Statement by SUNY Assistant Vice Chancellor for Communications Casey Vattimo on 2011 Procurement Legislation

November 18, 2016

"Following Governor Cuomo’s recent announcement that he will appoint an Inspector General for SUNY, we are again seeing several media reports indicating that what happened at SUNY Poly could have been prevented if the Comptroller’s authority to pre-approve all SUNY procurements had not been reduced to only those totaling more than $250,000 in 2011.

"This continuing dialogue within the media is not only inaccurate but irresponsible. To be clear: the contracts under scrutiny were carried out by a private entity that was never subject to Comptroller pre-approval – not before 2011 and not since.

"SUNY supports Empire State Development’s recent recommendations for reform with regard to Fort Schuyler Management Corporation (FSMC); and shares Governor Cuomo’s interest in ensuring transparency by appointing an Inspector General for SUNY. But these actions must be recognized as separate and distinct from the 2011 procurement legislation that continues to benefit our campuses and students today.

"The 2011 procurement legislation was recently renewed through 2021, following a 2014 audit by the Comptroller, which found SUNY has "generally established good internal controls over procurement."

About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, with 64 college and university campuses located within 30 miles of every home, school, and business in the state. As of Fall 2018, more than 424,000 students were enrolled in a degree program at a SUNY campus. In total, SUNY served 1.4 million students in credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs in the 2017-18 academic year. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Its students and faculty make significant contributions to research and discovery, contributing to a $1.6 billion research portfolio. There are 3 million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu.

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