M E M O R A N D U M
							
									May 10, 2012


To:	           Members of the Board of Trustees

From:		Nancy L. Zimpher, Chancellor

Subject:	State University of New York Master Plan 2012


Action Requested

      The proposed resolution approves The Power of SUNY: Delivering on our Promise 2012 and Beyond as the SUNY Master Plan 2012 required by Education Law §§ 237 and 354, and authorizes the Chancellor to submit the SUNY Master Plan 2012 to the Board of Regents and the Governor.

Resolution
	
	I recommend that the Board of Trustees adopt the following resolution:
 
Whereas Education Law §§ 237 and 354 require the State University Board of Trustees to adopt or update a long-range plan to submit to the Board of Regents and the Governor every four years for approval by the Board of Regents, and ultimately by the Governor; and

Whereas the State University of New York’s Strategic Plan, The Power of SUNY, was developed at the request of the Board of Trustees, and adopted by the Board to be the State University’s overarching blueprint for academic and other planning; and

Whereas The Power of SUNY: Delivering on our Promise 2012 and Beyond (the “SUNY Master Plan 2012”) provides an overview of the planning process that produced The Power of SUNY, followed by a detailed description of its implementation and the progress made to date on delivering on its benchmarks and goals, as well as the specific information required in Education Law § 354; and 

Whereas the SUNY Master Plan 2012 documents the continuous improvement process that guides the State University’s ongoing initiatives, and its steadfast commitment to reporting to the public on how SUNY is meeting its mission of academic excellence, and delivering on its goal of catalyzing economic revitalization for the State of New York and a better quality of life for all of its citizens; and

Whereas Education Law §237 requires the Board of Regents to develop every eight years a statewide plan for higher education informed by master plans from each sector of higher education; and

Whereas the Board of Regents has identified several topics of concern to be addressed by each sector, including stronger connections between higher education, the P-12 functions of the State Education Department and other parts of the State’s social and economic structure, and improved access, quality and performance in higher education; and
 
Whereas the SUNY Master Plan 2012 addresses the Regents’ priorities through its description of SUNY’s strategic initiatives; now, therefore, be it 

Resolved that The Power of SUNY: Delivering on our Promise 2012 and Beyond be, and hereby is, approved as the SUNY Master Plan 2012, and the Chancellor is authorized to submit the SUNY Master Plan 2012 to the Board of Regents and the Governor.

Background

	Pursuant to Education Law §§ 257 and 354 the State University Board of Trustees is required to formulate every four years a long-range plan, or general revision thereof, and to submit the plan to the Board of Regents and the Governor. The Board of Regents is charged with developing a master plan for higher education in the State, and requests master plans from SUNY, CUNY and independent higher education institutions to assist in the preparation of the Regents plan. The plans submitted by SUNY and CUNY are subject to review and approval by the Board of Regents, and incorporated as approved into the Regents’ master plan or general revision. The Board of Regents submits its master plan or general revision to the Governor and the Legislature, and the Regents’ master plan is subject to the approval of the Governor. 
Board Resolution                                 -2-                                    May 10, 2012