SUNY Chancellor to Recommend Administrative Changes at SUNYIT, Morrisville, Delhi, Cobleskill

Albany – State University of New York Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher today announced that, following consultation with key constituencies, she anticipates recommending to the SUNY Board of Trustees that SUNYIT President Bjong Wolf Yeigh also serve as president of Morrisville State College and that, similarly, SUNY Delhi President Candace Vancko also serve as president of SUNY Cobleskill, where she has been appointed, effective immediately, as officer-in-charge.

Both decisions are part of the recently established SUNY Campus Alliance Networks, and will allow the campuses to increase enrollment, hire more faculty, and create jobs in the communities they serve.

“SUNY is committed to ensuring that every New Yorker has access to an excellent and affordable education,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “Financial constraints in recent years have resulted in less course availability on our campuses, causing our students to spend more time and money to complete their degrees. Strategically aligning our campuses where appropriate and implementing a rational tuition policy across the system puts SUNY in a stronger position to reverse this trend.

“Shared leadership between these campuses will best serve current and future students by enabling campuses to enroll more students, hire more full-time faculty, and increase course offerings,” she said.

The campuses will not be merged and each will retain its individual identities, including insignia, academic specialties, and unique programs. Aligning administrative functions will create additional opportunities for students as they gain access to the academic resources of a second campus in the region. In addition, enrollment capacity at both campuses will increase as a result of the alliance.

System Administration will consult with President Yeigh, Morrisville Interim President Richard J. Carreno, and the respective college councils in the coming weeks to determine the best process for collaboration between stakeholders during this transitional period.

“Together, SUNYIT and Morrisville State College provide more than 6,000 students each year with an affordable college education that is second to none in the region and across New York,” said President Yeigh. “Shared leadership and other measures that will emerge as our alliance develops will only enhance the quality of education at our campuses and give more students access to it. It would be my honor to serve as president of both SUNYIT and Morrisville State College, and I thank Chancellor Zimpher for her confidence in my ability to do so.”

“Morrisville State College has a strong, dedicated administrative staff,” said Interim President Carreno. “We’ll work diligently to find ways to share services with SUNYIT and provide enhanced educational opportunities to students on each campus.”

Earlier this summer, SUNY Cobleskill announced the decision of its president to retire as of August 3, 2011. System Administration, President Vancko, and senior leadership at Cobleskill will immediately begin to engage their stakeholders on opportunities for shared services between the campus and SUNY Delhi.

“I commend Chancellor Zimpher and the SUNY Board of Trustees for their dedication to providing students with a college education that is unmatched in its accessibility, affordability, and quality,” said President Vancko. “By aligning the administrative functions of SUNY Delhi and SUNY Cobleskill, we are able to achieve savings that can be dedicated to academic program enhancements and promoting student success. I am delighted to be a part of this new approach to efficiency and look forward to leading SUNY Delhi and SUNY Cobleskill as we move forward.” 

Chancellor Zimpher recently announced the establishment of SUNY Strategic Campus Alliance Networks throughout the state-operated system. Networks call for shared administrative functions between two or more campuses in each region to enable the expansion of academic resources and course availability for students while increasing efficiency.

About the State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating more than 467,000 students in more than 7,500 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses with nearly 3 million alumni around the globe. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu 

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