MEMORANDUM

      January 25, 2012
To: 		Members of the Board of Trustees		

From: 	Nancy L. Zimpher, Chancellor

Subject: 	Harnessing Systemness


Action Requested

      This resolution details the initiatives laid out in the 2012 State of the University which will drive the work of the SUNY system going forward.  The resolution calls for the Board’s formal support and advocacy for these initiatives and the continuing efforts towards implementing the strategic plan, The Power of SUNY. 
      
Resolution
      
      I recommend that the Board adopt the following resolution:
Whereas  on January 9, 2012, Chancellor Zimpher delivered the State of the University address which outlined a plan for 2012 that expands upon programs and initiatives already at work within the system while focusing its efforts on breaking down the walls of the “iron triangle” of higher education—cost, productivity, and access & completion; and

 Whereas in 2012 and beyond, SUNY will tap into the power of “systemness” to create a more affordable, productive, and accessible university, while doing its part to generate economic development, create jobs, and prepare the workforce of tomorrow for New York State; and



Whereas systemness can be the unifying force behind The State University of New York’s many assets. Beyond the individual strengths that each of our 64 campuses possess, there is a powerful and unmatched capacity to reach our 
most ambitious goals together and to realize our highest achievements; and 

Whereas within the 2012 plan there are 9 major initiatives under the three walls of the iron triangle - cost, productivity and access/completion that will serve as the next steps in moving the dial on defining and utilizing systemness:

CONTROL COSTS
• Shared services
• Performance-based allocations
• Systems integration

INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY
• Delivering on 6 Big Ideas   
• Eliminate remediation
• Strategic enrollment management

ENSURE ACCESS & COMPLETION 
• Transfer mobility 
• Distance learning 
• Completion rate targets 
	
Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved that the SUNY Board of Trustees expresses its full support for the initiatives outlined in the 2012 State of the University address, and will continue to advocate for The Power of SUNY and will take all reasonable steps to support the strength and success of the plan in the future.  

 Background

The Proposed resolution expresses the support of the initiatives set forth in the 2012 State of the University address, including the 9 major initiatives described below:	


Cost

* Shifting Administrative Cost Savings to Instruction: Through its shared services initiative, SUNY will reduce administrative costs and move those resources towards direct instruction and student services. Regional Administrative Centers will centrally process payroll, benefits, purchasing, travel, and other basic administrative services. Over the next 3 years, all SUNY campuses will shift—at minimum—5 percent of their spending to direct instruction and student services, resulting in $100 million being invested.

* Allocating Resources Based on Performance: The current funding model for SUNY campuses is based mostly on the number of students and the cost of programs at each campus. Performance-based allocations are made using indicators, such as graduation rates or a diversity index, to determine the amount of funding each campus receives. SUNY has put in place a Finance and Administration Strategy Team (FAST) to manage this new process. Their initial charge is to determine a pilot program for the 2012-13 academic year, with campuses seeing allocations reflected in their 2013-14 operating budgets.

* IT Systems Integration: Over the last few decades, devolution of the SUNY system has led to every campus having the freedom to choose its own path for information technology resources. By summer 2013, a plan for all SUNY campuses to operate on common Information Technology (IT) data systems will be in place, and by Summer 2014, these systems will be implemented across the board.

Productivity

* Delivering on 6 Big Ideas: In the coming year SUNY will take its Report Card from a statement about accountability—the “You can hold us to it” promise—to a testament to progress and a tool for improvement. SUNY will invest resources, and look to external support as well, for major initiatives found in its strategic plan, The Power of SUNY. The impact of those actions will then be assessed by the data collected in our report card.
 
* Eliminating Remediation: SUNY spends $70 million a year in remediation. All of SUNY’s ag/tech campuses combined receive $63.6 million in State support. This means, for SUNY students alone, the State is spending more on remediating its high school students than it is on supporting 8 entire college campuses. The Chancellor has invited K-12 leaders throughout the State to partner with SUNY in eliminating the need for remediation over the next decade. 

* Producing New York’s Future Workforce: Strategic enrollment management is the key to ensuring that students have access to the programs and courses they need to graduate prepared to work in the competitive, global 21st-century job market. SUNY will utilize data to ensure that program offerings meet New York’s high-need workforce demands.

Access & Completion

* Connecting the Transfer Dots: By Fall 2013, SUNY will implement seamless transfer for community college graduates. This means an AA or AS degree from a SUNY community college will satisfy general education requirements at SUNY’s four-year institutions.

* Opening the Door to Online Education: Open SUNY has the potential to be the Nation’s most extensive distance learning environment, connecting students with faculty and peers from across the State and throughout the world and giving them access to the best in open educational resources. Using a combination of online courses, an expanded YouTube channel, and a new presence on iTunes U, Open SUNY will be launched in time for the Fall 2013 semester. 

* Turning Access into Completion: Access is only half the battle. Completion is the other half, and SUNY will work to ensure that every student who walks through its doors leaves, on time, with a degree. Each campus will set targets to improve its completion rates. These targets will be set by the SUNY Council of Presidents and, once agreed upon, will be included as a factor in presidential evaluations.

	
Board Resolution				-4-		              January 25, 2012