Nominees for SUNY Board of Trustees

[danefan]

I do agree with Dane96 on acquiring part or all of the Harriman State Office campus. UAlbany could definitely use more space. Getting all of it is remote but we need some more space for growth.

 

I have been told the price tag is OUTRAGEOUS for all of it...however a sizeable chunk (about 1/2) could go UA's way.

 

It's prime commercial real estate. Large existing infrastructure with direct highway access. I'm sure its going for 100's of millions of dollars.

[Dane96]

I do agree with Dane96 on acquiring part or all of the Harriman State Office campus. UAlbany could definitely use more space. Getting all of it is remote but we need some more space for growth.

 

I have been told the price tag is OUTRAGEOUS for all of it...however a sizeable chunk (about 1/2) could go UA's way.

 

It's prime commercial real estate. Large existing infrastructure with direct highway access. I'm sure its going for 100's of millions of dollars.

 

Exactly-- And this will also go to see how strong Spitzer REALLY is on the whole consolidation/expansion of the Centers issue. WE NEED THAT PROPERTY...and if we see a break in price...better believe a large expansion is coming our way. This (education) seems to be SPITZER'S THING. How well would this play out nationally if the guy basically blows up a 150 years of tradition (the last 40-50 with poor decision making)...and revamps an entire educational system?!

[GODANESGO]

I know there's little hope in getting in a discussion like this and having it end up productive (not meant at all in a negative way..seriously), but I'm a bit bored at work, so why not.

 

Our current enrollment is 17,434 (again these current enrollment figures are higher than planned based on enrollment/acceptance rates) and this is at least the third year we have been over 17,000 (a growth rate of less than 200 total students per year). So I think President Hall's estimation of it being difficult to hit 18,000 by 2010 to be perfectly realistic. As is, the 2008-2009 academic year will be the first year that graduate students will not be provided with any options for on-campus housing because the University is already maxed out for living space at our current capacity. I know there are plans in the works to build on/refit residence halls near Alumni Quad, but with our top 3 capital project budget priorities being a new campus center, business building, and football stadium, I'd be hard pressed to believe that the residence halls will be built and ready in just 3 years.

 

We are growing particular programs, but we are also cutting back programs (some in the tradional hard sciences..like chemsitry IIRC..as well as history where some of the retiring faculty member's positions aren't being filled).

 

Obviously if we are able to take control of some/all of Harriman, and if there is really significant consolidation that impacts UAlbany, then the whole situation changes..and then we definitely agree D96. But I see those (especially their combination) to be serious IFs right now.

 

And please don't confuse me saying I think it's relatively unlikely that we'll hit 18,000 by 2010 to be any reflection on my desire to increase enrollment or our ability to increase enrollment 10k+ over the next 25+ years (which I certainly wouldn't try to predict..I'm not sure I'd try to predict anything happening around 2020). In fact, I would like to see our enrollment seriously grow (if there's capacity, of course). But as a counter, I don't think it's fair to infer that large enrollment totals = national identity (and vice versa). I know it's a bit anicdotal and a selected sampling, but:

 

Duke - 12,500 students

Boise State - 19,500

Fresno State - 21,000

Oregon State - 19,300

 

and..

 

City College of San Francisco - 42,300

Wayne State University - 32,500

Mount San Antonio College - 28,000

Nova Southeastern University - 25,000

 

Again, this is all prefaced by me being a bit bored at work..haha.

[ATL_DANE]

I do agree with Dane96 on acquiring part or all of the Harriman State Office campus. UAlbany could definitely use more space. Getting all of it is remote but we need some more space for growth.

 

I have been told the price tag is OUTRAGEOUS for all of it...however a sizeable chunk (about 1/2) could go UA's way.

 

It's prime commercial real estate. Large existing infrastructure with direct highway access. I'm sure its going for 100's of millions of dollars.

 

Exactly-- And this will also go to see how strong Spitzer REALLY is on the whole consolidation/expansion of the Centers issue. WE NEED THAT PROPERTY...and if we see a break in price...better believe a large expansion is coming our way. This (education) seems to be SPITZER'S THING. How well would this play out nationally if the guy basically blows up a 150 years of tradition (the last 40-50 with poor decision making)...and revamps an entire educational system?!

