UB 2020 brings dissatisfaction among some SA members
Published: Thursday, February 7, 2013
Updated: Thursday, February 7, 2013 18:02
 "Photo: Alexa Strudler /// The Spectrum")
Alexa Strudler /// The Spectrum
UB Provost Charles Zukoski, left, gave a presentation on "Realizing UB 2020" to students, mainly SA senators and e-board members, on Tuesday night. Some SA members, like Travis Nemmer, right, are unhappy with UB's drafted plans.
Ovadia, who has attended other Realizing UB 2020 presentations, said the purpose of the open forum was to figure out the overview of the entire plan. He said the specifics will be set in the future.
“Again, at this point, we are talking about a broader direction for the university to use to establish distinctiveness; it is hard to see how it may impact individual departments and programs at the university,” Ovadia said in an email. “Ultimately, continued success and development at UB depends on students, faculty, staff and the local community working together.”
Murphy-Longhini doesn’t think anything substantial will be done by 2020. He joked that “at this rate, it’ll be 2020 before they decide what they are going to do.”
“They aren’t getting anything done,” he added. “They are not moving forward. They are too scared to commit and begin.”
President Satish Tripathi disagrees and is confident UB 2020 will meet its deadline.
“I don’t think our agenda is too ambitious,” Tripathi said. “It’s realistic. There are a lot of things we need to do to get there, though.”
The biggest problem with the presentation was the provost did not embrace what UB is doing well, according to Murphy-Longhini.
During the open forum, Zukoski said the freshman engineering enrollment increased by 50 percent this year. He said this can’t happen again because UB won’t be able to cater to that many students in the department.
Murphy-Longhini was “appalled” by the statement. He said the university shouldn’t try to deter engineering enrollment and instead should welcome it. Flexibility and adaptability are important for UB’s success in the coming years, he said.
“We absolutely want and will continue to seek student input into this process,” Zukoski said in an email. “The student voice is an important voice in this process.”
When Nemmer came to UB, he didn’t know much about UB 2020. He said he’s about to graduate not knowing much more about the plan.
“I realized that’s OK, because the administration doesn’t know much about UB 2020 either,” he said.
In March, the next four strategies will be released for discussion. The finalized document will be released on May 15, according to statements Zukoski made in December.
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