SUNY Chancellor Ryan takes action in interim role

Since stepping into the role of interim SUNY chancellor in June, John Ryan has made waves in Albany and acted like more than just a placeholder, voicing support for a new tuition policy while overseeing several SUNY projects.

Ryan assumed the role of acting SUNY chancellor following the resignation of Robert King, who stepped down amid criticism for tuition increases and his request for a paid sabbatical, which he later removed from consideration.

King now holds an interim presidency at SUNY Potsdam.

So far, Ryan, who was previously the president of SUNY Maritime, has been praised for the level of his drive and ambition.

"I'm proud to say that he's been working very hard with the students," said Peter Rizzo, one of four SUNY SA delegates for UB. "I haven't heard any downside to him."

Rizzo said Ryan has shown a commitment to student advocacy and academics, and Ryan is "more proactive than Chancellor King ever was."

Chancellor Ryan has not completely steered clear of King's legacy, and continues to support King's proposal for tuition policy that freezes tuition for each incoming freshman class. The proposal has been a hot topic within SUNY ever since King unveiled it last year.

"Rational tuition would ensure both affordability and investment in quality by instituting a policy of an incremental tuition increases for each incoming class," Ryan told the legislature earlier this month.

Ryan justified the plan by saying it keeps SUNY schools affordable and maintains "a steady stream of investments in quality at our schools."

State Assemblyman Ronald Canestrari (D-Cohoes) is among those who are still not convinced of the proposal's efficiency.

"(I am) not a great fan because there's no guarantee that money (raised by the tuition increase) would be spent for higher education," Canestrari recently told Newsday. "The governor's actions have shown when the Legislature allocates more money for higher education he sometimes holds that money back."

Rizzo, who also serves on the SUNY SA executive committee, said although he's still undecided over the tuition proposal, the Student Assembly is going to examine every aspect of it.

In a speech to the state legislature Oct. 6, Ryan was invited to speak about the future of public higher education in New York.

"(This) issue isn't new," Ryan told the legislature. "That would be a conversation about fixing problems, which, in essence, is only restoring the status quo."

Citing a "culture of innovation and intellectual candor," Ryan said SUNY continues to make valuable contributions to New York and he is pleased with new projects being pursued by schools across the state.

His points included an on-campus retirement community at SUNY Purchase and the planning stages of making Morrisville State College the first completely energy-independent campus in the country.

"While SUNY is located physically in New York, we're proud to be among the first universities to pursue globalization actively in every area, from business partnerships to international education," Ryan said.

In his short time in office, Ryan has also traveled to China and hosted a delegation from Yamagata University in Japan. Both meetings led to promises between the American and Asian universities to work together for common academic endeavors in the future, according to SUNY spokesperson Emily Dalton Smith.

While Ryan holds the interim position, SUNY has formed a 14-person search committee and hired a consultant to find a permanent replacement.

As far as Rizzo is concerned, Ryan is doing an impressive job but said "it would be premature to make any supportive remark" on the possibility of Ryan taking the position over permanently. SUNY has yet comment whether Ryan will be a candidate.

Rizzo did, however, say that from the perspective of the Student Assembly, a proactive and interactive leader like Ryan "is what we are looking for."