Nanocollege to split from UAlbany ?

[danefan]

I don't think there are any real concerns here. The fact is UAlbany and CNSE are tied together through their undergraduate and graduate degrees. Kayoleros sits on the UAlbany Foundation board. The land may or may not be part of UAlbany. There are a vast array of ties between the college and UAlbany proper. UAlbany and CNSE are part of the same organization even though the much more successful CNSE may sometimes forget that fact.

 

The other point I've made in the past is that the sum is worth more than the parts. Look at a university like Michigan or Wisconsin. It is so strong collectively because its parts are tied together in a uniform organization. I don't think the Michigan Law School, Michigan Medical School etc would be so prestigious without the connection to the other prestigious schools under the university umbrella. The athletics program also shines constant attention on the university. All the parts complement each other.

 

This has been my complaint with the Capital District for decades. The Capital District has a SUNY Center (aka flagship) state university but it's not tied to the local law school, medical school, pharmacy school, etc etc. The Nano College is great but it's not enough. What is the net result? All of those independent schools suffer in the rankings. We have all the parts in the Captial District to make a mighty state university on par with any other... but the parts alone hold little value. What good is an "independent" law school that is ranked in the lower middle of the pack?

 

Long story short, I think the CNSE sees the value of being part of a larger SUNY Center (aka "flagship"). I just wish the other institutions would get over themselves and see that a team is better than a bunch of "independent" actors.

 

Agreed.

 

If the 4 SUNY centers acted as 1 University with 4 campuses, it would in no time be one of the most influential and respected university in the world.

 

Instead we sit here lobbying against each other for funding to compete against each other.

 

Makes no sense.

 

Maybe that also means collapsing some of the athletic departments, but is that so bad? We'd also end up with a major league athletic program that we would all eventually love just as much too and that would get a lot more national recognition.

Edited February 27, 2013 by danefan

[alum73]

Last I knew, the East Campus property was owned by the University at Albany Foundation and the CNSE property was owned by a consortium of University related entities under the name Fuller Road Management. I'd imagine some changes were made within the past years, resulting from the "trade" of land needed to relocate the Washington Avenue Extension.

 

I believe you are correct. Not State land.

[madDOG]

Agreed on the name change, but I'm not sure consolidating all the university centers into one is a good solution (and is moot for discussion anyway, cause it will never happen).

 

Change UA to "The University of New York". That's what our leaders should strive towards. We're in the state capital...by that fact alone we should have rights to that name.

[Michigan_Dane]

I think both "University of New York" and "New York State University" are open for grabs... similar to University of Florida and Florida State.

 

Whatever we use it should be consistent. Nothing kills a brand like inconsistent naming.

 

Why do I need to set up a dozen media alerts just to follow one university? I bet Georgia Tech grads don't have to do such crap.

[UBBulls]

The legal name of each SUNY unit, such as the Centers' 'State U. of New York at..." would require a wholesale shift within SUNY policy. Current SUNY regulations require 'State University of New York' within each unit's logo and official stationary and only short-form naming can be changed, not the legal name. Buffalo State recently changed it's short-form which required Zimpher's approval: https://newsandevent...w-college-crest

 

In addition to the new crest, President Podolefsky has announced a change to the institution’s official short name—which has been approved by SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher—to “SUNY Buffalo State” or “Buffalo State” to better align with campus identity and communication efforts. The change enables the institution, previously referred to as “Buffalo State College,” to better identify itself as part of the State University of New York system, one of the most recognizable brands in public higher education.

 

It's intriging how the stigma regarding the SUNY name (created over decades by some snobish private school interests) mostly exists among the doctoral units, but the liberal arts and 2-year schools have come to embrace it. Likely because the doctorals battle for top students with the elite privates while the Colleges can market themselves as part of a top state system that offer far more than the smaller, less-monied Upstate privates.

 

'New York State' was proposed for UB about 10 years ago but went nowhere. Tom Golisano offered UB athletics an $8M gift if we succesfully took on that name. UB had no interest since we've been Buffalo/UB forever. Other admins had reservations regarding how it would affect accreditation of our medical programs, and going to SUNY would have been a tough fight. Today, I wouldn't expect Zimpher to ever allow drastic name changes among the Centers. She's stated in the past she views the Centers as equals with the specialty and medical doctoral units and doesn't want to step on those smaller schools' toes...p.c. but very silly IMO.

