New York City – State University of New York Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher today unveiled the newly developed strategic plan. The
plan incorporates six forward-looking, interdependent areas of opportunity and
challenge in which SUNY and its 64 campuses can serve as the driving force
behind New York State’s economic revitalization and to improve the quality of
life for its citizens.
The Power of SUNY will serve as the roadmap for the
State University of New York for the next five years and guide its development
for the next decade.
The
chancellor made today’s announcement at the New York Academy of Sciences in Manhattan and tomorrow will present
the plan in Albany at The Egg.
The plan is available at
www.suny.edu/powerofsuny.
“We see The Power
of SUNY as a testament to what public higher education can do for the State
of New York,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “This strategic plan will enable the State University to drive New York’s economy through our size, scale and the capacity of the
system as a whole.”
"The fact that
town-hall conversations were held in every corner of the state to ensure that
student voices from all campuses were heard is unprecedented,” said Melody
Mercedes, president of the SUNY Student Assembly and student member of the SUNY
Board of Trustees. “Students can finally say they were instrumental in the
creation of a plan which will benefit generations of students to come."
“This strategic
plan, The Power of SUNY, is distinguished by the breadth of the 200
representatives who met eight times during the past six months
to discuss issues that are central to both New York State and its public university,” said Kenneth O’Brien, president of the SUNY Faculty
Senate. “The result is a plan that rewrites the relationship
between SUNY and the citizens of the state, with SUNY committing its
intellectual and human resources to revitalizing New York's economy and enriching its social and community
life.”
“It was an
honor to be a part of the strategic planning process,” said Raymond Cross,
president of Morrisville State College. “I am excited about this plan and
the commitment embedded in every paragraph. This is not your traditional
academic strategic plan - it is bold, exciting, and real, and certainly demands
attention. It calls for action, requires commitment, and will aggressively move
SUNY and all of New York forward. Every campus and community should be eager to
help make this vision a reality!”
The product of an
unprecedented 10-month effort which included a 64-campus tour and 10 statewide
conversations and symposia across the New York, The Power of SUNY
explores the many issues affecting New York State and the State University community, while identifying six “big ideas”:
·
SUNY and the
Entrepreneurial Century
·
SUNY and the
Seamless Educational Pipeline
·
SUNY and a
Healthier New York
·
SUNY and an
Energy-Smart New York
·
SUNY and the
Vibrant Community
·
SUNY and the
World
In addition, the plan
focuses on the crosswalks between the six ideas and SUNY’s central commitment
to diversity within those themes.
Each idea represents
areas in which SUNY can have the greatest impact on the State of New York. By connecting all 64 campuses, the State University system becomes greater than
the sum of its parts with the ability to bring innovative and entrepreneurial initiatives
to scale. Three such initiatives are provided for each idea whose progress can
be measured and evaluated over time, ensuring accountability. Chancellor
Zimpher has already begun to lead an effort to create implementation goals for
each idea over the next five years.
“The call for
accountability has never been louder,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “We must
deliver results in a more meaningful and measurable way to show New Yorkers
that we mean what we say.”
After the plan is
unveiled in Albany and New York City, Chancellor Zimpher will also present the
plan in Binghamton and Utica on April 15, Syracuse on April 16, Westchester on
April 22, Long Island on April 23, Rochester on April 27, and Buffalo on April
28.
Release of the
strategic plan begins the third phase of a strategic planning process for SUNY
with the goal of preserving the strengths of the largest comprehensive system
of public higher education in the world, while introducing a new way forward
that aligns SUNY’s purpose with New York State’s economic future.
“In the coming weeks
and months I will engage our students, my colleagues across SUNY, elected
officials and our communities in discussions on the plan; what it means to them;
how they can be a part of the change this state needs – a part of The Power
of SUNY” said Chancellor Zimpher.
“Nancy Zimpher was
hired and immediately charged with developing a strategic plan for the State
University of New York, and she has delivered” said SUNY Board of Trustees
Chairman Carl T. Hayden. "This plan bears the imprint of the entire
SUNY family. It will work because the people it affects most are the
people who helped to make it possible."
“As I noted at the end
of our campus tour in September, the greatest pathway to national and
international recognition is to serve your state,” said Chancellor Zimpher.
“Our strategic plan for SUNY presents the people of New York with an exciting
vision for how we will harness the power of SUNY to make New York State one of
the most vital, resilient, and inclusive economies here in the U.S. and around the
world.”
Additional information
about the SUNY strategic planning effort is available here.
Further remarks from
SUNY stakeholders about The Power of SUNY can be found here.
Chancellor Zimpher’s
biography and downloadable headshot are available here.
About the State University of New York
The State University
of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating nearly 465,000 students in 7,669 degree and certificate programs
on 64 campuses. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu
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