Chancellor's Corner

Chancellor's Message

The State University of New York has provided students from New York and across the world with top quality public higher education for more than 60 years and today, application and enrollment rates are higher than ever before. We are seeing these record numbers because students and their families know that a SUNY education opens the door to opportunity.

Nearly 465,000 students from all 50 states and 170 countries attend our top notch doctoral granting research universities, comprehensive colleges, technology colleges and community colleges. With 7,351 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses, SUNY is the largest comprehensive system of public higher education in the country. More than 100,000 students across the globe have chosen SUNY for on-line course work, and another 1.2 million students come to us for continuing education.

Home to some of the world’s best and brightest faculty, SUNY is at the forefront of research and innovation. In fact, SUNY ranks fourth in the nation for research and development investment, according to the National Science Foundation.

A great many of our 2.4 million alumni hold positions of leadership and influence, helping shape life in the 21st century.  While the majority of our alumni live and work within New York State, our graduates can be found everywhere.

I am honored and proud to serve as SUNY’s 12th Chancellor.  Working in collaboration with our students, faculty, presidents, alumni, benefactors, administrators, and private- and public-sector partners, we are leveraging our strengths and tackling our challenges to make SUNY a model for the nation and the world.

In April 2010, we unveiled a new strategic plan for SUNY that will serve as our roadmap for the next five years and guide our development for the next decade.

The Power of SUNY is fueled by Six Big Ideas: six forward-looking, interdependent areas of opportunity and challenge where SUNY can serve as the driving force behind New York State’s economic revitalization and a better future for its citizens.

To learn more about The Power of SUNY, and the many ways SUNY creates educational and economic opportunities for New York and the world, please continue to explore us online, where we have a vast library of resources available for students and families, educators, businesses, media and more.

Your comments, questions, ideas, thoughts, and suggestions are always welcome. Email me at chancellor@suny.edu, or join Generation SUNY on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

I invite you to tour our campuses virtually or in person. I promise you – the more you know about SUNY, the more you will be impressed!

We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Nancy L. Zimpher
Chancellor
State University of New York