 

I'm with you Dane96. I have high hopes for Spitzer and SUNY reform. I love what I'm hearing. We should find out real soon what his high level plans are. Beyond the plans though... can he make it happen?

 

I hope he lives up to his reputation as a man who can get things done. Fight the fight!

[danefan]

It would bode well for his eventual Presidential candidacy. It's obvious that the NYS Governorship is a stepping stone for him. He needs to fix the economic woes of Upstate NY to prove that he can effect national change. Buffalo looks a lot more like a mid-western city than an eastern city and if he can fix that place it will show that he can fix middle-america.

[UA_MA_2000]

I do agree with Dane96 on acquiring part or all of the Harriman State Office campus. UAlbany could definitely use more space. Getting all of it is remote but we need some more space for growth.

 

I have been told the price tag is OUTRAGEOUS for all of it...however a sizeable chunk (about 1/2) could go UA's way.

 

 

Where are the state offices at the Harriman State Office campus moving to? What and when is everything happening there? I'm in the dark as to what is going on at Harriman. Seems like an awful lot of land that UAlbany could really use! If it happens, that would be very exciting.

[UA_MA_2000]

I know there's little hope in getting in a discussion like this and having it end up productive (not meant at all in a negative way..seriously), but I'm a bit bored at work, so why not.

 

Our current enrollment is 17,434 (again these current enrollment figures are higher than planned based on enrollment/acceptance rates) and this is at least the third year we have been over 17,000 (a growth rate of less than 200 total students per year). So I think President Hall's estimation of it being difficult to hit 18,000 by 2010 to be perfectly realistic. As is, the 2008-2009 academic year will be the first year that graduate students will not be provided with any options for on-campus housing because the University is already maxed out for living space at our current capacity. I know there are plans in the works to build on/refit residence halls near Alumni Quad, but with our top 3 capital project budget priorities being a new campus center, business building, and football stadium, I'd be hard pressed to believe that the residence halls will be built and ready in just 3 years.

 

We are growing particular programs, but we are also cutting back programs (some in the tradional hard sciences..like chemsitry IIRC..as well as history where some of the retiring faculty member's positions aren't being filled).

 

Obviously if we are able to take control of some/all of Harriman, and if there is really significant consolidation that impacts UAlbany, then the whole situation changes..and then we definitely agree D96. But I see those (especially their combination) to be serious IFs right now.

 

And please don't confuse me saying I think it's relatively unlikely that we'll hit 18,000 by 2010 to be any reflection on my desire to increase enrollment or our ability to increase enrollment 10k+ over the next 25+ years (which I certainly wouldn't try to predict..I'm not sure I'd try to predict anything happening around 2020). In fact, I would like to see our enrollment seriously grow (if there's capacity, of course). But as a counter, I don't think it's fair to infer that large enrollment totals = national identity (and vice versa). I know it's a bit anicdotal and a selected sampling, but:

 

Duke - 12,500 students

Boise State - 19,500

Fresno State - 21,000

Oregon State - 19,300

 

and..

 

City College of San Francisco - 42,300

Wayne State University - 32,500

Mount San Antonio College - 28,000

Nova Southeastern University - 25,000

 

Again, this is all prefaced by me being a bit bored at work..haha.

 

Some more examples (of what, I don't know, but enrollment information is interesting), courtesy of the MAC [university, Location, Year Founded, Public/Private, and Enrollment]:

 

East Division

University of Akron Zips Akron, Ohio 1870 Public 23,000

Bowling Green State University Falcons Bowling Green, Ohio 1910 Public 23,338

University at Buffalo Bulls Buffalo, New York 1846 Public 27,220

Kent State University Golden Flashes Kent, Ohio 1910 Public 32,283

Miami University RedHawks Oxford, Ohio 1809 Public 20,126

Ohio University Bobcats Athens, Ohio 1804 Public 28,804

 

