader in innovation, equitable economic growth, and upward
mobility. This will require SUNY to achieve ambitious goals by 2030 to become
the state's engine for economic development and upward mobility.
These goals include increasing enrollment by one third to over 500,000
students with enrollment and completion rates reflecting the state's diversity;
preparing hundreds of thousands of people for in-demand jobs and upwardly
mobile careers; recruiting and supporting top faculty and staff; providing
affordable credentials and degrees to all kinds of learners; and doubling
sponsored research, start-ups and patents so that SUNY can catalyze economic
innovation and good jobs all across the state. Success on each of these goals
will depend both on overall progress as well as advances in equity.
To help achieve these goals, Governor Hochul's plan to expand SUNY's reach
begins with making the institution into a global and national leader on
research and innovation:
- Transform Stony Brook and Buffalo into global research
institutions: Stony Brook University and University at Buffalo will
become the flagships for SUNY, as well as world class research institutions.
These campuses will look to meet the goal of $1 billion each in primarily
federal research funding by 2030. This would put these two universities in the
top 20 public universities nationally in research expenditures. As a first step
toward strengthening these institutions, Governor Hochul is announcing $102
million for a new academic building for the School of Engineering and Applied
Sciences at the University at Buffalo, and $100 million in funding to construct
a multidisciplinary engineering building at Stony Brook.
- Revitalize Albany and Binghamton as nation-leading research
and teaching universities: University at Albany and Binghamton
University will be transformed into nation leading research and teaching
universities, with a goal of achieving $500 million each in annual research
funding. This will increase the economic impact of applied research and
development, expand and diversify student enrollment, and improve graduation
rates. Governor Hochul also plans to propose that the College of Nanoscale
Science and Engineering (CNSE) reunite with the University at Albany to
streamline management and promote research excellence. Binghamton University
will also host BATTERY-NY, a technology development and manufacturing center.
The Center will support the Southern Tier economy by developing the advanced
manufacturing of batteries for clean energy technologies that will transform
the transportation, military, and energy sectors. The Center will also
establish a robust manufacturing infrastructure to support multiple industries
and their supply chains.
- Lean into the strengths of each part of the SUNY system -
including not only the Doctoral-Granting Institutions but also the
comprehensive colleges, technology colleges, and the community
colleges: This will include investing in areas of current and
potential research strength, provide equity grants statewide (as described
below), and boosting compensation and recruitment programs for faculty and
research - with flexibility to offer more competitive faculty packages and to
include a focus on attracting and retaining a more diverse and highly qualified
faculty.
- Build "Labs for the Future" Statewide:
Labs and scientific facilities in all types of SUNY institutions and programs,
should be repaired and modernized.
- Grow enrollment through developing institutional
specialization: To encourage each SUNY campus to establish its own
distinct identity, SUNY will create a challenge grant available to colleges
that propose an area of distinction designed to grow enrollment and improve
student job outcomes.
Governor Hochul will also take major steps to ensure SUNY serves students
well, preparing them for the careers of the future and allowing them to
graduate without crushing loan debt. This initiative will include:
- Streamline application and financial aid processes:
The new Efficient Application for SUNY Education (EASE) initiative
will allow students to apply to all SUNY schools with a single common
application process, and will push and help more students to complete their
FAFSA through a new FAFSA Completion Corps. The New York HESC
should also make recommendations for an overhaul and streamlining of various
financial aid programs and create a single streamlined process to qualify for
and receive aid. This initiative will also pilot a debt-forgiveness program to
release so-called "stranded credits" for any student that re-enrolls
at any SUNY campus. The State will also explore building FAFSA completion into
high school graduation.
- Simplify and improve the SUNY transfer process:
SUNY will develop a comprehensive cross-campus transfer and articulation
policy, including between non-degree and degree-granting programs. This
includes expanding seamless transfer and articulation agreements, to ensure an
easy transfer approach should apply to any SUNY course or program - no matter
the primary affiliate campus. It also includes exploring the development of a
statewide common-course numbering for SUNY to simplify the current SUNY
Transfer Paths, the development of guaranteed associate degree transfers into
SUNY four-year degree programs, and a statewide reverse transfer to
retroactively grant an associate degree to students who had not completed the
requirements of an associate degree before they transferred to a four-year
institution.
- Jobs accelerator to build bridges between education and
work: To better meet employer demands and student needs, SUNY should
create a Jobs Accelerator program designed to tailor offerings around New
York's highest-growth occupations, including healthcare, digital technology,
and green jobs. This will build upon SUNY's Applied Learning Program by
expanding employer involvement to increase the number of quality work-based
learning opportunities and ensure the curricula reflects needed job skills.
This plan includes reimagined, quality career services for every SUNY college
and university to provide career advising and employer partnerships that align
with student aspirations and employer needs. It will also expand SUNY's quality
online offerings - with a focus on employer-valued career credential
programs.
Becoming a National Leader in Equity. Governor Hochul will
also make it a priority to ensure the SUNY system is more equitable, lifting up
students of all backgrounds. To do so, SUNY will:
- Identify and remove obstacles that hold students
back: SUNY's student population is relatively diverse, coming close to
reflecting the state's diversity, but underserved students still tend to lag
behind when it comes to graduating on-time. To become a more equitable system,
SUNY will develop comprehensive efforts to close recruitment, retention,
completion, and job placement gaps, becoming a more equitable system
overall.
- Funding Minority Serving Institutions: SUNY will
focus on further funding its three existing Minority Serving Institutions
(MSIs) and helping five additional campuses become MSIs by 2025, including at
least one four-year institution. To support the goal of eight total MSIs by
2025, schools should receive funding toward evidence-based practices in faculty
recruitment, staff recruitment and student support programs that drive
improvements and expand socio-economic and racial diversity in enrollment,
completion and career earnings.
- Become a leader in adult learning opportunities:
Many adults who either did not attend or finish college or have low
median earnings based on their job sector could benefit from additional
education. Governor Hochul's plans to expand access for part-time students to
TAP, provide tuition-free workforce credentials in community colleges in
high-demand fields, and awarding prior learning credit across SUNY and CUNY
will help SUNY more effectively serve the needs of adult learners. SUNY will
prioritize recruitment and educational programs for adults seeking
post-secondary education, conducting surveys to identify barriers for adult
learners and then finding ways to remove those barriers.
As an immediate next step to achieve these goals, Governor Hochul will work
with SUNY, its individual institutions, and key stakeholders to develop a
detailed implementation plan over the course of 2022. At the heart of Governor
Hochul's vision is a belief that one of SUNY's major strengths is its portfolio
of institutions across the system, and the North Star of the implementation
plan will be helping each school be the best version of itself.
This plan will require leaning into the strengths of every part of SUNY: its
doctoral-granting institutions, comprehensive colleges, technology colleges,
and community colleges.
Yule, Rosanna
Government and Community Relations
01/06/2022