Last month, Chancellor John Ryan told the SUNY Faculty Senate that New York's public higher education system might be facing future financial troubles due to state budget cuts.
Faculty Senate University Representative and philosophy professor William Baumer reiterated that idea yesterday at a meeting of UB's Faculty Senate, discussing how the entire SUNY system might be affected by the cuts as well as UB's planned expansion process.
"The New York State Division of the Budget is projecting budget deficits in excess of $3 billion for 2007-8," Baumer said, "and for $5 billion or (higher) in 2008 to 2009. That means that there have to be some cuts if there are not tax increases."
According to Baumer, state tax increases are "apparently not on the table," therefore making budget cuts highly likely.
"The difficulty with the cuts is that there are big chunks of the state expenditures that really can't be touched - like state support for primary and secondary education in the public schools," he said. "So, (it's) not guaranteed that 2007-8 is going to be a real good year for state universities, but we will try."
Baumer also said that there was concern from other SUNY campuses expressed during last month's faculty senate meeting about "the plans of one campus within the system to grow."
"Other campuses were a little bit worried that SUNY at Buffalo's plan to expand by some 10,000 students would mean that we would raid their student population, their student customer base, if you will," Baumer said. "So, that's likely to be an issue that we will have to watch and handle with care as we proceed down that road."
Baumer also referred to a discussion he had with former SUNY Chancellor and Professor Emeritus D. Bruce Johnstone about the role of SUNY campuses in addressing a "concern with regard to kindergarten through high school educational programs."
"We want to increase the number of students getting baccalaureate degrees," Baumer said.
A gap between the perceptions of secondary school faculty and college faculty on the preparedness of students entering college is one that "needs to be addressed."
"That gap is that we don't think they are very well prepared. High school teachers think they're excellently prepared," Baumer said. "There's a real mismatch of perceptions - we need to do something about that."
According to Baumer, those involved in higher education should be able to take a look at secondary schools and have a say in deciding what was important curriculum.
"If your subject is in any way touched upon or dealt with in those schools, you ought to have a piece of the action in the development of (students') future education."
Baumer also discussed the September appointment of Dr. Risa I. Palm as provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs.
"One of the provisions of her appointment was that she get to pick a department within the state university where she could have a tenured appointment," Baumer said, "in case that she decides she doesn't want to provost any longer... she is an urban geographer, and she picked us. She is now a member of the department of geography within this university."
Palm said that she was very impressed with the university, and is trying to get some sense of what it's all about.
"She thinks there's lots of talent but on the other hand she doesn't think that there's as much collaboration across the system as there might be," Baumer said, "and she wants to look at that."
Photo: Courtesy of SUNY