West Division

Ball State University Cardinals Muncie, Indiana 1918 Public 20,113

Central Michigan University Chippewas Mount Pleasant, Michigan 1892 Public 27,452

Eastern Michigan University Eagles Ypsilanti, Michigan 1849 Public 22,827

Northern Illinois University Huskies DeKalb, Illinois 1895 Public 24,998

University of Toledo Rockets Toledo, Ohio 1872 Public 21,270

Western Michigan University Broncos Kalamazoo, Michigan 1903 Public 24,433

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-American_Conference

[Dane96]

I know there's little hope in getting in a discussion like this and having it end up productive (not meant at all in a negative way..seriously), but I'm a bit bored at work, so why not.

 

Our current enrollment is 17,434 (again these current enrollment figures are higher than planned based on enrollment/acceptance rates) and this is at least the third year we have been over 17,000 (a growth rate of less than 200 total students per year). So I think President Hall's estimation of it being difficult to hit 18,000 by 2010 to be perfectly realistic. As is, the 2008-2009 academic year will be the first year that graduate students will not be provided with any options for on-campus housing because the University is already maxed out for living space at our current capacity. I know there are plans in the works to build on/refit residence halls near Alumni Quad, but with our top 3 capital project budget priorities being a new campus center, business building, and football stadium, I'd be hard pressed to believe that the residence halls will be built and ready in just 3 years.

 

We are growing particular programs, but we are also cutting back programs (some in the tradional hard sciences..like chemsitry IIRC..as well as history where some of the retiring faculty member's positions aren't being filled).

 

Obviously if we are able to take control of some/all of Harriman, and if there is really significant consolidation that impacts UAlbany, then the whole situation changes..and then we definitely agree D96. But I see those (especially their combination) to be serious IFs right now.

 

And please don't confuse me saying I think it's relatively unlikely that we'll hit 18,000 by 2010 to be any reflection on my desire to increase enrollment or our ability to increase enrollment 10k+ over the next 25+ years (which I certainly wouldn't try to predict..I'm not sure I'd try to predict anything happening around 2020). In fact, I would like to see our enrollment seriously grow (if there's capacity, of course). But as a counter, I don't think it's fair to infer that large enrollment totals = national identity (and vice versa). I know it's a bit anicdotal and a selected sampling, but:

 

Duke - 12,500 students

Boise State - 19,500

Fresno State - 21,000

Oregon State - 19,300

 

and..

 

City College of San Francisco - 42,300

Wayne State University - 32,500

Mount San Antonio College - 28,000

Nova Southeastern University - 25,000

 

Again, this is all prefaced by me being a bit bored at work..haha.

 

Some more examples (of what, I don't know, but enrollment information is interesting), courtesy of the MAC [university, Location, Year Founded, Public/Private, and Enrollment]:

 

East Division

University of Akron Zips Akron, Ohio 1870 Public 23,000

Bowling Green State University Falcons Bowling Green, Ohio 1910 Public 23,338

University at Buffalo Bulls Buffalo, New York 1846 Public 27,220

Kent State University Golden Flashes Kent, Ohio 1910 Public 32,283

Miami University RedHawks Oxford, Ohio 1809 Public 20,126

Ohio University Bobcats Athens, Ohio 1804 Public 28,804

 

West Division

Ball State University Cardinals Muncie, Indiana 1918 Public 20,113

Central Michigan University Chippewas Mount Pleasant, Michigan 1892 Public 27,452

Eastern Michigan University Eagles Ypsilanti, Michigan 1849 Public 22,827

Northern Illinois University Huskies DeKalb, Illinois 1895 Public 24,998

University of Toledo Rockets Toledo, Ohio 1872 Public 21,270

Western Michigan University Broncos Kalamazoo, Michigan 1903 Public 24,433

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-American_Conference

 

 

Not sure how these relate-- Our Peers...the schools we are chasing academically (yes there are some good ones in here) are not MAC schools. Heck...even Dr. Hall stated that (talked about UNC's, Maryland's, Florida's, Michigan, Delaware, etc). Nor would I include Fresno, Boise, and Oregon State in a NATIONAL school academic discussion. Nova is the largest private school in S. Florida, made up primarily of the law school and Allied Health program (my parents business is located up the block). Mt. San Antonio and City of San Fransisco are JUCO's. Wayne State? The only urban school research school in this sampling.

