Flagship Update

[UA_MA_2000]

The crazy part is Albany Law is way ahead of Syracuse Law insofar as perception within the NYS legal community and big-firm employers in NYC. ALS is ahead of every upstate law school, save Cornell.

[UA_MA_2000]

So is Stonybrook getting a law school too? And possibly Binghamton? Tough to make a claim to flagship status when the other three Centers are developing (or already have) professional schools!

[danefan]

So is Stonybrook getting a law school too? And possibly Binghamton? Tough to make a claim to flagship status when the other three Centers are developing (or already have) professional schools!

 

Yes, Stony Brook is buying Touro Law School and Bing' is in the developmental phase of creating a law school.

[Clickclack]

UA just sits like a lump on a log.....no direction. Where are we going? WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO GET A F'N PRESIDENT? I'm not sure any of us realized at the time what a tremendous loss the death of Pres. Hall would be for the community, the school and the CD.

[UA_MA_2000]

That's right, I remember reading that. Didn't know whether it was actually going to happen though. Fantastic.

[danefan]

That's right, I remember reading that. Didn't know whether it was actually going to happen though. Fantastic.

 

 

It wasn't definite, but the state just gave them $45,000,000 for it.

[MRSGDG]

Binghamton Law School $3,000,000

Stony Brook Law School Project $ 45,000,000

Planning of Stony Brook Law School $ 250,000

 

http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/comm/WAM/2...y/2008suny.html

[MRSGDG]

Merge region’s universities into one top-rate entity

By Uriel Halbreich, M. D.

Updated: 04/28/08 6:44 AM

 

Western New York is blessed with many colleges and universities. Many thousands of students receive their education here. The cumulative economic impact of the colleges is substantial.

 

Alas, currently our academic institutes are not listed among the top universities or colleges in the nation. There is an overlap in programs and a competition for public support, resources and students.

 

Furthermore, when high school graduates consider college applications, many of the best and more promising students consider the local colleges as a “safety” application, down on their list of priorities. Too many of our undergraduate and graduate students leave the region.

 

Our largest university, the University at Buffalo, initiated a project for excellence. The enthusiasm and buzz created by the UB2020 project suggests that a mantra of “think big, act big” can be a core for local excitement and a call for future actions.

 

Regretfully, New York State faces a tough economic future and a decrease in revenues. Public funds for higher education may shrink.

 

This tough time may be turned to an opportunity to merge Western New York institutes of higher education into a single, excellent, comprehensive “THE University of New York.”

 

The advantages to the state, the community and the academic institutions are almost obvious. First and foremost, governance and administrative expenses should decrease.

 

If the unification is done right, this will be associated with increased efficiency and excellence. Overlap among programs will be diminished and the new creation will be a magnet for recruiting top faculty.

 

The comprehensive new institute will be able to provide a diversity of undergraduate programs from two to four or five years. It will be attractive for industry- academia collaborations which will ease the financial pressures and increase the economic impact on the region. It will create more jobs that will allow students to stay in our region.

 

Mergers often face resistance. Most important is the personal factor: It is human to resist any change and any new idea, especially when current institutes are far from collapsing.

 

To be successful, the process should be conducted in stages, starting with the public institutions. These already share an administrative and financial umbrella; the current reality and the promised future call for their merger.

 

The inclusion of the Catholic universities and other independent colleges is more complicated and may be realized as a second stage, though inter-institution collaboration should deepen from the outset.

 

Change of attitude is important here. Our attitude will hopefully be: Yes we can, we should, and indeed it will be.

 

Uriel Halbreich is director of BiobehavioralResearch, professor of psychiatry andresearch professor of gynecology and obstetricsat the University at Buffalo.

 

http://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/another...ory/333745.html

[ATL_DANE]

It seems western New York has been enthusiastic about UB for years. I'm not sure why eastern New York doesn't have the same passion about it's only university center? That article would never be run in the TU. Maybe they are more Midwestern and Albany is more New England? If so, what explains UCONN?

 

Merge region’s universities into one top-rate entity

By Uriel Halbreich, M. D.

Updated: 04/28/08 6:44 AM

 

Western New York is blessed with many colleges and universities. Many thousands of students receive their education here. The cumulative economic impact of the colleges is substantial.

 

Alas, currently our academic institutes are not listed among the top universities or colleges in the nation. There is an overlap in programs and a competition for public support, resources and students.

 

Furthermore, when high school graduates consider college applications, many of the best and more promising students consider the local colleges as a “safety” application, down on their list of priorities. Too many of our undergraduate and graduate students leave the region.

 

Our largest university, the University at Buffalo, initiated a project for excellence. The enthusiasm and buzz created by the UB2020 project suggests that a mantra of “think big, act big” can be a core for local excitement and a call for future actions.

 

Regretfully, New York State faces a tough economic future and a decrease in revenues. Public funds for higher education may shrink.

 

This tough time may be turned to an opportunity to merge Western New York institutes of higher education into a single, excellent, comprehensive “THE University of New York.”

 

The advantages to the state, the community and the academic institutions are almost obvious. First and foremost, governance and administrative expenses should decrease.

 

If the unification is done right, this will be associated with increased efficiency and excellence. Overlap among programs will be diminished and the new creation will be a magnet for recruiting top faculty.

 

The comprehensive new institute will be able to provide a diversity of undergraduate programs from two to four or five years. It will be attractive for industry- academia collaborations which will ease the financial pressures and increase the economic impact on the region. It will create more jobs that will allow students to stay in our region.

