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 have never been higher. We are seeing these record numbers because students and their families know that now, more than ever, a SUNY education opens the door to opportunity. A great many of our 2.4 million alumni hold positions of leadership and influence, helping shape life in the 21st Century across the globe. While the majority of our alumni live and work within New York State, our graduates can be found everywhere. Just set a Google News Alert to “State University of New York” and you’ll see what I mean. Home to some of the world’s best and brightest faculty, SUNY is at the forefront of research and innovation. In fact, SUNY ranks 4th in the nation for research and development investment, according to the National Science Foundation. Some 440,000 students have made SUNY their choice. In addition to native New Yorkers, our students come from all fifty states in the nation and 170 countries around the world. They come to attend one of our top notch doctoral granting research universities, comprehensive colleges, technology colleges or community colleges. That makes us the largest comprehensive system of public higher education in the country, with 7,669 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses across the most beautiful and diverse state in the nation. Over 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. 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. To begin that process, I am visiting all 64 campuses in my first three months. This summer tour allows me to meet with and learn from the many people who share our love for SUNY and our commitment to its future, and who understand the critical role our system plays in New York’s economic future. The tour marks the first step in the creation of a SUNY-wide strategic plan, which will be completed next Spring. The planning process will be a model for statewide collaborations – gathering suggestions, ideas and comments from thousands of stakeholders through town hall meetings, on-line conferences and other outreach. I hope you will participate in this important process. I want to hear from you – your comments, questions, ideas, thoughts, and suggestions are all welcome. Let’s get to work!
|
|
