M E M O R A N D U M

      September 20, 2011
      
To: 		Members of the Board of Trustees

From: 	Carl T. Hayden, Chairman

Subject: 	Shared Services


      I recommend that the Board of Trustees adopt the following resolution: 

Whereas the Chancellor has discussed the concept of shared services publicly since at least January of 2011, and on June 15, 2011 the Board adopted a resolution endorsing that concept and directing further action on that concept at the campuses, and the Board continues to strongly support that overall effort; 

Resolved, that: 

The Board supports and confirms the role of the Chancellor to initiate recommendations to the Board for shared presidencies and otherwise to take actions within her authority, including enhanced consultation with college councils, faculty, students, staff and other affected constituencies on each campus that is proposed to share its president with another campus;

The Board reaffirms its role as the ultimate authority for appointment of campus presidents, and the important role of college councils in commenting upon and recommending candidates for appointment as president of each campus;

The Board acknowledges that one option for shared services may include sharing presidencies between two state-operated campuses as one reasonable and valid option to explore in sharing services and in pursuit of devoting more resources to the academic mission of the campuses, so long as the separate existence and identity of each campus is maintained;

The Board specifically endorses the continued consideration of the option of sharing presidencies between Cobleskill and Delhi, and between Morrisville and SUNY IT, and encourages all affected constituencies to express their considered views on the matter to the Chancellor and the Board by the November board meetings, and subject to the Board’s authority for making appointment of presidents at Cobleskill and Morrisville;

With respect to Canton and Potsdam, the Board has made no decision on whether a single president should serve both campuses, and authorizes the Chancellor to direct the presidents of both campuses: (i) to continue to work together promptly, diligently and cooperatively to explore and implement shared services where appropriate and to devote the savings from such efforts to academics and student support services, particularly working toward a goal of increasing the percentage of operating funds devoted to instruction and academic services, with details on that goal and reasonable expectations to be communicated to the campuses by the Chancellor or her designees; (ii) to prepare a joint report to the Chancellor by March 30, 2012 on their recommendations as to whether there could be substantial additional opportunities for increasing the percentages of their operating budgets devoted to instruction and academic services if there were a shared presidency between their campuses, whether there would be substantial obstacles or costs to such a shared presidency, and whether they recommend such a shared presidency, the continuation of separate presidencies (and administrations), or some other organizational structure or approach to best achieve the above goals.  Such report shall also be transmitted promptly to the Chairs of each college council, and shall be made public and shared with other campus and statewide constituencies also, who are each invited and encouraged to provide their comments and views on such report to the Chancellor.  The Board shall consider such report at its regular May meeting, or in the event of a special meeting no sooner than three weeks after March 30th, and shall assess the recommendations in that report and from the Chancellor and other sources fully, including  in comparison to the progress being made at the other administrative alliance institutions.
Board Resolution 	-2-	September 20, 2011