UB President Satish Tripathi delivered his 12th annual State of the University Address Friday morning in Slee Hall. Tripathi touted UB’s fundraising efforts, acknowledged the challenges of artificial intelligence and discussed his long-term goals.
Tripathi announced UB’s Boldly Buffalo campaign exceeded its $1 billion goal almost a year ahead of schedule.
A gift of $40 million from Russell Agrusa, a UB alum and founder and CEO of Iconics, Inc., pushed the campaign past its goal. Half of that donation will go toward a new engineering building on North Campus, which will be named after Agrusa.
“We must encourage more private philanthropy if we are to meet our mission goals,” Tripathi said. “We have done just what we set out to do. In fact, in our 2023 fiscal year, UB achieved an all-time high fundraiser.”
Tripathi then reiterated that the Boldly Buffalo campaign is not over, saying it continues until June 30, 2024.
He also highlighted the significance of AI, the potential dangers and benefits that may come from it, and the search for ways to use it in higher education.
“To ensure that generative AI advances excellence in teaching and learning, a UB task force is drafting recommendations to promote responsible, effective use,” Tripathi said.
Tripathi finished his speech by recounting accomplishments and asking the UB community to keep working towards improving UB.
“We still have much to do and even more to look forward to. So at risk of cutting festivities short, I suggest that we keep congratulations to a minimum,” Tripathi said. “I prefer to view our recent accomplishments, as impressive as they are, not as a milestone but instead as stepping stones. Stepping stones, each one guiding us together, towards UB’s highest future.”
Outside of Slee Hall, at least 10 students protested Tripathi’s speech with a “State of the People” rally. The messages from their flyers included, “No more fascists on campus,” “living wages for all student employees,” “stop deporting international students,” “protect queer and BIPOC student rights,” “disability rights now!”
“We came out today in response to, well really as a counter to, President Tripathi’s State of the University address,” Joey Sechrist, a graduate student studying English and a member of No Hate at Buffalo said. “We’re basically trying to point out a lot of things that President Tripathi and upper-level administrators have failed to address in these past few years.”
Sechrist said the university has failed to address student-worker wages, disability accommodations, protections for international students, and controversial speakers that come to campus.
Sechrist specifically mentioned conservative activists Michael Knowles and Riley Gaines — whose student organization-hosted speaking appearances UB were met with student opposition last semester — and Candace Owens, who is slated to speak on Oct. 25.
Tripathi appeared to respond to those protests during his speech, arguing that universities must uphold the First Amendment even “when the speech in question offends our sensibilities.”
“Heckling, shouting down our opponents, suppression, censorship: these have no place in higher education,” Tripathi said. “But opposing ideas we reject with robust arguments grounded in truth, reason and justice? This is what higher education prepares us to do.”
The news desk can be reached at news@ubspectrum.com
Nicholas Abbott is a staff writer.
