Minutes
Meeting of the
Communications and External Affairs Committee
Of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York
March 27, 2012


The Communications and External Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York held a meeting on March 27, 2012.

      Committee Members Present: Mr. Carl Spielvogel (video – NYC)
      Mr. H. Carl McCall 
      Ms. Gerri Warren Merrick
      Mr. Kenneth O’Brien
      Ms. Eunice Lewin 
      Mr. Ronald Ehrenberg
      Ms. Kaitlyn Beachner
      Mr. Cary Staller
      Mr. John Murad
      Ms. Tina Good

      Committee Liaison Present: Ms. Stacey Hengsterman
      
      Others Present: 
      Chancellor Nancy Zimpher
      Mr. David Belsky
      Ms. Juliette Price
      Ms. Marti Ellermann (video – Albany)
      President John Halstead
      Mr. Michael Frame			

      Committee Members Not Present: Joe Belluck
      

The Communications and External Affairs Committee meeting was called to order by Trustee Carl Spielvogel at 1:00 p.m on March 27, 2012. 

• Mr. Spielvogel made a motion to accept the minutes from the January Committee Meeting. The motion was carried. 

• Ms. Hengsterman gave an update on activities the Office of Government Relations and Communications.  The budget for Higher Education has closed out.  Good budget.  $69M for higher education, community colleges $150 increase in base aid per/FTE.  Hospitals got an additional $28.6 over the $60M from executive budget.  Advocacy this year included SUNY Day on Feb. 6 which was also the SUNY Presidents meeting.  Forty-one schools attended and 34 showcases followed by a reception that was attended by over two dozen legislators and many friends of SUNY.  SUNY Palooza, Kaitlin Beachner worked very hard; Faculty Senate Poster Session, Faculty Council of Community Colleges post card campaign all going very well.  

Mr. Frame gave the Federal relations Update: Federal budget priorities w/Chancellor, 4 major higher education associations in Washington, DC in developing this list.  SUNY list was shared w/Governor’s office in DC, congress, house, campus federal relations, and with the student assembly.  $8B in community college – targeting training, internships – we did a letter of support and Congressman Israel sent a letter and it was sign by 16 others.

President Halstead, as a member of AASCU state council,  had 90 minutes with white house staffers.  Discussion was right out of the Chancellor’s “playbook”.  Pell grants, good state of the union address, president Obama’s warning on tuition costs, listening to message of maintenance of effort from states.

Ms. Price gave a brief discussion on vibrant community group and the SUNY Passport. SUNY is partners with NYSCA, I LOVE NY, NYS EDC, OPRHP.  Developing a Smart phone app by a company named Scavenger.  

David Belsky gave a communications report.  Showcase report.  Chancellor is highlight of day wherever we go.  Two more showcase days left.  Chancellor has been on NPR and CNN.  Social media – update to version 2.0 – Generation SUNY, which will include an Idea Lab; You Tube direct upload and a live chat room, which we are hoping to have Chancellor, Trustees and Provost and professors participate. 

Dave also spoke briefly about Kaitlin Gambrills’s work on “getting down to business” teams, crossroads, and websites of each team and transparency process.

Meeting adjourned 1:54 p.m.

  

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