SUNY Chancellor, Broome Community College President Host Southern Tier's First Education Pipeline Summit

SUNY Chancellor, Broome Community College President Host Southern Tier’s First Education Pipeline Summit

For Immediate Release: Monday, May 23, 2011

Contact: Morgan Hook; morgan.hook@suny.edu; 518-320-1311

Binghamton – State University of New York Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher and Broome Community College President Kevin Drumm are hosting a Southern Tier Education Pipeline Summit at the college today. The summit is a first for the region, bringing together 80 local community leaders from pre-K-12, higher education, business, industry, and non-profits to help plan for the future of the area’s education pipeline.

“Education must be viewed as a continuum, one that begins at birth and is carried on through school, college, and career,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “Strengthening the education pipeline will increase student accomplishment at all levels. To be successful, however, no one group can act alone.

“Closing achievement gaps requires a deep commitment from all involved – parents, school districts, civic organizations, business leaders, community groups, college and university administrators, and elected officials. By taking part in today’s summit, the Southern Tier has embraced a commitment to a better future for students of all ages.”

President Drumm said, “The education pipeline represents the future economic security of the nation. We are fortunate in NY to have the Chancellor's leadership and SUNY's reach to help New York establish itself as a leader in this arena. The Southern Tier Education Pipeline Summit is a giant step in this direction for one major region of New York.”

An agenda for today’s summit is available online.

Strengthening the education pipeline is one of six areas where SUNY is focusing its efforts as it implements its strategic plan – The Power of SUNY – over the next five to 10 years. The goal of the plan is to create a stronger, more competitive system of public higher education and, in turn, a stronger more competitive New York State.

Chancellor Zimpher is the co-creator of Strive, one of the nation’s first “cradle-to-career” networks, and in February, she helped launch the country’s first National Cradle to Career Network. 

Since 2006, Strive has generated real, large-scale improvement in the education pipeline in greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky at little to no cost. Its success has compelled many regions across the country to replicate or adapt the concept, including several communities in New York State where SUNY has taken on a leadership role. 

SUNY is establishing a series of systemic and sustainable regional education networks across New York, with development already underway in Albany, Brooklyn, Buffalo, and Harlem. The SUNY model will also be embedded within a state and national network of partners and constructed upon principles of mutual adaptation.

Today’s summit is being sponsored by Broome Community College, Community & Regional Development Institute, and Lockheed Martin.

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 

###