 

Let's compare schools we are actually chasing (PUBLIC RESEARCH)-- at least academically remember...Dr. Hall wanted us to be in the TOP 100 research schools and mentioned some of the following schools:

 

Berkeley- 34k

Michigan- 40k

U Wash- 39k

UCLA- 36.5k

Minnesota- 50,4k

Wisconsin- 41k

UNC- 27.6k

UC-San Diego- 26k

Illinois- 42.7k

Texas- 49.6k

The Ohio State University- 52.6k

Pitt- 27k

Penn State- 43k

Texas A&M- 46.5k

Florida- 49.6k

Arizona- 36.7k

Virginia- 20k

Maryland- 35k

UC-Davis- 30.4k

Colorado- 29k

Michigan State- 45.5

Purdue- 39k

b]U Buffalo[/b]- 27.2k

Cincinatti- 38.4k

RUTGERS- 34.4k

Georgia- 31k

Delaware- 18.7k (size of state matters)

UMASS- 25.5k

South Carolina- 27k

NC State- 31k

Virginia Tech- 26k

Indiana- 38k

 

There is a direct correlation to size, endowment, research funding, and scope of research to the PUBLIC RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES we are chasing!

[GODANESGO]

Yup, I agree..and I can't wait for the day when the University at Albany is included in that list.

 

I was just giving a few quick examples of schools to show that high enrollment doesn't necessarily equate to national identity (assuming that you mean name recognition) and vice versa.

 

But yes, not all of those are our 'peer' schools...though I'd think OSU, BSU, and FSU are all in our ballpark.

[Dane96]

Yup, I agree..and I can't wait for the day when the University at Albany is included in that list.

 

I was just giving a few quick examples of schools to show that high enrollment doesn't necessarily equate to national identity (assuming that you mean name recognition) and vice versa.

 

But yes, not all of those are our 'peer' schools...though I'd think OSU, BSU, and FSU are all in our ballpark.

 

I agree with much of what you said and so does, more than likely, Spitzer. I think many differ on teh OSU, BSU, and FSU remarks. When kids are applying to schools-- They are not clamoring to go to a 80% Mormon school (BSU), to be in the boonies of Beaverton, nor heading up to FSU....unless you are talking Florida State. IMHO, I think Spitzer is looking at these same numbers and going "WTF has been going on with this system?" We lose some of our best and brightest because of perception...and much like Guiliani made a deal to clean up NYC...this is Spitzers baby! Enrollment helps in huge ways.

 

BTW, the last U FLORIDA STUDY (one of the best research school rankings) has us in at 104...but it was from 2005...and I think this probably was because of the emergence of Nanotech and GenSYsis.

 

15-20 years...UA will be in the same conversation as some of the schools on that list. I even heard a rumor....oh and UA_MA is going to love this, that Spitzer is going to try...TRY...to get Albany to take over the Law School.

 

Highly doubtful...but you never know...that man has a set.

[UAlbany09]

Does anyone know where we stand right now if we're not in the top 100 public research universities? I mean, the Nanocollege has to be putting us up there.

[Dane96]

Does anyone know where we stand right now if we're not in the top 100 public research universities? I mean, the Nanocollege has to be putting us up there.

 

Depends on the review...but we are just about right outside the Top 100. Northeastern just moved in last year. Our major issues are enrollement, endowment, and infrastructure.

 

Hall's goal was Top 50...which is why I included the schools above. ALL ARE in the TOP 50 RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES!

[UAalum72]

Hayden and McCall were confirmed by the State Senate today

[Dane96]

Hayden and McCall were confirmed by the State Senate today

 

 

About Flippin' time. Now maybe we get a president...a stadium...and move up the ladder...

[alum73]

At a recent get together, Herbst said the interviews for the new president would be done in a few months.