Joint Statement from SUNY Board of Trustees Chairman Carl T. Hayden and SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher

 “In consultation with the Chairman and Chancellor, today John O’Connor, Senior Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation and Secretary of the University at SUNY, and President of the Research Foundation, has decided to take a voluntary leave of absence from his duties at both institutions. We accept Mr. O’Connor’s decision and urge the Commission on Public Integrity and Inspector General to resolve these matters fairly and expeditiously.

“To date, the Commission on Public Integrity has not cited the Research Foundation for any wrongdoing, credits them with providing a significant amount of information, and makes no indication that they have been anything but fully cooperative. We pledge to ensure that the full cooperation of both the Research Foundation and SUNY continues in support of an appropriate resolution of this matter.

“We take very seriously the obligation all employees at SUNY and the Research Foundation have to public integrity. Transparency and accountability are essential to the success of our strategic plan, our mission of education, research, and service, and to SUNY itself. Integrity is something we ask of every one of our students, and we must demand it of ourselves.”

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 465,000 students in more than 7,500 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses with more than 3 million alumni around the globe. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu 

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