 

Mergers often face resistance. Most important is the personal factor: It is human to resist any change and any new idea, especially when current institutes are far from collapsing.

 

To be successful, the process should be conducted in stages, starting with the public institutions. These already share an administrative and financial umbrella; the current reality and the promised future call for their merger.

 

The inclusion of the Catholic universities and other independent colleges is more complicated and may be realized as a second stage, though inter-institution collaboration should deepen from the outset.

 

Change of attitude is important here. Our attitude will hopefully be: Yes we can, we should, and indeed it will be.

 

Uriel Halbreich is director of BiobehavioralResearch, professor of psychiatry andresearch professor of gynecology and obstetricsat the University at Buffalo.

 

http://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/another...ory/333745.html

[Classof72/74]

It seems western New York has been enthusiastic about UB for years. I'm not sure why eastern New York doesn't have the same passion about it's only university center? That article would never be run in the TU. Maybe they are more Midwestern and Albany is more New England? If so, what explains UCONN?

 

Yes maybe that Midwest/land grant vs Olde New England/private mentality does seep across the border into eastern NY

 

Just as another point of reference, I recently visited Austin TX for the first time. One of the stories was the 5% tuition increase at UT. From the accounts I read in the local newspaper not a word of protest was uttered by the legislature. Maybe it helped that the Longhorns were getting a lot of national exposure for being in the Elite Eight

[MRSGDG]

nm

[MRSGDG]

Two articles on two diff topics, but both relevant:

 

Let deliberations begin (In regards to SUNY)

$50M in state funding sparks debate over 3 proposed law schools

 

Lloyd Constantine, a candidate for SUNY chancellor who managed higher education policy for former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, argued that a low-cost law school in Binghamton fulfills a regional need and would help the university move toward becoming "another flagship in the system."

 

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp...ory=REGIONOTHER

 

and

 

 

Paterson Set to Embrace Student Loan Plan

 

As the commission debated the recommendations during the past year, some members suggested that the state focus its attention on a small number of institutions, creating flagship campuses that would draw the best and the brightest in specific areas of research and innovation, similar to the way the Berkeley and Los Angeles campuses stand out among the University of California system schools. But that idea met resistance.

 

“New York is not California,” said Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, a commission member and the Republican chairman of the Senate’s Higher Education Committee, whose Long Island district includes SUNY’s Stony Brook campus among several other colleges. “Some people here in New York just don’t want to accept the fact that we have many existing flagship campuses.” Another idea that was floated but ultimately left out of the report was to forgive student loans for people who stay and work in New York for 10 years after graduation.

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/nyregion...amp;oref=slogin

 

 

...looks like LaValle isn't a fan of having a flagship from that quote...

[MRSGDG]

A glimpse at future of SUNY?

New tuition policies among dramatic changes urged by state panel

 

By MARC PARRY, Staff writer

First published: Monday, July 21, 2008

 

ALBANY - Public colleges in New York could get more flexibility to set different tuition prices by campus and program if the recommendations of a state panel on higher education become law.

 

 

It's a concept that one hesitant legislator - Assembly Majority Leader Ron Canestrari (D-Cohoes) - suggested could create class distinctions within the State University of New York, with higher-priced schools becoming "the Ivy League part of our system."The commission, appointed by Gov. Eliot Spitzer to elevate higher education in New York, also called Monday for a predictable tuition policy that would let public colleges levy "modest" tuition increases linked to inflation without legislative approval.

 

http://timesunion.com/ASPStories/Story.asp...mp;LinkFrom=RSS

[alum73]

At the Day at the Races breakfast, Pres. Philip spoke about UA's future. He mentioned how the flagship issue is somewhat driven by the fact that UB and SB are AAU affiliated, which is largely due to their medical schools and engineering, and that UA was working to become AAU. The new undergraduate nano engineering program was the catalst for this. He also talked about the coming budget problem, as Patterson is talking about another 7% cut, which would be more than difficult. He also reiterated our commitment to building the stadium.

 

We really need to get in touch with our legislators to stop treating SUNY as a typical state agency. Our ft faculty/student ratio has gone to 27/1 with the latest budget cuts, and that hurts us tremendously.

[ATL_DANE]

At the Day at the Races breakfast, Pres. Philip spoke about UA's future. He mentioned how the flagship issue is somewhat driven by the fact that UB and SB are AAU affiliated, which is largely due to their medical schools and engineering, and that UA was working to become AAU. The new undergraduate nano engineering program was the catalst for this. He also talked about the coming budget problem, as Patterson is talking about another 7% cut, which would be more than difficult. He also reiterated our commitment to building the stadium.

 

We really need to get in touch with our legislators to stop treating SUNY as a typical state agency. Our ft faculty/student ratio has gone to 27/1 with the latest budget cuts, and that hurts us tremendously.

 

Thanks for the update alum73. Most of that update is really positive. I agree completely that we need to get AAU membership. Did Pres Philip mention when we will enroll our first undergrad engineering students? Engineering students tend to be really smart and that translates into great incoming SAT and GPAs. If we could get our undergraduate engineering program ranked half as well as the Nano program overall that's a big plus.

 

The stadium is a must. We need to get that done regardless if we have to beg, borrow or steal. A stadium is a requirement for any major conference and that therefore impacts all sports. We need to break the log jam.

 

I really hope we get ranked in US News this year. We're the last SUNY Center not ranked. I noticed 7 of the 10 UC schools made last year's cut. New York needs to step up. I'll be contacting the Capitol District legislators and I would hope we would all do so.

 

Thanks again for passing on that update.