Asbury Hall was filled with over 400 community, faculty and business members for President John B. Simpson's fifth and final annual Community Address.
UB Council Chairman Jeremy Jacobs introduced Simpson and thanked him for setting the bar high as a world-class leader and voiced his confidence in finding the next UB President to push for new boundaries.
Simpson, who will retire this January, addressed a hopeful crowd on the future of UB and the entire Western New York region while not failing to mention the failure of Albany to give the proper needs that the SUNY system requires to move forward.
"I strongly believe that merely providing access without supporting excellence is discrimination," Simpson said. "And with more than a touch of irony, those who opposed the reforms we sought used the argument that raising tuition would close the door on a SUNY education for the need – when in fact, the opposite is true."
With UB 2020 goals as a chief priority, Simpson stated the recent successes of the long-term strategic plan including the UB-Kaleida Health clinical care, the groundbreaking for the Educational Opportunity Center and the recent launch of the UB medical informatics institute in partnership with Dell, Inc.
Even in the face of SUNY budget cuts totalling $60 million within the past three years, Simpson remains hopeful for the university's future and strongly stated his anticipation that the community will continue to press for reforms that will lessen Albany's control over the state's public higher education system.
"Nonetheless, these setbacks have not diminished our longer term vision for the future," Simpson said. "While some in Buffalo may feel that UB 2020 must be dead if immediate growth isn't visible, I want to reiterate that this is not a short-term growth plan, but a long-range vision of this university's sustained excellence and impact – one that will continue to guide this university and this community long after the year 2020."
Simpson was emotional as he closed his speech. He personally thanked Western New York for sharing their vision, commitment and ideas with the university and he expressed his excitement to see what lies ahead for UB and the community.
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Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