Edited March 4, 2013 by UBBulls

[UBBulls]

Also, I wouldn't think Zimpher would go for a new SUNY unit any time soon. For one, she's been going to the legislature pushing hard for tens of millions to save Downstate and Upstate Meds. Cuomo had proposed massive funding cuts for each but Downstate is in such financial dire straits it would go insolvent if nothing changes. Upstate isn't much better, and Stony Brook Hospital has been a funding pit for years. UB has lucked out financially without opperating our own teaching hospital.

[Michigan_Dane]

The SUNY Centers may or may not have a lot of flexibility on legal names but I come back to the fact our alma mater specifically needs a marketing intervention. As I've said before I've seen a dozen variants of our alma mater's name being used in the press. No one other than an alum would know SUNY Albany, University at Albany and Albany State are the same university (Albany State should not be used but still is on occasion).

 

The name sometimes includes one or more of these parts: "U", "University", "SUNY", "State", "New York" combined with the name "Albany". Play with these 5 names and you get at least a dozen or more possible outcomes.

 

The main issues as I see them:

 

1) Inconsistent use of the name. Pick a combination of the above words/names and be diligent with the press that they get it right

2) There are at least 6 "Albanys" in the US (Georgia, Oregon, California, Indiana, etc) Outside of the Northeast, most folks think UAlbany is in GA.

3) Need to distinguish ourselves from "Albany State" GA

 

The last point is big for me. I don't want us to be another Miami versus Miami (OH)

 

The "U..." as in UConn, UMass, UMaine is not well understood outside of the northeast. I would drop UAlbany and go with just Albany University. Simple.

[UAalum72]

UAlbany is supposed to be an 'official informal' nickname. Starting with two vowels it doesn't sound well when spoken, and should only be used at most in local headlines. I'd go the Buckeye route:

 

Albany

The State University of New York

 

 

Can't help with Albany State GA, I'm resigned to being Albany-NY. Some writers still refer to St. Joseph's (PA) even though they're the only St. Joe in D-I.

CNSE may label themselves separately. As long as Albany is below the name I'm OK with it. Wharton does the same thing, though Penn has more history than we do,

[Michigan_Dane]

One of my Atlanta buddies always tries to bust my chops by vocalizing UAlbany. It sounds like "Ooh-Albany"

[madDOG]

any variation with 'Albany' sounds clumsy to me. Whether it's Albany University, UAlbany, University of Albany...whatever. I guess it's useless debating it since we cant do much about it, but outside of New York, SUNY has absolutely ZERO cache. Sounds ridiculous actually. "Oh, you went to sue-neey" ugh.

 

University of New York. Done and done.

[UAalum72]

At one time Golisano said he'd give $100M to Buffalo if they'd change their name to University of NY. Not sure what killed that, other than internal politics.

[UA_MA_2000]

I've always liked University of New York (or University of New York at Albany). We don't say University of Ann Arbor/Madison, etc. The exception that comes to mind would be University of California in the Pac 10, which usually goes by the name Berkeley in all non-sports discussions.

 

If we want to be considered a flagship state university, we should adopt the naming scheme that every other state uses.

 

Moreover, isn't "State University of New York" redundant? Are we that concerned about being mistaken for a private University of New York (NYU perhaps)?

Edited March 5, 2013 by UA_MA_2000

[Michigan_Dane]

I think we all agree to some extent.

 

1) The name is being used inconsistently and it's impossible for anyone outside of the Capital District to know it's all the same university

2) The tax payer doesn't see his/her taxes at work if you don't recognize that UAlbany is New York's state university. Why would you know that?

3) The name is clumbsy. Statue University of New York at Albany is way too long. "UAlbany" is just weird. Maybe it's the double vowel?

 

4) Politics will ensure this mess never gets fixed

5) Maybe we're lucky it will never get fixed because it would likely only benefit Buffalo and Stony Brook.

 

 

If I run into someone in San Diego and they ask where I went to college I will say "Albany". No 'U" or "at" etc. Just "Albany". "It's a state university in New York".

[Michigan_Dane]

It could be worse. Can you imagine "State University of New York at Guilderland?" "UGuilderland". How's that for awkward?

 

How about "Schenectady State"? Good luck getting people to spell that correctly.

Edited March 5, 2013 by SoCal_Dane

[Underpar]

169 years and we still don't know our name.